Bettie Wade Position: Volunteer Assistant Coach Experience: 1st Season Alma Mater: Michigan '09

Bettie Wade joins the Kansas State staff for her first season as a full-time assistant coach. After serving on a volunteer basis for the 2010 season, Wade was hired full-time this summer.

The 2009 graduate from Michigan had a successful collegiate career with the Wolverines as one of the nation's top combined events athletes. Wade was a six-time All-American at Michigan with her highest finish in the pentathlon coming in 2008 when she finished second at the NCAA Indoor Championship. In outdoor, Wade finished third twice in the heptathlon. She also is a five-time Big Ten Conference champion winning titles in the high jump, long jump, pentathlon and heptathlon.

Upon graduation, Wade represented Team USA at the 2009 IAAF World Championships in Berlin, Germany. She also won the bi-annual Thorpe Cup this summer in Germany where she and fellow assistant coach Kasey Hill helped Team USA defeat Germany in the combined events team competition.

"I'm extremely excited to be on this staff," Wade said. "Coming from Michigan I'm used to a strong academic and athletic tradition and K-State is the same. They're extremely concentrated on helping the athletes have success in the classroom and on the track.

Wade earned her bachelor's of science degree in financial mathematics from the University of Michigan. She is a native of Farmington Hills, Mi. She came to K-State prior to the 2010 season to train in Cliff Rovelto's post-collegiate program and serve as a volunteer assistant with the K-State staff.