Head Coach Karen Hawkins ([email protected])
Karen Hawkins comes to Woods with a lifelong passion and involvement with competitive running. Although soccer was her first sport, she began participating in the North Carolina Powerade State Games in elementary school and continued running through high school. In high school, she ran cross country and track for four years. In addition to qualifying individually to the 4A state championships in cross country each year, she was a five-time 4A North Carolina state champion in indoor and outdoor track, helping her earn a scholarship to run for four years on the N.C. State University track and cross county teams. Her experiences in high school and college heavily influenced her into wanting to help other young athletes grow and gain the most joy and fulfillment from the sport. This season will be her fourth year coaching at Woods. Coach Hawkins is also a high school AP US History and American History teacher at Woods.
Prior to Woods, Coach Hawkins coached cross country and mid-distance/distance runners at both Leesville Road High School (2013-2016) and Panther Creek High School (2016-2019), which have included multiple conference, regional and state champions as well as All-Americans. Outside of high school coaching, she has volunteered with the Girls on the Run program and the Special Olympics. A USA Track and Field certified coach, she earned her USATF Level 1 certification in 2015 and her USATF Level 2 certification in Distance Running in 2020. |