Lubbock Christian University Athletics

A member of the Lubbock Christian track & field and cross-country teams from 1991 to 1994, Derek Kite was a part of the beginning stretch of LCU's dominance in cross-country as well as showing dominance on the track. 

As a Lubbock Christian student-athlete, Kite competed on four NAIA championship teams from 1991-94, and running the fourth-best time at nationals during his senior season.  He earned 14 All-America honors at LCU including the 1994 NAIA National indoor track three-mile championship and the 1994 NAIA outdoor track 3,000-meter steeplechase championship.  He also was a two-time competitor at the United States Olympic Trials in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (1996 and 2000).

Kite still holds the school record in the three mile, which he set with a time of 13:55.89 as well as holding a top five time in both the 3,000-meter and the 3,000-meter steeplechase. He was an All-District honoree in cross-country all four years he was with the team and earned All-District selections in the 3,000-meter steeplechase during outdoor track and field in 1991 and 1993. 

After earning his Bachelor of Science degree in Biology at Lubbock Christian, Kite launched Endurance Training International (ETI) in 1995, to provide private coaching services for endurance athletes internationally. He served as the men's cross-country coach at Pepperdine for three years before becoming the first-ever men's and women's track and cross-country coach at York College (Neb.)

He then returned to his alma mater, replacing coach Clyde Neff as the head men's and women's cross-country coach at Lubbock Christian. The 2012 LCU men’s cross country team placed ninth in the NAIA National meet in the school’s first NAIA national appearance since 1997, and both the men’s and women’s teams qualified runners for the NAIA National Championships during Kite’s tenure.

Currently, Kite is the head men's and women's swimming coach at Point University, an NAIA institution in West Point, Georgia. He has coached the Skyhawks for two years.

Derek Kite was inducted into the LCU Athletic Hall of Honor in 2006.