2025 COACHING STAFF
HEAD COACH
Luke Jelen (6th Year)
I have been a part of SFLXC since I was a young boy. All 3 of my older siblings (Jarvis, Heather, and Kayla) ran for Lincoln under Coach Mark Greeno. I have fond memories of running around at their meets and picturing myself representing the PATS someday.
In high school, I ran at Lincoln for Coach Eric Pooley, and I enjoyed competing for a program with such a rich history. I was blessed to be a part of the team to "bring back the tradition" and win a State Title for the first time in 27 years. Since then, the program has flourished in a lot of the same ways it did in the 1970's under Rich Greeno.
I ran XC and Track at Liberty University (VA) and received a degree in Sport Management. After graduating, I promptly returned to Lincoln as an Assistant Coach under Pooley. I became the Head Coach of the program in 2020.
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My passion is distance running and helping teams of young people achieve their full potential as a group.​ I love running with our athletes on a daily basis. Aside from coaching, I mostly spend time with my wife (Kat) and 2 children (Jasper 3 and Emerald 1). I am heavily involved in my church community at Emmaus Road Church.
ASSISTANT COACH
Jakob Limmer (4th Year)
I was born and raised in Beresford, SD. In middle school and high school, I ran cross country and track for six years under Coach Matt Coy. I cherished my experience and I still have a deep love for the sport.
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In college, I received an undergraduate degree in Education from the University of South Dakota.
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I currently teach 7th Grade Geography at Whittier Middle School. I enjoy the variety of teaching MS and coaching HS.
I have loved being a part of Lincoln Cross Country. I have a passion for developing relationships with young people. I love to bike alongside our runners during practice.
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In addition to teaching and coaching, I spend time with family and friends, and I am a part of Emmaus Road Church in Sioux Falls.
ASSISTANT COACH
Tiegen Lindner (2nd Year)
Born and raised in Sioux Falls, distance running has always played a significant role in my life. I attended O’Gorman High School and ran XC/Track for my Dad, Coach Doug Lindner. I continued my running career at Augustana University where I was coached by Tracy Hellman. Currently, I competitively train and race under the direction of former Lincoln Cross Country coach and current Dakota Distance Project lead, Coach Eric Pooley.
A number of years ago, my Dad ran XC/Track for legendary Coach Rich Greeno at Lincoln. My Dad then went on to run for Rich’s brother, Rollie, in Jamestown, ND. With both of my parents running competitively in college and my Dad serving as the head coach for O’Gorman XC/Track for 37 years, I am thrilled to continue my family’s distance running tradition by supporting, encouraging, and inspiring young student-athletes in the sport of cross country. I am also very thankful for the opportunity to coach in such a successful program that my Dad was once a part of and that prides itself in development and community.
Aside from my assistant coaching position, I am a Physical Therapist at Sanford Health in which I specialize in general orthopedics, sports medicine, and functional dry needling. I enjoy spending time outdoors with my wife (Isabelle) and our black lab (Chief).