Coach Prasuhn “Coach P” – Head Coach
Coach Prasuhn is a 1973 graduate of Northwest High School. He started running track his freshman year and cross-country as a sophomore. His senior year he won the Missouri State Cross-Country Meet and set school records in the mile (4:26) and 2-mile (9:20).
Coach P ran track and cross-country at NCAA DII, Southwest Missouri State University (now Missouri State University) from 1973-77. At Missouri State the cross-country team won four straight MIAA conference team titles. Coach P was a 3-time NCAA All-American in cross-country placing 4th, 8th, and 4th at nationals his sophomore through senior years. His sophomore year the SMSU Bears cross-country team won the NCAA D-II National Cross-Country Championship. Coach P was also a 2-time track All-American placing 3rd at the national championship in the 3-mile as a freshman and 3rd in the 5,000 meters as a junior. His 23:25 8K time was the fastest time run by any MSU runner. Coach P was inducted into the Missouri State University Hall of Fame in 1989.
Coach P moved to Colorado in 1982 where he fell in love with hiking, fly fishing and trail running. Coach P loves to promote distance running and truly values the time he spends with young runners. He has been a cross-country coach at Rocky for 18 years – 13 years as the head coach. He has been married to Leslie Wilson for 39 years. They have a son, Cory – 33 and a daughter, Caity – 31.
Contact: [email protected]
Coach Elena – Assistant Coach
Coach Elena grew up in Northern Indiana and has been a runner for over 20 years. She previously coached cross country/track for four years at the middle school level. She ran cross
country and track from middle school through college. Her senior year, her high school team qualified for the Indiana State Cross Country Meet for the first time in 15 years and placed 10th in the whole state.
She had the opportunity to compete in NCAA DI cross country and track collegiately at Bowling Green State University in Northern Ohio (Go Falcons!) where she was the team captain her senior year. She was inducted into her high school’s hall of fame in 2020 and still holds the school record in the 5k and 1600 meter run. While she hasn’t run a cross country race in a few years, Coach Elena enjoys trail running and training for marathons. She’s run five marathons and hopes to complete all the world major marathons.
Coach Elena is a lifelong student of the sport and has learned a lot through her years of competing. She was a contributor for a podcast/blog called Strong Runner Chicks, where she shared messaging around empowering female runners and helped to interview several guests on the podcast. She loves being able to give back to the sport that has taught her so much in life. Elena has been grateful to learn from her coaches, fellow teammates, and other runners and is excited to pass on the knowledge to the athletes she coaches. She believes in sharing the joy of running and helping athletes listen to their bodies, so that they can continue running for many years to come!
Coach Schauer – Assistant Coach
Coach Schauer is a lifelong runner and career educator at Rocky Mountain High School. With over 20 years’ experience in the classroom and 10 seasons as a XC coach, he strives to bring Rocky values of community, integrity, and compassion to the team. Coach Schauer works every day to build young leaders and create opportunities for student athletes to connect as a team.
Prior to teaching and coaching, Coach Schauer graduated from Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, PA, serving as captain of the Crew Team in his senior year. Spending early mornings practicing rowing technique on the water, every afternoon consisted of running and strength training. Post-college, Coach Schauer continued running, falling in love with the mountain of Colorado.
When not coaching, Coach Schauer can be found teaching U.S. History and Economics, spending time with family and dogs, and riding his motorcycle. As a Rocky teacher, Coach Schauer serves as a liason between the team and the greater Rocky community. He aspires to consistently build up all the runners with positive encouragement and uncompromised support.
Contact: [email protected]
Coach Sara – Assistant Coach
Coach Sara is a lifelong runner who has seen her trajectory in the sport grow and morph over several decades. She began running cross country in middle school and continued through college and beyond. She still competes in local races ranging from the mil to the half marathon.
Coach Sara has worked with high school students in varying capacities since 2005 when she began a career in high school teaching and shortly after joined the xc coaching staff at Dakota Ridge High School where she and her husband Mike coached for ten years. While there, she honed a love and curiosity for the psychology of running, and dedicated time and study to helping her athletes overcome mental barriers as well as physical ones. Athletes there during that time won state titles, qualified for national races, ran PRs and saw their potential expand with each season.
After moving to Fort Collins, Sara has continued to run and to coach high school cross country and track in varying capacities; she also teaches high school English and works at Altitude Running as an assistant manager. Central to Coach Sara’s approach to coaching is an athlete-centered, growth-mindset philosophy. She loves helping build stronger people through running, and she maintains an unwavering belief in the transformative power of athletics.
Coach Catherine – Assistant Coach
Coach Catherine has loved running from a young age; participating in running clubs and cross country teams through middle school, high school and competing in cross country and track and field throughout her time at Tufts University in College. Now, Catherine loves racing long distances, ultra-running in the mountains of Colorado and coaching Rocky XC!
Catherine started with the Rocky XC program in 2022 and has loved promoting the sport with these athletes. She loves to run with the team, promote a positive attitude and encourage the students to push themselves beyond what they think is possible.