Katie Outlaw
Current GPS Head Middle School Track and Cross Country Coach Katie Outlaw will step into the role of Varsity Head Cross Country Coach this fall. She also serves as school psychologist and learning specialist. She began her career at GPS last summer.
She said, “I’m so grateful and excited for this opportunity. Distance running has been a huge part of my life over the past two decades and has opened so many doors for me.
Running requires you to dig deep, practice patience and consistency, and remain focused and confident. These are all qualities that young women need to be successful beyond high school.”
Outlaw previously spearheaded and developed the cross country and track programs at Normal Park, leading the school to first and second place finishes in the Southeast Regional meets.
“We are very fortunate to have Katie Outlaw taking over this role for us next fall,” said Jay Watts, GPS athletic director. “She brings a tremendous amount of experience and enthusiasm to the position. She has not only the technical knowledge to help our runners succeed, but also a background in sports psychology that will provide additional training resources for our program.”
A marathon and ultramarathon runner herself, Outlaw currently holds the Tennessee two-mile record for her age group. She placed 10th at the Mt. Hood 50-Miler in Oregon. Not only does Outlaw challenge herself as a runner, but she also motivates others to pursuit the sport. She leads weekly women’s run groups, is on the Chattanooga Track Club Race Team and a committee member, and works with the Chattanooga Youth Running Initiative.
“We have some really talented middle and upper school runners at GPS, and I hope to recruit more girls onto the team over the next few years,” Outlaw said. “I hope my coaching will give these girls a lifelong love for running, and I feel so fortunate to coach a sport I love. I’m ready to get to work and lead the team to a few more state championships.”
The GPS Cross Country team posted its first win of the 2017 season when it mattered most, winning the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association Division II Class AA competition in Nashville, Tennessee, in November. GPS bested second place Brentwood Academy by six points, amassing 63 points for the overall state win. Leading the way to the state title win was second-place finisher senior Carley Braman, and freshman Jane Eiselstein placed fourth. Junior Myra Brock finished 10th, and eighth-grader Emmy Richey placed 20th. Braman signed a national letter of intent to run for NCAA Division I Georgia Southern (Statesboro) this fall.