meet the coaches
Each basketball and cheerleading season, more than 250 volunteers make Upward run. Upward is fortunate to have dozens of college students from Drake University and Grandview University that volunteer their time coaching, running scoreboards, and running concessions. Upward coaches are primarily either parents or college students. Each coach is screened and trained. Below is short biography on some of the coaches. Upward coaches are expected to serve as role models for their teams.
Kodee Wright
Kodee came from Vermont, Illinois to study history and secondary education at Drake University. She is now in her second year. In high school, Kodee was part of the softball and cheerleading teams. She also considers these two sports to be her favorites. This will be Kodee’s second season as a coach. Outside of coaching, Kodee enjoys reading, dancing, laughing and any television show on the Disney Channel. A fun fact to keep in mind about Kodee is that she has never had the chicken pox!
Kyle Kurtenbach
Kyle has lived in Des Moines for 7 years although he is originally from Grand Island, Nebraska. Since graduating from college, Kyle has been working as a financial analyst for Wells Fargo Home Mortgage for over 3 years. Kyle considers college basketball and football to be his favorite sports. You can catch him rooting for the Drake Bulldogs and the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Kyle has been such a devoted fan over the years that Drake University’s Athletic Director gave him the title of Drake’s #1 fan! Kyle has been coaching basketball and soccer for three years now. Off the court, Kyle enjoys playing video games, cards, and board games.
Caleb Thompson
Caleb is a native of Des Moines, growing up in Waukee, Iowa. As a high school athlete, Caleb participated in track and specialized in the high jump. However, Caleb considers basketball and football to be his favorite sports. Caleb’s choice team is the Iowa Hawkeyes. You can count on Caleb to bring his sports passion onto the court, especially since he has coached many seasons of soccer and basketball. Currently, Caleb is in his senior year at Grandview College. He will soon earn a degree in marketing. Besides sports, Caleb can be found playing the guitar.
Matt Shattuck
Matt is in his second year at Drake University, pursuing a degree in broadcast journalism. Matt loves basketball, baseball, and football. At Drake Matt has participated in Intramural football. This year his team won the 2008 Intramural Flag Football championship. Since growing up in Lakeville, Minnesota, Matt has been a devoted Vikings and Twins fan. This is Matt’s second year coaching basketball. Matt also takes part in sports broadcasting and Campus Fellowship at Drake. His favorite TV show is The Office.
Brian Nicklaus
Brian has lived in Des Moines for three years since transferring to Drake University to earn an economics degree from the School of Business. Since the fall, Brian has been working for Nationwide Insurance. Originally from Webster Groves, Missouri, Brian roots for the St. Louis Cardinals, the St. Louis Rams, as well as the Drake Bulldogs. Brian participated in cross-country and track in high school. Since coming to Des Moines, Brian has coached several seasons of soccer and basketball.
Kristen Nordaker
Kristen has lived in Des Moines her entire life. She is currently a sophomore at Des Moines Community College with a major in math and secondary education. Kristen considers basketball and volleyball to be her favorite sports. For all four years of high school she played volleyball and basketball; she also played two years of softball. This will be Kristen’s third season as a coach. In addition, Kristen enjoys playing corny old games, board games and cards, as well as playing the piano and watching old movies.
Emily Warford
Emily grew up in Windsor Heights, Iowa and is now a junior at Drake University. Emily is pursuing a major in secondary education, with a concentration in math education. Emily’s favorite sports are basketball, football, and soccer. At Roosevelt High School, Emily helped her team win the state championship in girls’ basketball. Emily is also an experienced youth coach having previously coached six teams. Emily considers herself a fan of the Chicago Bulls, the Green Bay Packers, and Chicago Cubs, Iowa Hawkeyes, and the Drake Bulldogs. Emily also enjoys math and running. A fun fact about Emily is that her parents own 3 Dairy Queens in Des Moines.
Tim Moklestad
Tim is originally from Humboldt, Iowa, but has lived in Des Moines for the past 24 years. Tim has worked in cost accounting for even longer than that. Tim considers basketball and soccer to be his favorite sports. He played basketball, football, and baseball in high school and continued with baseball in college. Tim is a fan of the Boston Celtics, Green Bay Packers, Iowa State Cyclones, and Drake Bulldogs. Tim and his wife, Karen have two daughters, Bethany, age 25 and Laura, age 17, as well as two sons, Daniel, age 23, and Matt, age 20. Tim has coached quite a few basketball, baseball, and football teams over the years.
Jim Walling
Jim has lived in Des Moines, Iowa for 11 years although he is originally from Cressett, Arkansas. Jim is now retired from the Navy after serving for 30 years. Jim considers basketball his favorite sport. You can catch him cheering for Arkansas sports teams as well as the Boston Celtics. Previously, Jim has coached two soccer and two basketball teams. Jim and his wife Sally have a son, Joey, age 8, who is an active soccer and basketball participant. Besides basketball, Jim enjoys golf and fishing.
Nathan Peterson
Nathan has lived in Des Moines his entire life. He grew up in Johnston, Iowa and attended Johnston High School. There he participated in football, basketball, track, and cross-country. Nathan considers football and basketball to be his favorite sports. His favorite professional team is the Minnesota Vikings. Nathan is now in his third year at Drake, studying business management and human relations. Some other things to know about Nathan are that he is left-handed and loves music, movies, and hanging out with friends.
Jill Seifert
Jill has recently graduated from Drake University with a degree in business marketing and management. Jill’s favorite sports are basketball and football. Since growing up in Elysian, Minnesota, Jill has been a devoted Minnesota Vikings fan. In high school Jill participated in track, basketball, cross-country, and volleyball. This will be her fifth season as a coach. Jill also enjoys reading and fishing. Her favorite TV show is CSI.
Jason Rude
Jason is senior at Drake University with major in business management. He has lived in Des Moines for 22 years. Jason’s favorite sports are basketball, baseball, and volleyball. His favorite college sports teams are the Drake Bulldogs and the Iowa State Cyclones. Jason is also a fan of the Minnesota Twins. In high school Jason participated in basketball, baseball, and track. Jason is one of eight kids. He also has 4 nieces and 2 nephews. Jason enjoys studying, reading, and traveling.
Kristi Bochman
Kristi is from Burnsville, Minnesota, but she has lived in Des Moines, Iowa for the past 6 years since coming to attend Drake University. Since graduating, Kristi has worked in youth ministry for Youth for Christ. Kristi’s favorite sport is soccer. She played soccer in high school and college. Currently, she coaches girls’ soccer at Hoover High School in Des Moines. Off the soccer field you can find Kristi cheering on the Drake Bulldogs, dancing, and making up songs.
Joel Swanson
Joel is originally from Cherokee, Iowa, but has lived in Des Moines for the past 10 years. He has been working in youth ministry with Youth for Christ. Joel’s favorite sports are basketball, football, and golf. He is a fan of the Minnesota Vikings, Iowa State Cyclones, and the Boston Celtics. Joel and his wife Selena have four children: Bethany, Lydia, Gabe, and Helen.
Stasos Clark
Stasos has been living in Des Moines for the past 5 years since coming to attend Drake University. Since graduating last May he has been working as a staff member at Walnut Creek Community Church. Stasos’ favorite sport is basketball; he played basketball in high school. Stasos is a fan of the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Ohio State Buckeyes. Besides sports, Stasos enjoys music.
Jay Udey
Jay is from Owattana, Minnesota but was born and raised in Germany. Since graduating from Drake University, Jay has been working as an Auditor. Jay’s favorite sports are soccer, basketball, football, and power lifting. Jay has previously coached 5 seasons of soccer and 4 seasons of basketball. He is a fan of the Green Bay Packers and the Ohio State Buckeyes. Jay loves running and lifting weights, making him the ultimate strength and endurence trainer. Most importantly, however, he loves cooking.
Tim Greeno
Tim graduated from Drake University in May of 2008. Since then he has been working for Nationwide Insurance. Tim’s favorite sports are running, tennis, and football. At Drake, Tim ran track and cross-country. Originally, from Apple Valley, Minnesota, Tim still considers himself a fan of all Minnesota sport’s teams. Over the years, Tim has coached 6 teams, consisting of 3 different sports. Tim enjoys spending time with friends and family.
Ricki Meyer
Ricki is a senior, studying music business at Drake University. She also works as a childcare provider for Kids/Teen Connection in Johnston, Iowa. Ricki grew up in Plymouth, Nebraska. She is a devoted Nebraska Huskers fan. Ricki’s favorite sports are golf, volleyball, and basketball. In high school, she participated in golf, basketball, and track. You can find Ricki running the sound at various Drake events and Sunday services at Walnut Creek Community Church.
John Munoz
John is originally from Los Angeles, California, but he has been living in Des Moines, Iowa for the past 6 years. John has worked as a maintenance administrator for the past 5 years. John’s favorite sport is football and his favorite professional team is the Dallas Cowboys. John was a drum major in high school and college; he continues to play the drums in his free time. John’s favorite TV show is Wheel of Fortune. John and his wife Victoria have 5 children.
Jason Wicks
Jason is from Lincoln Nebraska but has considered Des Moines, Iowa home for the past six years. Jason graduated from Drake University with an education degree. He has been working as a substitute teacher for the past year. Jason’s favorite sports are basketball and ultimate Frisbee. In high school, Jason ran track and cross-country. At Drake, Jason participated in intramural basketball and soccer. Jason is a fan of the Nebraska Cornhuskers and the Drake Bulldogs.
Mike Crane
Mike has lived in Des Moines, Iowa for his whole life. He recently graduated from Grandview College where he majored in writing. Mike’s favorite sport is basketball, which he played in high school. Mike has coached over 10 youth sports teams over the years. Mike also enjoys the rain, Star Wars, and nerd activities. Mike’s favorite movie is Braveheart.
Cole Meyers
Cole is a senior music education major at Drake University. Although he is originally from River Falls, Wisconsin, he has been living in Des Moines for four years. Cole’s favorite sports are running and biking. In high school he participated in track, cross-country, and swimming. Cole’s favorite professional sports team is the Green Bay Packers. Cole has previously coached two seasons of soccer and one season of basketball. Cole also enjoys music, hanging out, and reading.
Tim Crane
Tim has been living in Des Moines for his whole life, 21 years and counting. Tim is a third year finance major at Drake University. At Hoover High School in Des Moines, Tim played football and basketball. He considers these to be his favorite sports. Tim’s favorite college sports team is the Iowa State Cyclones. Tim’s favorite movie is Braveheart and his favorite TV show is SportsCenter.
Jonathan Rector
Jon is currently finishing up his senior year at Drake University. This May he will receive a degree in accounting and finance. Jon is from Arlington, Nebraska which makes him a Nebraska Cornhusker’s fan although he has lived in Des Moines for over 3 years. Jon’s favorite sports are golf, basketball, and soccer. Over the past several years, Jon has coached more than 8 basketball and soccer teams. In addition to coaching, Jon enjoys kitting and spaghetti tasting. Jon’s favorite movie is Space Jam.
Chris Meyer
Chris has grown up in Des Moines, Iowa. He currently attends Drake University where he is finishing up a degree in business management with a concentration in human resources. Chris has also been an employee of Ruan Transportation for the past 9 months. Chris’ favorite sports are basketball, football, and soccer. Chris’s favorite professional sports teams are the New York Giants and the Chicago Bulls. Besides sports, Chris loves cooking, skateboarding, singing, and playing the guitar. Chris’s favorite color is blue.
Jon Schreiner
Jon is from Owatonna, Minnesota, but has lived in Des Moines for the past 6 years. Since graduating from Drake University, Jon has been working with Great Commission Ministries as well as Nationwide Insurance. Jon’s favorite sports are hockey, football, baseball, and basketball. In high school, Jon participated in tennis, hockey, cross-country, and soccer. Jon considers himself a fan of the Minnesota Twins, the Minnesota Vikings, and the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers. Jon is engaged to Jenny Tickles. Jon and Jenny will marry this summer.
Jacob Bennett
Jake has been living in Des Moines, Iowa since August of 2002. He moved from Apple Valley, Minnesota to attend Drake University. For the past 2 years Jake has worked as a college missionary. Jake’s favorite sports are soccer and hockey. In high school, Jake played soccer and tennis and ran track. It is also worth noting that Jake went to high school at the Minnesota Zoo. Besides sports, Jake enjoys guitar, reading, coffee, laughing and deep thinking. Jake loves to watch football on television, especially the Minnesota Vikings.
Sara Madison
Sara grew up in Johnston, Iowa but she has been working in Des Moines for the past two years as a social worker. Sara’s favorite sport to play is volleyball and her favorite sport to watch is football. She is a fan of the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Buffalo Bills. Sara has previously coached soccer and cheerleading for 2 seasons as well as 8th grade volleyball. Besides sports, Sara enjoys speaking Spanish, playing guitar, and hanging out with friends and her nephews and niece.
Lance Dolleman
Lance has worked as an account credit manager for John Deere Credit for the past 18 years. Lance is originally from Manchester, New Hampshire but has been living in Des Moines, Iowa for the past 15 years. Lance’s favorite sports are football and basketball. His favorite teams are the New England Patriots and the Boston Celtics. Lance has many hobbies such as fishing, mountain climbing, wood working, and home improvement. Lance and his wife Rasheila have two children, Marie and Sumner.
Sasha Kalian
Sasha is originally from Barrington, Rhode Island. She has been living in Des Moines, Iowa for the past 2 ½ years since coming to Drake University. Sasha is now a Junior at Drake studying english and secondary education. Sasha considers soccer her favorite sport to play along with swimming and lacrosse. Sasha’s favorite professional sports team is the Boston Red Sox. Sasha has coached 4 seasons of soccer and 2 seasons of basketball since coming to Des Moines.
Heather Guck
Heather is working as a teacher as well as holding a position of a captain in the military. She is originally from New Mexico but has lived in Des Moines for the past 3 years. Heather’s favorite sports are soccer, volleyball, and basketball. She is a fan of the Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, and the Chicago Cubs. Heather has coached 3 sports teams in the past 2 years. Heather has many hobbies such as running, triathlons, cooking and baking, and outdoor activities.
Mike Bourland
Mike has worked as a state engineer for the past 10 years. Mike has coached over 10 youth sports teams over the years. His favorite sport to play is basketball and his favorite teams are from the University of Illinois. Mike and his wife Dawn have 7 children: Adam (18), Elizabeth (16), Samuel (14), Benjamin (12), Matthew (10), Rebekah (8), and Naomi (6). Mike also enjoys reading and studying the Bible as well as doing home repairs.
Brigitte Haugen
Brigitte is in her 3rd year at Drake University. She is pursuing a degree in Magazine Journalism and Writing. Brigitte has lived in Des Moines since leaving Olivia, Minnesota to go to Drake. Brigitte considers Dance Line to be her favorite sport to participate in. Brigitte loves to dance, sing, and cheer. She also enjoys playing the ukulele.
Nick Jerome
Nick grew up in Des Moines, Iowa. He works with elementary school students as part of the Kids/Teen Connection childcare program in Johnston, Iowa. Nick is also studying secondary education. Nick’s favorite sports are soccer, basketball, football, and baseball. He is a fan of the Chicago Bulls, the Dallas Cowboys, the Seattle Mariners, the Drake Bulldogs, and the Iowa State Cyclones. Nick has previously coached 6 soccer seasons and 3 basketball seasons. In addition to coaching, Nick enjoys playing sports, working out, and going to Drake games.
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