Kari Krakow as been coaching track and cross country at Portage High School since 2006. During her time as a cross country coach, Portage has had three teams qualify for the state meet as well as 14 individual state qualifiers. On the track she has coached several individual state qualifiers including a three time high jump state qualifier. In 2008 Kari became an active member of the Wisconsin Track Coaches Association Committee serving various roles including high jump chair, secretary, executive committee member and most notable women4women founder and chair. At the 2015 state coaches clinic discussions started happening about the need to get more women coaching. A year later in 2016, WISTCA's women4women was born.
Designed as both a network for female coaches in Wisconsin as well as a committee to empower all female coaches, WISTCA's women4women was the first of its kind for high school coaches in Wisconsin. Now a regular event, our women4women conference in February has attracted over 200 coaches annually to unofficially kicks off both the clinic and the track season in Wisconsin.
Kari Krakow was a Division 1 athlete in both track and cross country at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. Years later she still is very active not only with her teams on a daily basis but has run several marathons and is a 3 time Ironman. Her and her husband Chris make their home in Portage, Wisconsin but enjoy weekends whenever possible at their Lake Home near Saint Germain.
