Contact Us
WHO WE ARE
Welcome to the Kenosha Shockwaves
The Shockwaves were born to create opportunities for Kenosha youth runners. Kenosha Unified School District doesn't offer Cross Country for middle school students. We want to fill that need.
Our main focus is the fall cross country school season from August to October, but we also run:
Cross Country Championship Season in November and December
Winter Indoor track meets
AAU and USATF summer track season.
We Take Everyone
We invite any runners from 5th to 8th grades who love running and want to try competing with us. If your child loves to run and can follow directions, we would love to see if they like running with us. We have had 4th graders, 3rd graders and younger be successful as well. Our goal has always been to be faster than yesterday and the sport of running is better with more people in it.
Our only reservation is if your child has a team through their school, they should run with their team. We are not in the business of creating an all-star super team to crush the competition. In fact, we aren't in business at all. All of our coaches are volunteers who get paid in free t-shirts and the chance to watch your kids run their fastest.
Try Us Out
Start with a try it out practice. We like to see if your child likes running with us before anyone gets their minds set. We don't require runners be at every practice, nor do they have to run every meet. Some kids only like coming to practice, although we encourage them to compete in races for the new experience it brings.
Our Coaching Team
Stephanie Zuehls
Head Coach
Coach Stephanie has always had a passion for teaching others and running. She has now merged both of those loves by becoming an RRCA Level 1 Running Coach. She joined the Shockwaves in 2019 as an assistant coach and has been the Head Coach of the Shockwaves since 2021. Her experience as a teacher along with raising four athletic children, gives her a unique coaching perspective. She loves to work with our younger athletes making practice fun, but with a purpose.
Coach Stephanie's athletic resume includes over 30 years of participation in competitive sport. She was on her college swim team. After college, she transitioned to running and triathlon. In triathlon, she participated in all distances including completing Ironman Wisconsin. Her running accomplishments include numerous podium finishes in distances from 5k to 50K as well as running the Boston Marathon. Her personal running bests include a half marathon time of 1:35:13, a marathon time of 3:14:54 and a 50k time of 5:39:47. Her favorite distance is half marathon and beyond and she loves running on the trails.
Todd Hauser
Team Director
Coach Todd joined the Shockwaves in 2019 as an Assistant Coach a week after Coach Stephanie. He took over the Team Director duties when the Freese family moved to Virginia in 2021. He's working on a PhD in Communication from UW - Milwaukee and did a two year cycle on the Kenosha Area Mountain Bikers Association Board of Directors. His own running has taken a back seat lately but he has delusions of grandeur for Fall 2025.
His running resume includes high school cross country where his best 5K finish was a 19:15 at the Cloverbelt Conference meet and participating in every event in track. He scored team points in the triple jump & pole vault. In his only attempt, he set a record as the only 130 pound shot putter. (The throwing coach said he had great form.)
His favorite race medals include the 2025 Fight for Air Climb, an age group third place coffee mug from the Friends of Bong - Wolf Lake Run, third place team medal from the Dragon Boat Race at Lake Andrea and a participation medal from the Tyranena Half Barrel he ran on a bum wheel. His favorite kind of run is the accidental 10K, where you meant to go for a quick run but you feel so good you accidentally run six miles.
Nick Freese
Coach Emeritus - Founding Member
Coach Nick was the "genius" behind the Shockwaves training philosophy since relocating to Wisconsin in 2017. He was in charge of running the practice and races portion of the club until July 2021 when the family moved for work.
Coach Nick's athletic resume includes time as a running back for the Eastern Eagles, personal trainer, gym owner, race director, soccer coach, middle school cross country and track and field coach. During his coaching career, he has guided numerous young runners building their strength and endurance to state, regional, and national events.
His running personal bests include a 13:04 2-mile, 19:56 5K, and 1:32:48 half marathon. Coach Nick prefers running shorter distances and is the 2020 USATF WI Indoor 400 meter Champion.
Shannon Freese
Coach Emeritus - Founding Member
Coach Shannon was the organization behind the Shockwaves. Shannon was surprised KUSD didn't have cross country for middle schoolers and the first to decide to do something about it. She handled all of the hidden tasks you don't thing about when you're in charge of a running club.
As a graduate from Eastern Washington University, she has utilized her education in sports and recreation in multiple ways from planning youth wilderness trips, coaching club gymnastics, managing a gym, and coaching soccer.
Her favorite distance to run is 5ks and 10ks and uses keeping up with her three running kids as a training plan all on its own.
"Running is so symbolic of life. You have to drive yourself to overcome the obstacles. You might feel that you can't. But then you find your inner strength, and realize you're capable of so much more than you thought."