About Us
The Vipers Track Club is a 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit, community-based organization that focuses on uplifting youth across Central Illinois by assisting in their development.
We are a grassroots youth program based in Champaign-Urbana since 2009. We are sanctioned by USA Track and Field (USATF), the national governing body for track and field in the United States.
Our mission is to help provide leadership, vision, inspiration, passion, dedication, and mental toughness to every student-athlete in the program.
- We are committed to continuously strengthening our athlete's chances to compete at the next level.
- We believe in training smarter while promoting the pursuit of academic excellence in the classroom.
- We build and maintain excellent relationships with our athletes and their families long after they complete our program.
We continuously improve the performance of our athletes through behavior-based systems and results-tracking. The Vipers Track Club accepts athletes aged 8 through 18. We also accept athletes in college, that come home and are looking for a place to train.
Goals of the Vipers Track:
- Building a base that will give the athlete strength, stamina, and confidence to compete. Developing that "Mental Edge"
- Introducing exercises that help to develop and improve the athlete's technique, stride length, and stride frequency
- Decrease the athlete's overall chance of injury: Overuse, muscle strains, pulls, and aches
- Focus on nutrition, vitamins, and proper dieting
- Help athletes take ownership of their training, goals, execution, and commitment to their sport
- Help athletes develop the proper sprinting mechanics that are vital at the end of any race
- Focus on developing speed and conditioning the body and the mind to hold that speed
- Work weekly toward building strength and explosiveness
- Help prepare all athletes for the championship peak phase season
The Vipers success and accomplishments throughout the years
- 2024 15-16 Girls USATF Junior Olympic 3rd Place, 2000m Steeple Chase
- 2024 17-18 Womens USATF Junior Olympic 7th Place All-American, 1500m
- 2023 17-18 Women USATF Junior Olympic National Champion, 1500m
- 2023 17-18 Women USATF Junior Olympic runner-up: 100 hurdles
- 2023 Indoor Junior Olympic Nationals, 3X 400m National Champions, 1x National Champion in High Jump, and 20 All-Americans
- 2022 15-16 Boys Junior Olympic National Champion 4x400 and 25 All-Americans
- 2022 17-18 Men’s Junior Olympic National Championship 2nd place, 4x800
- 2022 17-18 Women’s Junior Olympic National Championship 2nd place, High Jump
- 2017 National Youth Champion 4x100 Relay, High Jump, Pole Vault, 200-meter dash, and 80-meter hurdles
- 2015 17-18 Young Women National Youth Champion 4x100 Relay
- 200+ National All-Americans (Sprints, Distance, Relays, & Jumps)
- 50+ Region 7 USATF Junior Olympic Champions
- 100+ Illinois Association USATF Junior Olympic Champions
- 40+ Current & former Division 1 student-athletes
Meet the hearts and minds behind all the Vipers success.
Pictured left to Right: Marques Lowe, Caleb Ball, Sarah Ganster, and Jerome Tooks.
Vipers Coaching Staff
Marques Lowe: Co-founder, President, Director of Track and Field of The Vipers Track Club
Coach Lowe has made incredible and life-changing impacts on the lives of his athletes. With a robust track and field knowledge, Coach Lowe is technically driven and improves his athletes' mechanics in each event. He is a passionate coach who believes in high-quality training. As a coach, Lowe believes that he is building athletes and the future generation to become successful young adult men and women. As a Coach, he seeks to be a positive role model and a mentor for all his athletes. Coach Lowe uses winning on the track as a lesson and metaphor for life, teaching each athlete to persevere through the difficulties and obstacles they will face. Coach Lowe hopes that his assistance will be the spark that guides each of his athlete's future endeavors. Helping each of them see and find their potential for a successful future. Coach Lowe is also currently in his 6th year as the director of track and field in Kankakee, IL, as the head coach for both Boys and Girls high school teams at Kankakee High School.
USA Track and Field Level 1: Certified
USA Track and Field Level 2 Jumps: Certified
15 years with the Vipers Track Club
Caleb Ball: Assistant Coach Jumps & Sprints for The Vipers Track Club
Coach Ball is a well-rounded coach with 14 years of experience in cross country and track and field. He strongly emphasizes form and technique while encouraging athletes to be confident in their athletic gifts. Coach Ball finds joy in helping athletes who are new to field events find the courage to jump big and trust the process of learning the fun of the high jump, long jump, and triple jump. Coach Ball is currently in his third year as the assistant Girls' high school Coach for Champaign Central and in his ninth year coaching Junior High Cross country in Urbana.
USA Track and Field Level 1: Certified
USA Track and Field Level 2 Jumps: Certified
10 years with the Vipers Track Club
Sarah Ganster: Assistant Coach - Lead Youth & Distance Coach for The Vipers Track Club
Coach Ganster is a coach who balances her athletes and their outcomes. Coach Ganster is intentional in building trust with athletes, all while pushing athletes to achieve high-level results in the sport. With a caring, compassionate, and determined approach to the sport, she demonstrates exceptional leadership and brings out the best in everyone around her. She is passionate about educating athletes on proper footwear injury prevention exercises. Coach Ganster is also currently in her fourth year as the assistant coach for both the boys' and girls' high school teams at Kankakee High School, working alongside Coach Lowe in Kankakee, Illinois. Coach Ganster is also the Head Junior High cross-country coach for Kankakee.
USA Track and Field Level 1: Certified
USA Track and Field Cross Country: Certified
4 years with the Vipers Track Club
Jerome Tooks: Assistant Coach Jumps & Head Site Coach in Ford Heights.
Coach Tooks's hometown is Ford Heights, IL, where he is the current Girls' head coach at Bloom Township High School. He has 10 years of experience and is a purpose-driven coach, intrinsically challenging athletes to find greatness within themselves. He is dedicated to continuing the “pay it forward” mentality the Vipers Track Club is founded on and is the head site coach for the Vipers Track Club's newest training location in Ford Heights. Coach Tooks is a visionary coach who wants to help all his athletes see there is more to life than the current situations and circumstances they are facing.
USA Track and Field Level 1: Certified
NFS USATF Coaching: Certified
3 years with the Vipers Track Club