Staff

Roger Fredrickson Head Coach 815-394-5064 rfredrickson@rockford.edu

When Rockford College announced that it would reinstate men’s & women’s cross country - as well as track & field - as sports within the Regents’ intercollegiate athletics program in 2004, it hired former Winnebago High School coach Roger Fredrickson to lead the way. Fredrickson – who retired from his coaching and teaching duties at WHS at the end of the 2004 school year - brought impressive credentials to his first collegiate coaching job.

In his second year, Fredrickson led the Rockford College men's cross country team to a 2005 NIIC Championship.  He was responsible for coaching Tony Hardin, the 2005 NIIC Runner of the Year and Freshman of the Year as well as Chad Zeman, the 2005 NIIC runner up for Runner of the Year.  Hardin and Zeman also were conference champions in track and field in the 1500 meter and the 5000 meter races respectively.

In a prep cross country coaching tenure that spaned nearly 30 years, Fredrickson's numbers were staggering: 9 state team championships; 3 state team runners-up; 20 top-5 team finishes; 5 individual state champions; and 3 individual state runners-up. Fredrickson was inducted into the Illinois Track & Cross Country Coaches Hall of Fame in 1999 by Joe Newton, the legendary coach from Elmhurst York.

At Winnebago High School alone, he won eight of his state team titles (1 boys and 7 girls) and established an Illinois High School Association (IHSA) record with three-consecutive girls’ championships from 1993-95, as well as the record for most total state titles (7). At Winnebago, he produced 41 all-state performers, 23 conference titles, 15 regional championships, 12 sectional championships and had 32 of his teams qualify for the state championships (including 17-consecutive appearances by the WHS girls’ team, the only Class A school to do so since the institution of the two-class system in 1988).

Fredrickson ranked second in IHSA history (to York High School coach Joe Newton) in total number of Illinois state championships won (8). He also won a boys state title in 1977 at Titusville (Fla.) High School.

In addition to his tenure at Winnebago High School since 1984, Fredrickson has held prep head coaching positions at Erie (Ill.) High School (1982-84), Eau Gallie (Fla.) High School (1979-81), Titusville (Fla.) High School (1977-78) and Belvidere (Ill.) High School (1974-76).

“Rockford College is committed to developing a competitive cross country program,” said Fredrickson. “I’m grateful to be a part of this new and exciting opportunity. I was fortunate to be in the right place at the right time in my life when our paths crossed, and this opportunity was first being developed.

Fredrickson’s mother-in-law and daughter Lauren both attended Rockford College. His daughter graduated in 2000 and her education led to a position with the federal government in the Social Security Administration. “It’s fair to say that this campus has special meaning to our family,” explained Fredrickson.

“I’m honored to be a part of the Rockford College ‘family’ and look forward to the challenge of re-starting the program with dedicated distance runners who will forge a trail for others to follow,” Fredrickson continued. “Rockford College has a reputation of academic excellence, a scenic campus and a comfortable feeling that I want to be a part of and contribute to.”

Rachel Tedrick Assistant Coach 815-394-5064 rtedrick@rockford.edu       Rachel Tedrick was hired as Assistant Cross Country and Track coach during the summer of 2007. Tedrick comes to Rockford College from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, where she was a varsity letter winner and competed in the NCAA Cross Country Meet in 2005.   Tedrick's relationship with Regents head coach Roger Fredrickson goes back to 1999, when Tedrick competed for Coach Fredrickson at Winnebago High School . During her time at Winnebago, the Indians won three state championships. Individually, Tedrick made the Illinois All-State Cross Country Team twice and qualified for the Illinois State Track Championship Meet all four years.   Tedrick recently earned her bachelor of sciences degree in Exercise Science and Health Promotion. She is currently living in Rockford , IL and pursuing a master's degree in teaching with an emphasis on physical education.