Loren Ahonen begins his first year as Assistant Sports Information Director / Events Coordinator for Western State Colorado University Athletics in 2017. Ahonen has a long relationship with Western Athletics. He began as a student-athlete with the Mountaineers before serving as the Interim Sports Information Director while an assistant coach for the Western Cross Country and Track & Field programs.
As a student-athlete at Western, Ahonen amassed seven All-American honors including two in cross country and five in track and field, including three in the 3,000 meter steeplechase and two in the distance medley relay. He served as a team captain for the cross country team in three seasons and the track and field team for two seasons. He was also a member of two cross country teams that finished second at the NCAA DII Cross Country Championships.
Ahonen graduated Summa Cum Laude from Western in 2011 with a Bachelor of Arts, double majoring in Environmental Studies/Politics and Government. He was the first student-athlete in Western State history to earn a pair of Capital One Academic All-American honors from CoSIDA when he accomplished the feat in 2010 and 2011. He was also a seven-time NCAA Division II All-Academic pick. Ahonen also served as an academic peer advisor where he helped schedule tutoring sessions and offer academic guidance.
Following graduation, Ahonen immediately began coaching for the Mountaineers in an assistant role for cross country. He also helped distance runners on the track and field team.
While coaching at Western, Ahonen aided the development of 42 All-Americans, five national champions, seven national runners-up, one Olympic trials qualifier, a Division II Men's Cross Country National Championship and a women's cross country national runner up.
During the summer of 2012, Ahonen was named Interim Sports Information Director during a transitional period.
After two seasons of coaching the Mountaineers, Ahonen was named the Minnesota State University, Mankato Men’s Cross Country head coach in the summer of 2013. Ahonen also served as an assistant coach to the men’s track and field team, coaching distance runners.
With the Mavericks, Ahonen guided the cross country team to a fourth-place finish at the NSIC Championships, and an eighth place finish at the NCAA Central Region Championships in 2014.
On the track, Ahonen’s distance runners helped Minnesota State win both the indoor and outdoor conference titles in 2014, 2015, and 2016 where the Maverick distance men combined for 45 points.
Academically, four Maverick distance runners earned USTFCCCA All-Academic Team honors. The 2014 and 2015 Maverick men’s cross country teams were also named a USTFCCCA NCAA DII All-Academic Team.
Ahonen left Minnesota State in 2016 and began pursuit of his graduate degree in Environmental Management at Western during the fall of 2016.
Ahonen resides in Gunnison with his wife Lindsey Grasmick, Head Western Track & Field Coach.
