Travis Shepherd

Head Cross Country and Assistant Track & Field
847-395-9458
travis.shepherd@chsd117.org

Coach Shepherd has been the Head Boys Cross Country coach since the Fall of 2014. After serving as an assistant coach for three years, Coach Shepherd stepped into the role of Head Coach for the Girls Track program in 2017. Coach Shepherd primarily trains the boys and girls distance runners. 2016 was a breakthrough year for the Distance crew as Robert Kuhlmann (800m run), Kortney Schardt (1600m run), & Jeremy Wallace (Cross Country) became the first state qualifiers under Coach Shepherd's tutelage. Wallace's All State honors in Cross Country raised the expectations for a program on the rise. 2017 brought a top 10 finish from Girls XC (9th), Brooke Stromsland (4th in XC), and Olivia Schmitt (6th in 800m run). 2018 was another stellar year for the squad as the Boys Cross Country team won their first NLCC title, won their 2nd Regional, & for the first time, qualified for the State Finals, finishing 14th. Brooke Stromsland capped the year by winning the State Championship! In 2019, Girls Track finished 7th led by outstanding individual performances from  Olivia Schmitt (2nd in 800; 7th in 400) and Brooke Stromsland (2nd in 3200; 4th in 1600). In the 3rd year of combining programs, Brooke Stromsland (2nd in XC) led the Girls team to 2nd at the State Finals! Year 4 included the Girls team finishing as the 2A runner-up, bringing home the first IHSA trophy to Lakes! Coach Shepherd is beyond excited about the upward trajectory that distance athletes from Lakes are on. He is committed to directing the Lakes Distance program to an elite level in Illinois.