Rebekah Smeltzer-Pickard

Biography

Began at Michigan State: July 2021 Education: Smeltzer-Pickard received a B.S. in kinesiology from MSU in 2012 and then an M.S. in kinesiology in 2014. Job Responsibilities: Smeltzer-Pickard is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Cross Country & Track and Field program. Past Experience: Before returning to Michigan State, Smeltzer-Pickard most recently was a Cross Country & Track and Field coach at Vanderbilt University for five years. She also was a coach at Western Michigan for two years and was a former graduate student and student-athlete at MSU. A former standout for the Spartans from 2007-12, Rebekah Smeltzer-Pickard returned to Michigan State in August 2021 as the Director of Track & Field Operations. A four-time letterwinner and graduate assistant during her first stint with MSU, Smeltzer-Pickard came back to East Lansing after spending five seasons as the assistant coach for the Vanderbilt cross country and track & field teams. Prior to Vanderbilt, Smeltzer-Pickard was the assistant coach for Western Michigan’s cross country and track & field teams from 2014-16. During her time in Nashville, Smeltzer-Pickard oversaw the Commodores’ cross country runners earn five All-SEC selections and six NCAA All-Region honors, with Grace Jensen most recently taking home All-SEC Second Team distinction in 2020. The Vanderbilt runners in 2019 boasted the second men’s All-SEC honoree in program history as well as two all-region selections (Nick Laning, Ana Wallace), an A