HICKORY, N.C. - Head Coach Bob Braman has announced the addition of four new coaches to his Cross Country / Track & Field Staff. Joining the team is Eddie Mahana, Caleb Wisecarver, Erin Phelps, and Zach Cloud.

"I'm really excited with the talented coaches we were able to bring to LR," said Coach Braman. "Caleb and Eddie have coached many NCAA All-Americans in their careers so they know what it takes to build a national contender. Zach and Erin were outstanding athletes in my program at Florida State and are talented young coaches. The common theme of all four coaches is that they are fantastic teachers and excellent communicators."

Erin Phelps (Women's Distance)
Erin Phelps comes to Lenoir-Rhyne after a strong career as an athlete at Florida State and Southern Mississippi. She was a NCAA Division I Cross Country National Championships participant in 2021 and an East Regional Qualifier at Southern Miss in 2022. While at Southern Miss Phelps was a part of their 2022 Sunbelt Conference Cross Country Championship team. She holds personal bests of 34:18 in the 10K, 20:50 in the XC 6K, 16:51 in the 5K, and 5:01 in the Indoor Mile. In addition to her athletic prowess, Phelps was the SAAC President at Southern Miss in 2023 and 2024. She holds a B.S in Excercise Physiology with Minors in Psychology and Family & Child Sciences from Florida State, and a M.S. in Kinesiology from Southern Mississippi. 

Zach Cloud (Men's Distance)
Zach Cloud joins Braman's staff following a year as the Strength and Conditioning Coaching Intern (Olympic Sports) at Florida State. An established athlete in his own right, Cloud competed on the Florida State Cross Country and Track & Field teams for five years. He was named to the 2024 All-South Region Cross Country Team and competed in the 2023 Division I Cross Country National Championships. On the track he was a 5K Regional Qualifier in 2025 and ran a personal best time of 13:45.20 at the Stanford Invitational earlier that year. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and earned dual Bachelor's Degrees in Exercise Physiology and Food & Nutrition Sciences, as well as his Master's in Sports Sciences from Florida State in 2025.

Eddie Mahana (Sprints & Hurdles)
Eddie Mahana joined the Bears following six years as an assistant coach at UNC Pembroke. While at UNCP he coached eight NCAA Division II All-Americans, 24 NCAA Division II provisional marks, and 66 Southeast Region Top-25 performances. Prior to trekking to Pembroke, Mahana gained a variety of coaching experience. He served a four-month stint as a recruiting intern for the St. John Fisher football program in 2019, while also concurrently serving as a coaching intern with the track & field program at nearby Rochester Institute of Technology. While at St. John Fisher, he also served roles as coordinator of intramural sports, while also taking on the role of meet organizer for the Syracuse Chargers Track Club. As an athlete at St. John Fisher, Mahana was a four-time All-American and 10-time All-Region selection. 

Caleb Wisecarver (Jumps & Multis)
Caleb Wisecarver came to Lenoir-Rhyne following a three-year stint at NCAA Division I Virginia Military Institute (VMI). While in Lexington, Wisecarver was responsible for 15 school records, 16 Southern Conference Champions, 32 All-Conference performances, a Southern Conference Record (Women's 100m), two NCAA First-Round qualifiers, three Southern Conference field event MVP's and two Southern Conference overall MVP's. He came to VMI following two years at the head Track & Field Coach at NAIA Webber International in 2021 and 2022. In just two seasons he coached seven national qualifiers, five All-Americans, and five Sun Conference Champions. Before getting the Webber International job Wisecarver spent time as an assistant coach at both UNC Pembroke and Brother Martin High School in New Orleans, Louisiana. He earned his Bachelors in Kinesiology from Louisiana Lafayette in 2016 and was a pole vaulter on the track and field team. 

The Bears open their season this Friday when they take part in the Converse Invitational. The race is scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. from the Milliken Research Park in Spartanburg, S.C. 

"Coach Cloud and Coach Phelps have been instrumental in preparing our squads for this weekend," states Braman. "We've had a fantastic buy-in from the returners and I think they will drop some lifetime bests in the coming weeks."