West Texas A&M University Athletics

Wood just completed her first year at WT where she worked closely with the jumps and multi-event athletes. Under her guidance, three athletes earned All-American honors during the indoor and outdoor season. She helped Libby Strickland finish third in the high jump and sixth in the pentathlon at the indoor championships while Rellie Kaputin earned three All-American honors at the outdoor championships including a runner-up finish in the triple jump. Kaputin also won the triple and long jump at the Lone Star Conference Championships and was later named LSC Women’s Field Athlete of the Year.

She joined WT after spending last year at Limestone College, directly programming for all jumps, javelin, and multi-event athletes.  During her year with the team she helped to lead the Saints to runner up finishes for both the men’s and women’s teams, indoor and outdoor.  In the 2014 indoor season, she coached 3 Conference Carolinas event champions, 3 NCAA Division II All-Southeast Region Award Winners, and two NCAA Division II National Qualifiers.  In the 2015 Outdoor season her athletes contributed 2 Conference Carolinas event wins in the long jump and javelin, 3 NCAA Division II All-Southeast Region Award Winners, and a National Qualifier in the men’s long jump. 
 
Prior to Limestone, Wood worked for a year at the University of Maine (2013-2014), serving as the Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach responsible for multiple teams (including track and field and cross country), as well as the Assistant Track and Field Coach, coaching the jumps, hurdles, and multi-events.  During her time at Maine, Wood helped lead the men’s team to a third place finish in the America East, both indoor and outdoor, best in the programs history since the early 2000’s. She coached 3 Indoor America East Champions, and an IC4A Runner-Up in the 60m hurdles.  The 2014 outdoor season saw two conference runner-up finishes (long jump and triple jump), an IC4A triple jump champion and an NCAA Division I regional qualifier, as well as a women’s New England Meet Champion in the Heptathlon. All in all, between the weight room and track, her athletes broke 10 school records in the 2013-2014 year.   
 
As a graduate student and post-collegiate athlete, Wood volunteered for two years for the University of Alabama men’s and women’s teams.  Directly out of college she started her coaching career at Holliston High School in Massachusetts, responsible for all jumpers and hurdlers, as well as the creation and implementation of a strength and conditioning program for the team.
 
Wood is certified as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the NSCA, holds a USATF Level 1 certification, as well as a Track and Field Technical Certification through USTFCCCA and is certified by the National Pole Vault Coaches Association.  She obtained her Bachelor’s degree from Boston College and holds a Master’s degree in Sport Management for the University of Alabama.  As a multi-event athlete herself, Wood (Riel) was an NCAA Divison I Indoor All-American, two-time ACC Runner-Up, ECAC Pentathlon Champion, and is the New England Record Holder in the Heptathlon.