Sylvia Kniest joined the Bushnell cross country staff as a volunteer assistant in 2022. She brings an extensive history as a teacher and coach to the program.
Kniest is a retired teacher after serving for 30 years in the Tuscon Unified School District, and as an adjunct professor at the University of Arizona. She served nearly a decade as the boys cross country coach at Sabino High, where she led the team to the Arizona State 4A Division I Championship in 2007.
Kniest was an avid distance runner and triathlete until a knee replacement forced her to retire her running shoes in 2013. She competed in a wide variety of distances, favoring the marathon where she held a personal record of three hours, and six minutes.
Kniest graduated from the University of Arizona with a Bachelors degree in history and a Master's Degree in Educational Leadership. She lives in Eugene with her husband Tom.
