Bio

Kristina Owen is in her third season as head coach of the Michigan Tech men's and women's cross country and track and field teams in 2022-23.

In the fall of 2022, Owen guided the Tech men’s cross country team to its third-straight NCAA appearance where the team had a program-best finish, placing 10th as a team. Individually, senior Clayton Sayen had the best finish of any runner in Tech history with his 16th-place finish. Along with him was Drew Kolodge earning All-America honors, placing 28th. The duo marked the second time in school history the Huskies’ earned two All-American finishers. Owen also led the women’s cross country team to an eighth-place finish at the Midwest Regional meet, up five spots from last season's finish.

In the fall of 2021, Owen guided Tech men's cross country to a second straight NCAA appearance and the team placed 24th in the nation in Saint Leo, Florida. Michigan Tech cross country was ranked as high as No. 17 in the nation while the women were ranked No. 28 in September.

During outdoor track and field season, the Husky men and women placed sixth and seventh respectively at the GLIAC Championships. Owen helped junior Clayton Sayen advance to the NCAA Division II Championships, where he placed 11th in the nation in the men's 1500 meter run. Sayen also set an NCAA provisional mark in the 800 meter run and Jesse Jacobusse set a provisional time in the 800 meters.

In 2020-21, the Husky men's track and field team placed sixth in the GLIAC Outdoor Championships, while the women took ninth. Owen also assisted Emily Byrd, Braden Reichl, and Clayton Sayen to NCAA provisional marks in the spring. The Huskies did not compete in cross country in the fall (pandemic). 

Owen, a Michigan Tech alumna and Sports Hall of Famer, was a three-sport student-athlete for the Huskies from 2003-07, earning all-conference honors in cross country, track and field, and Nordic skiing.

Owen was the first-ever Michigan Tech Nordic skier to secure All-American honors in three consecutive seasons after finishing seventh in the classic in 2005, ninth in the 5K classic in 2006, and eighth in the 15K classic in 2007. Owen was a three-time team captain, three-time team MVP, and earned All-Region and All-CCSA honors. She was also named to the National Ski Coaches Association All-Academic Team in 2005-06.

The native of East Wenatchee, Washington qualified for the 2006 NCAA Cross Country Championships a year after missing the 2005 season to train for the US Olympic Nordic Skiing Trials. She was also All-GLIAC in cross country in 2003 and All-GLIAC in track and field after a third-place finish in the 10K run at the conference championship meet. Owen received the Raymond L. Smith Award in 2007 as an outstanding senior student-athlete. She was a four-time MVP of the cross country team and held the 5K and 10K track records when she graduated.

Owen was a professional skier for three years (2007-10) with CXC Elite and had four top 10 finishes at US Nationals. She was inducted into the Michigan Tech Sports Hall of Fame in October 2018.

Owen earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Tech with a coaching endorsement certificate and volunteered as an assistant coach for the Huskies with the cross country and Nordic ski teams for two seasons (2009-11). She previously worked for Salomon, an equipment manufacturer that produces high-level skis and trail running shoes.