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Spring Arbor University

Spring Arbor University Athletic Dept
 106 E. Main Street Spring Arbor, MI 49283
NAIA Michigan Midwest
Private Small National competitor
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Jason Crist

Jason Crist enters his 24th year as the Spring Arbor University head women’s soccer coach in 2023.


Crist led the Cougars to their third NAIA national championship in the past seven years during the 2022 campaign, having skippered the Cougars to national titles in 2015 and 2017 as well. Crist and his staff have guided their teams to an amazing seven NAIA Final Four appearances in the past 10 seasons.


Over the last 10 seasons, Crist and the Cougars have enjoyed a historic run. In the 2015 and 2016 campaigns the program put together a 32-match winning streak, which ranks as the second-longest streak ever in the NAIA, as well as a 42-match unbeaten streak, tying for the second-longest mark all-time. Before falling in the 2016 national title match, SAU held the top spot in the NAIA Women’s Soccer Coaches’ Top 25 Poll for 10 consecutive polls – the second-longest span in the history of the NAIA. Currently the Cougars lead the country in consecutive NAIA Top 25 poll appearances, having amassed 134 consecutive weeks in the poll. The Cougars have compiled a record of 226-25-22 since 2011, an amazing .870 winning percentage.


Crist’s Cougars are well known for their defensive organization and Spring Arbor has twice conceded just five total goals during a season (2016 & 2022) – the fewest goals allowed in the NAIA and tied for second-fewest in NAIA history.


After leading the Cougars to a national title in 2017, Crist and his staff were recognized as the NSCAA/NAIA National Staff of the Year. It was his second national NAIA honor after being named the NAIA's top coach after capturing the 2015 national championship.


Under Crist’s direction, Spring Arbor has won ten Crossroads League Tournament titles, including nine straight from 2010-18, and eleven Crossroads League regular season championships. The team has made fourteen trips to the NAIA national tournament – thirteen straight since 2010 – and owns an overall mark of 34-9-3 in NAIA championship postseason. The Cougars have made eleven appearances in the round of 16, advanced to the semifinals seven times and the finals four times, including in 2015, 2017 and 2022 when they captured their three national titles.


Crist has coached 58 NAIA All-Americans, including four National Players of the Year.


At the completion of the 2022 season, Crist ranks first among both active and all time NAIA coaches in wins with 384. In 23 seasons, he has compiled a record of 384-90-38 (.788).


Though no longer a member, Spring Arbor experienced a great amount of success in the NCCAA as well. The Cougars won the national title in 2010 while finishing runner-up in 2007 and third place in 2002. Crist was named the NSCAA/NCCAA National Coach of the Year in 2010 following the team’s championship win, and garnered Midwest Region Coach of the Year honors nine times.


Crist has served as the Women's Soccer Coaches Association NAIA President, and has also served as the vice president and secretary. He has been a member of the national oversight committee for NAIA women's soccer, has served on the National Tournament Selection Committee and currently serves as the Crossroads League rater.


Before assuming head coaching duties for the Cougars, Crist served as the assistant women's coach for two years at Spring Arbor. His coaching resume also includes experience coaching both boys and girls at Jackson High School and Jackson County Western High School. Crist has also worked with several clubs, most recently the Michigan Rush. He is nationally licensed by the USSF and was formerly a staff coach with Michigan ODP where he served as the head coach for the 2005 girls state team.


Crist also enjoyed great success coaching in the United Women’s Soccer league at the semi-professional level. He spent three years as the head coach and general manager of Lansing United, capturing the Midwest regular season championship twice.


Crist attended and played soccer at SAU. He has a bachelor of arts in elementary education with minors in language arts and exercise sports science. He and his wife, Melissa, have two teen children, Elijah (16) and Samara (14). The Crists reside in Spring Arbor, Michigan.

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Sam Ulstad

Sam Ulstad begins his 13th year as the lead assistant for the women's soccer program in 2023.


Ulstad brings a plethora of coaching experience to the Cougars' staff and has made an enormous impact within the program that is pushing the team to new levels, both on and off the field.


Ulstad was a standout high school soccer player at Midland Christian High School before enrolling at Spring Arbor College in the fall of 1987.


In his time at Spring Arbor, Ulstad was the leading goal scorer for the Cougars, producing 44 goals over his four years, some of which were spent playing in the back as a defender. Ulstad captained the 1990 Cougar squad in his senior campaign where he had the opportunity to lead current SAU head coach Jason Crist, who was a freshman on the team at the time.


An accomplished high school coach, Ulstad spent 12 years at the helm of the girl's program at Jackson High School where he racked up a record of 113-83-14 and garnered District III Coach of the Year honors in 2006. He was also named the Jackson Citizen Patriot All-Area Coach of the Year in 2006.


Ulstad has also been active in the club ranks, leading MSPSL teams from Jackson United, and more recently Michigan Rush Jackson.


Longtime members of the Spring Arbor community, Ulstad and his wife, Ann, attend Radiant Church Jackson and reside close to campus. The Ulstad's have five children, Amanda, Emily, Allison, Samantha and Ethan, and four grandchildren, Colton, Everleigh, Forest, and Ivy.

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Kevin Bristol

Assistant Coach - 6th Season

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Kara Toteff

Assistant Coach - 8th Season

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Shannon Andringa

Former NAIA All-American Shannon (Balcer) Andringa will join the women's soccer program as the Associate Head Coach beginning June 1, 2023, according to Athletic Director Jason Crist.


Andringa was a catalyst in helping the Cougars to capture the first NAIA team national championship in the university's history when she captained the Lady Cougars to the 2015 NAIA title in her senior year. A box to box midfielder, Andringa was named an NAIA honorable mention All-American for her efforts that season. She also helped the Cougars to a national semifinal during her tenure and was a part of four straight NAIA national tournament appearances.


A prolific youth and high school player on the west side of the state, Andringa helped champion the program's recruiting efforts in Grand Rapids and assisted in laying a foundation that has propelled SAU women's soccer to the very top of the NAIA soccer landscape.


After her four years at SAU, Andringa became involved in coaching in west Michigan and served as a high school coach at East Grand Rapids High School and as a club coach with Michigan Futbol Academy. She moved in to the college coaching ranks when she became the head coach at Northwestern College (IA) in 2021, taking on a full rebuild of a young Red Raiders side.


Andringa will work inside the current SAU staff this fall as the Associate Head Coach with plans to take the reigns as the head coach after the fall season as Crist steps away from coaching to take on full-time duties as the Athletic Director.


"I could not be more excited to add Shannon to our coaching staff," commented Crist. "Shannon is a young, up and coming coach and she is a perfect fit for the position. Not only does she have an amazing heart for the Lord and will disciple our women well, but she is also a formidable recruiter and coach. Spring Arbor University and our women's soccer players are getting the best of both worlds with her addition. I am so thankful that she is coming home."


Andringa was also excited about the opportunity to return to Spring Arbor University. "I am honored to be joining such a phenomenal and experienced staff. My time as a student-athlete at Spring Arbor was transformational, and the opportunity to give back to a place and a program that gave me so much is something I am extremely grateful for. Thank you to Jason Crist, Vice President Corey Ross and President Brent Ellis for believing in me and offering me this incredible opportunity," noted Andringa.

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