Steve Nester begins his fifth season at the helm of both Xavier University's men's and women's cross country and track programs.

Nester has made a tremendous impact on the programs since his arrival in 2003.

He has overseen quick improvement in the women's team in the past four years. The 2003 Musketeers finished the season with a 70-64 record after the program Nester inherited finished 60-86 in 2002. In 2004, the women continued to improve as they finished 98-58, a 28-win improvement from the previous year. The members of the 2005 women's team had the best season Xavier cross country has ever seen turning in a 107-43 record, which is a nine win improvement from 2004, and a 37 win improvement from 2003. The women's team had back to back school-record years in 2004 and 2005 carding seventh and fifth place finishes in the Atlantic 10 Championships, respectively. Nester helped lead the women's team to a historical 20th place finish at the 2005 NCAA Great Lakes Regional in Bloomington, Ind. Two years ago the women's squad finished 4th at the Atlantic 10 Cross Country Championships, the then best finish in Xavier history. History repeated itself last year as the women finished fourth at the 2006 Atlantic 10 Cross Country Championships.

Nester has also made major strides in the men's program. In 2003, he led the team to a remarkable 71-57 mark and an eighth place finish in the 2003 Atlantic 10 conference championship. That success continued in 2004 as the men's team finished 114-42, which was 43 more wins than the previous year, while placing third in the Conference Championship. It was the Musketeers highest finish ever in the A-10. The men finished 18th in the NCAA Great Lakes Regional, setting a school record, an accomplishment they repeated in 2005. At the 2006 Atlantic 10 Cross Country Championships the men finished ninth and recorded a 24th place finish at the 2006 NCAA Great Lakes Regional.

For both the men's and women's sides Nester is already the winningsest cross country coach in Xavier history.

"The overall quality and depth of our team has improved dramatically over the last four years," said Nester."I think we are to the point now where we can go to meets and we are quite competitive. The bar has been raised each year with the team and my expectations have gone up a lot during our time together. Things have grown together nicely and I think that we both share the same aspirations and want to be a great team."

The 40-year-old Nester came to Xavier from Turpin High School in Cincinnati after serving as the head coach of the girls' cross country team for six years including the Spartans' state championship season in 2001. A seven-time Conference Coach of the Year in cross country or track, Nester was the head boys' coach from 1995 to 2001, and was also the distance coach for the track team the last two years. He capped off that position by winning back to back Conference Championships in 2000 and 2001. Nester began coaching at Turpin in 1991 as an assistant coach for the boys' track team. He was named the Cincinnati Enquirer Coach of the Year and the Southwest District Cross Country Coach of the Year in 2001 and 2002.

From his last two teams at Turpin, ten different runners are competing at the D-I level. In his six years at the helm of the girls' cross country team, Nester produced a 637-140 record, including the 2001 season when Turpin finished with a 143-3 record. In addition to Turpin's 2001 state championship, Turpin was the Division I State Runner-up in 2002. In both 2001 and 2002, the Turpin girls' cross country team was included in the Nike/Foot Locker National Top 25 Rankings. Throughout his career Nester has coached 17 cross country teams and has never had a losing record.

Nester, a 1992 graduate of the University of Nebraska at Kearney, graduated with a bachelor of science degree from the College of Education. During his time at Kearney, Nester participated on the track team. Nester has competed in the Flying Pig Two-Person Relay, the Dublin, Ireland Marathon, and the Portland, Oregon Marathon. Nester continues to be involved in the community and served as past Chairperson for the Anthony Munoz Foundation.

Nester now serves as the Men's Great Lakes Regional Representative as one of its thirteen individuals who vote in the men's cross country poll.