Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) athletics director B.J. McGinn has announced that men's cross country is being added to the school's athletics department, beginning this fall.

Men's cross country will become the ninth athletic program for DMACC, joining men's and women's basketball, men's and women's golf, women's cross country, baseball, softball and volleyball.

"We're very excited to have men's cross country come to DMACC and we want people in Central Iowa and our district to spread the word," McGinn said. "We think (men's cross country) is going to be an exciting piece to our athletics program."

McGinn is in charge of the day-to-day operations to ensure the athletic programs are following the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) rules, being responsible for the eligibility reports and verifying that every athlete is certified with the proper grade point average and credit hours, while also overseeing the entire department's budgets. The men's cross country program will be based at the Boone Campus, where all DMACC sports programs are located.

McGinn also announced the hiring of Jordan Andrews as the new men's and women's cross country coach for DMACC.

"Jordan was one of about 10 applicants that we had," McGinn said. "With his relationships and his involvement with high school programs I just felt like he would be a really good fit."

Andrews said he thinks becoming the DMACC cross country coach is a great opportunity for him.

"I feel like a successful program (at DMACC) can be built where we will have a lot of great kids from the State of Iowa who can compete at the next level," Andrews said.

Andrews said he looks forward to using not only his own personal experiences in running to coach the Bears, but also his various experiences in coaching at the high school and collegiate levels.

Andrews grew up in the Kansas City, Mo., area and graduated from Lee's Summit High School, where he competed in cross country and track and field. He went on to participate in cross country at Columbia College, qualifying for two NAIA Cross Country Championships.

Andrews graduated from Columbia College with a degree in marketing and management in 2015. He then became an assistant coach for the Cougars, working as a recruiter for the school's inaugural track and field team and assisting with the distance program. During his time as an assistant coach, Andrews helped four individuals and two relay teams qualify for the NAIA Indoor Track and Field Championships and helped two male athletes and one female athlete earn berths to the NAIA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

In 2016, Andrews and his wife, Lindsey, moved to Des Moines and opened a running and walking store, Heartland Soles. They also have a store in Coralville and work closely with all runners.

Andrews spent last summer and fall as a volunteer assistant coach with the Johnston High School girls' cross country program, helping the Dragons to a second-place finish in the Iowa High School Cross Country Championships, one point behind Southeast Polk's winning score of 79. Andrews has also worked with local youth running clubs in the Des Moines area.

Andrews and his wife reside in Des Moines. They are the parents of a daughter, Layla Jo, and a son, born Jan. 25.