PAPILLION-LA VISTA SOUTH
GIRLS TRACK & FIELD
COACHING STAFF
Ashleigh Kitrell
Head Coach - Sprints
Years on Staff: 1
Coach Speak: Trust your training!
Fun Fact: Coach Kitrell holds the Class C State Record in the 300m hurdles.
Personal:
Coach Kitrell is in her second year as a Nutrition & Foods teacher at Papio South. She is also an assistant coach for girls cross country in the Fall. Before coming to Papillion, Coach Kitrell spent 3 years at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln competing in track & field. She finished her undergraduate and master's degrees at Ohio University, where she also completed her 6 year collegiate track & field career. Coach Kitrell's husband, Brett, works for Quantum Workplace and is a retired offensive lineman for the Ohio Bobcats.
Why Track?
I love the opportunity to work with a diverse set of athletes from age, walks of life, abilities and goals. As someone who competed in track for almost 13 years, I will always be grateful for the impact my coaches and the sport had on my life and who I am today.
Track & Field is a unique sport where each participant is able to see measurable marks of improvement in a variety of skill sets. I love that each athlete competes against themselves and the clock or a measuring tape. I love the little moments during competition where athletes begin to rise to the occasion and accept refinement by welcoming discomfort & the varying pressures that naturally surround the sport.
Jamie Burr
High Jump
Years on Staff: 4
Coach Speak: Stay tall!
Fun Fact: She is extremely skilled at catching food in her mouth.
Personal:
Coach Burr is in her fifth year at Papio South. She competed collegiately in volleyball at Hastings College. At PLSHS, she teaches Biology and Chemistry, and she is the varsity assistant coach of the volleyball team, which won the state title in 2021 and 2022. Her husband, Justin, is a resident at UNMC.
Why Track?
I love track because I get to see athletes succeed individually but at the same time work with their teammates to reach a common goal.
Jeremy Haselhorst
Distance
Years on Staff: 19
Coach Speak: Be Tougher
Fun Fact: Has made it a goal to visit every National Park
Personal:
Coach Haselhorst teaches math and leadership academy, as well as serves as the head girls cross country coach here at South. Coach Haselhorst’s wife, Karin, is a Young Living Essential Oils distributor and teaches fitness classes. They have two children, Jackson and Isaac.
Why Track?
That our team is comprised of different athletes from different Titan sports and programs coming together as one. We have students who are in athletics, show choir, cheerleading, the Sapphires, and more. It is fun to see these different students come together and create great relationships.
Dale Walker
Shot Put
Years on Staff: 2
Coach Speak: Big on the release!
Fun Fact: Coach Walker was a disc jockey in college.
Personal:
Coach Walker is in his sixth year at Papio South. He began his teaching and coaching career in Denton, Texas in 2003. He coaches high school football and serves as the boys and girls shotput coach. His wife, Emmy, is a kindergarten teacher at Carriage Hill. They have a son, Declan, who is now 5, and a daughter, Leighton, who is 3.
Why Track?
There’s no hiding in the back or somewhere in the group for throwers. It’s an individual event within the framework of a team sport that celebrates all the hard work, mental toughness, preparation, technique, and focus. I love witnessing kids’ response to the pressure of being on front stage when everyone is watching and witnessing them rip off a great throw and the joy they experience after doing so.
Sean McLaughlin
Horizontal Jumps
Years on Staff: 6
Coach Speak: Knees up, toes up!
Fun Fact: A great all-around athlete, Coach McLaughlin won the 2001 State High Jump Title
Personal:
My wife, Heather, and I have been married for 11 years. We have two children: Miles, 5 and Maci, 3.
Why Track?
I love how track builds the character of someone. There are no teammates in an individual event to rely on to cover for someone. It's just you. You have to rely on your training and how much effort was put forth to achieve a goal. It isn't about winning or losing, but being able to ask yourself at the end of the day: Did I do MY best? That question scares a lot of people, but my favorite kids that I've ever coached have embraced that question. Those are the kids that will be successful in anything they do in life, and it has been my utmost honor to be a small part of their life.
Matt Peitz
Discus
Years on Staff: 5
Coach Speak: Rotate the lower body first
Fun Fact: Coach Peitz is a renowned Seinfeld Trivia aficionado
Personal:
Coach Peitz teaches Psychology at Papio South. He played football at SDSU. His wife Hiltje works at Liberty Middle School as the band instructor.
Why Track?
I really enjoy the head to head competition involved in track. There is no subjectivity in who is the best, because every bit of success is earned at the meet.
Jim Simpson
Hurdles
Years on Staff: 15
Coach Speak: ATTACK! SPRINT!
Fun Fact: An outstanding track coach, Coach Simpson never competed in the sport.
Personal:
Coach Simpson is a math teacher here at South and also a boys’ assistant basketball coach. Coach Simpson helped open PLSHS coming from Madison HS. His wife, Tasha, teaches at PL South and is the girl’s assistant cross country coach. They have three children Isaac, Molly, and Miles.
Why Track?
I love to see athletes put it on the line and compete. I also enjoy the individualized coaching and the relationships that are developed over time.
CONTACT
Questions? Feel free to reach out to Head Coach, Ashleigh Kitrell.
Phone: available upon request Email: ashleigh.kitrell@plcschools.org
