By Malcolm Butler
Cedar Creek once again turned to a pair of former Louisiana Tech student-athletes as the school’s administration announced Monday that MiKayla Stiles has been hired as the head cross country coach while Ashley Whitman has been hired as the assistant cross country and assistant track and field coach.
Stiles takes over for the recently retired and long-time Cougars cross country coach Craig Moss.
“We are proud to announce the hiring of both MiKayla and Ashley,” said a release from Cedar Creek High School. “They are both avid runners and ran collegiately together at Louisiana Tech.”
Stiles and Whitman both lettered for retired Tech coach Gary Stanley during their collegiate careers while Whitman also rank for the Bulldog outdoor track and field team.
They join former Tech softball letterwinner Amanda Gonzalez and former women’s basketball letterwinner Gabbie Green who were hired last summer to serve on the Cedar Creek coaching staff, although neither Stiles nor Whitman will teach classes at the school.
Stiles lettered on the Tech cross country team from 2016 through 2019 after prepping at Liberty Hill High School in Liberty Hill, Texas. She graduated in kinesiology from Louisiana Tech in 2019 and is currently working full-time at Argent Financial.
“I am really excited to try to help them improve their times on the field and help them improve off the field as well,” said Stiles, who met with the Creek runners for the first time on Monday. “I want to instill a sense of integrity and pride for themselves and their team and of course their school.
“Cross country is not an easy sport. I always joke that cross country is other sports punishment. So even through the tough practices and the tough meets, I am still hoping to have a joyful atmosphere. Hopefully as the season goes on, the students learn us and we learn them and we can create a good cross country team community.”
Stiles said she is excited to work alongside one of her former Tech teammates in Whitman.
“One of my passions has always been running,” said Stiles. “Ashley and I have known each other since 2016 when we met at Louisiana Tech as part of the cross country program. We became friends and have stayed friends through church and FCA. She got married last year, and I was actually one of her maids of honor.”
Whitman, maiden name Ashley Wingerter when she ran at LA Tech, was also a part of the Bulldog cross country team after prepping at John Curtis High School and spending her freshman year at Mississippi College.
She graduated from Louisiana Tech in 2019 in pre-med biology and then earned her master’s degree from LSU-Shreveport in 2022. She currently works for Johnson Physical Therapy in Ruston.
She served as a volunteer coach for Gary Stanley at Louisiana Tech in 2020.
“I know some of the (Cedar Creek) kids already,” said Whitman. “I am excited to develop that running spirit and community at Cedar Creek. Hopefully we can get some more kids in the program, some fresh faces.”
Whitman also said she was excited to work along with her former teammate and friend from Louisiana Tech.
“Mikayla and I have been friends and ran at Tech together,” said Whitman. “She was a huge part of how I met the Lord. She encouraged me to go to FCA with her, and I finally gave in one day. I owe MiKayla a lot. She is a great, great friend.”
