Penn State Women's Track

Gondak's résumé while with the Blue and White - which can be matched by few middle distance mentors in the country - includes 27 first team All-Americans, 29 Big Ten Champions, 31 Penn State records, five Big Ten Freshman of the Year honorees, nine Penn Relays victories, and three sub-4:00 milers.  During his 11 years with the Penn State track & field team, Gondak has helped the Nittany Lions' post seven Big Ten track & field titles, including three-straight (2014 indoor, 2013-14 outdoor) as well as the 2015 women's cross country team title. The 2009-10 school year was a sensational year for the Penn State Nittany Lions as the women won the Big Ten triple crown. The women continued their success into the postseason as they finished fourth at the 2010 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. The Nittany Lions also finished fourth at the NCAA meet in 2008.  For the Nittany Lion men, the 2014 Big Ten Indoor Track & Field Championships featured their highest finish ever at the meet (third). Four podium finishes, along with numerous scoring performances propelled the Nittany Lion men to finish third.  Aside from his student-athletes' efforts on the track, the Doylestown, Pa., native has also had a huge impact on the Nittany Lions' success on the cross country course, including Big Ten titles by the women's squad in 2009 and 2015, and an NCAA Mid-Atlantic regional title in 2012 and 2015. Over the years, Gondak has assisted in NCAA-qualifying efforts by the women's squad in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013, 2015 and by the men's team in 2008 and 2010.  The Nittany Lion women's squad placed 13th at the 2011 NCAA Cross Country Championships - the highest finish in nearly two decades. In fact, the Nittany Lion women have enjoyed qualifying for the NCAA Championships in six out of the seven years in cross country, capturing top-15 standings on four out of seven occasions most recently finishing 16th at the 2015 NCAA Cross Country Championships. Individually, the Penn State women have captured two Big Ten Cross Country titles (Bridget Franek, 2009, and Caitlin Lane, 2011). The Penn State men have been represented in seven of the past nine years at the NCAA Cross Country Championships either by an individual or as a team, including four-time qualifier Vince McNally. During the 2013 season, Matt Fischer posted the highest finish at the Big Ten Cross Country Championships in school history (third) and placed fourth at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional to qualify for the NCAA Cross Country Championships. At the 2013 NCAA Cross Country Championships, Fischer went onto finish 78th.  During his first season at the helm of the Penn State cross country program, the Nittany Lions continued their storied success. Fifth-year senior Matt Fischer led the Nittany Lion men throughout the 2014 campaign as he finished eighth at the Big Ten meet, won the Mid-Atlantic Regional and advanced to the NCAA Cross Country Championships for the second-straight year. He ended his Penn State cross country career with a 167th-place finish at the NCAA meet. Fischer garnered second team All-Big Ten honors and was named the Mid-Atlantic Men's Cross Country Athlete of the Year.  The 2015 season was led by redshirt-freshman Tessa Barrett who capped her first season on the course for Penn State by earning All-American Honors with a 38th-place finish. The 2014 women's team was led by the freshmen duo of Elizabeth Chikotas and Jillian Hunsberger. The duo were consistently near the front of the Nittany Lion pack during the 2014 season. Chikotas was the Big Ten Women's Cross Country Freshman of the Year for her 15th-place finish at the Big Ten meet and Hunsberger qualified for the NCAA Championships with her 11th-place finish at the Mid-Atlantic Regional. In her NCAA Cross Country Championships debut, Hunsberger finished 161st.  Gondak has also been widely recognized by the coaching community as he was named United States Track and Field/Cross Country Association (USTFCCCA) Mid-Atlantic Region Assistant Coach of the Year during the indoor season in 2009 and again for his efforts during the 2010 outdoor season. Gondak swept the Mid-Atlantic awards in 2013, winning the USTFCCCA Mid-Atlantic Men's Assistant Coach of the Year award during both the indoor and outdoor seasons. He was most recently named USTFCCCA Mid-Atlantic Men's Assistant Coach of Year during the 2014 indoor track & field season, and earned the USTFCCCA Mid-Atlantic Region Coach of the Year award for his efforts during the 2015 cross country season.  2016 2016 began with a record breaking Indoor season from the Nittany Lions. Under Gondaks watch, seven school records were broken on top of 22 all-time top-five performances being turned in over a variety of events. John Gondak begins his third year as the head coach of Penn State cross country/track & field as the 2016-2017 school year starts.  Gondak's résumé while with the Blue and White - which can be matched by few middle distance mentors in the country - includes 27 first team All-Americans, 29 Big Ten Champions, 31 Penn State records, five Big Ten Freshman of the Year honorees, nine Penn Relays victories, and three sub-4:00 milers.  During his 11 years with the Penn State track & field team, Gondak has helped the Nittany Lions' post seven Big Ten track & field titles, including three-straight (2014 indoor, 2013-14 outdoor) as well as the 2015 women's cross country team title. The 2009-10 school year was a sensational year for the Penn State Nittany Lions as the women won the Big Ten triple crown. The women continued their success into the postseason as they finished fourth at the 2010 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. The Nittany Lions also finished fourth at the NCAA meet in 2008.  For the Nittany Lion men, the 2014 Big Ten Indoor Track & Field Championships featured their highest finish ever at the meet (third). Four podium finishes, along with numerous scoring performances propelled the Nittany Lion men to finish third.  Aside from his student-athletes' efforts on the track, the Doylestown, Pa., native has also had a huge impact on the Nittany Lions' success on the cross country course, including Big Ten titles by the women's squad in 2009 and 2015, and an NCAA Mid-Atlantic regional title in 2012 and 2015. Over the years, Gondak has assisted in NCAA-qualifying efforts by the women's squad in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013, 2015 and by the men's team in 2008 and 2010.  The Nittany Lion women's squad placed 13th at the 2011 NCAA Cross Country Championships - the highest finish in nearly two decades. In fact, the Nittany Lion women have enjoyed qualifying for the NCAA Championships in six out of the seven years in cross country, capturing top-15 standings on four out of seven occasions most recently finishing 16th at the 2015 NCAA Cross Country Championships. Individually, the Penn State women have captured two Big Ten Cross Country titles (Bridget Franek, 2009, and Caitlin Lane, 2011). The Penn State men have been represented in seven of the past nine years at the NCAA Cross Country Championships either by an individual or as a team, including four-time qualifier Vince McNally. During the 2013 season, Matt Fischer posted the highest finish at the Big Ten Cross Country Championships in school history (third) and placed fourth at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional to qualify for the NCAA Cross Country Championships. At the 2013 NCAA Cross Country Championships, Fischer went onto finish 78th.  During his first season at the helm of the Penn State cross country program, the Nittany Lions continued their storied success. Fifth-year senior Matt Fischer led the Nittany Lion men throughout the 2014 campaign as he finished eighth at the Big Ten meet, won the Mid-Atlantic Regional and advanced to the NCAA Cross Country Championships for the second-straight year. He ended his Penn State cross country career with a 167th-place finish at the NCAA meet. Fischer garnered second team All-Big Ten honors and was named the Mid-Atlantic Men's Cross Country Athlete of the Year.  The 2015 season was led by redshirt-freshman Tessa Barrett who capped her first season on the course for Penn State by earning All-American Honors with a 38th-place finish. The 2014 women's team was led by the freshmen duo of Elizabeth Chikotas and Jillian Hunsberger. The duo were consistently near the front of the Nittany Lion pack during the 2014 season. Chikotas was the Big Ten Women's Cross Country Freshman of the Year for her 15th-place finish at the Big Ten meet and Hunsberger qualified for the NCAA Championships with her 11th-place finish at the Mid-Atlantic Regional. In her NCAA Cross Country Championships debut, Hunsberger finished 161st.  Gondak has also been widely recognized by the coaching community as he was named United States Track and Field/Cross Country Association (USTFCCCA) Mid-Atlantic Region Assistant Coach of the Year during the indoor season in 2009 and again for his efforts during the 2010 outdoor season. Gondak swept the Mid-Atlantic awards in 2013, winning the USTFCCCA Mid-Atlantic Men's Assistant Coach of the Year award during both the indoor and outdoor seasons. He was most recently named USTFCCCA Mid-Atlantic Men's Assistant Coach of Year during the 2014 indoor track & field season, and earned the USTFCCCA Mid-Atlantic Region Coach of the Year award for his efforts during the 2015 cross country season.  2016 2016 began with a record breaking Indoor season from the Nittany Lions. Under Gondaks watch, seven school records were broken on top of 22 all-time top-five performances being turned in over a variety of events. School record that were captured include: 60-meters (Xavier Smith), 800-meters (Isaiah Harris), Pole Vault (Lexi Masterson), Mile (Tori Gerlach), 1,000-meters (Tori Gerlach), 5,0000-meters (Tessa Barrett) and Shot Put (Rachel Fatherly). At the Big Ten Indoor Championships, the womens team recorded an impressive third-place finish while the men brought home a sixth-place finish. At those Big Ten Championships Frosh Isaiah Harris highlighted the mens efforts with his Big Ten record run in the final of the mens 800-meters clocking a scortching time of 1:46.24 for his first individual Big Ten Championship. Harris, along with Brannon Kidder, Jordan Makins and Alex Shisler earned First-Team Big Ten Honors while Second-Team Big Ten Honors went to Rachel Fatherly, Tori Gerlach, Danielle Gibson, Lexi Masterson. Brannon Kidder and Rachel Fatherly earned USTFCCCA Mid-Atlantic Region Athlete of the Year honors following the 2016 Indoor regular season. At the NCAA Indoor Championships, both Kidder and Fatherly brought home All-American honors in the 800-meters and shot put, respectively. Outdoor season would see the Mens program record a second consecutive top-20 finish at the NCAA Championships following a 10-place performance in 2015 in Eugene, Ore. En Route to the National Championships 26 top-10 performances were laid down by the mens and womens program collectively. Isaiah Harris continued success brought the freshman his second individual Big Ten Championship as the freshman swept the indoor/outdoor 800-meter titles capturing the outdoor championship in a time of 1:46.21 at Nebraskas Ed Weir Stadium in Lincoln, NE. Harris was also one of three Nittany Lions to record an All-American finish at the Outdoor Championships along with Brian Leap in the triple jump (sixth-place) and Isaiah Harris in the 800-meters (fourth-place) running a personal-best and Penn State No. 3 all-time time of 1:45.76 in the finals. Harris season would continue as he qualified for his first Olympic Trials in the 800-meters. The freshman advanced through the rounds to the finals where Harris took sixth-place, the highest finishing NCAA athlete in the 800-meter field. Following the NCAA Championships Harris won gold in the 800-meters at the NACAC U23 Championships in San Salvador, El Salvador. Teammate Dannielle Gibson also captured Gold at the NACAC U23 Championships in the triple jump. The Nittany Lions began their third year of cross country under John Gondak with each program posting a win at the 2016 Dolan Duals meet in nearby Lock Haven. Following the Dolan Duals the Nittany Lion me would go on to post a top-five finish at the Spiked Shoe Invtl., a respectable finish at the nationally competitive Roy Griak Meet in Minneapolis, MN, and rounded out the year with a ninth-place finish at the Big ten Championships. The Penn State women recorded three first-place finishes over the course of the season (Dolan Duals, Spiked Shoe, and Big Ten Championships) as well as a third-place finish at the nationally competitive Roy Griak and a runner-up finish at the Big Ten Championships in Minneapolis, MN. Gondaks womens squad captured their second-consecutive Mid-Atlantic Regional Championship Nov. 11th at the Blue & White Course in University Park led by sophomore All-American Tessa Barrett who posted a first-place finish traversing the course in 20:00. Barrett would earn All-Region honors along with teammates Elizabeth Chikotas, Jillian Hunsberger, and freshman Kathryn Munks.   2015 Recap...  In his first year at the helm of the Penn State track & field program, Gondak led the Nittany Lion men to the top ranking spot in the region and a top-ten national ranking during the Indoor season.  In a year that saw 21 student-athletes qualify for NCAA championships, Gondak capped off the 2015 year by leading his men's team to the highest finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships since 1966 with a 10th-place finish scoring 17 points.  Cross Country season would see senior Matt Fischer and freshman Jillian Hunsberger qualify for the NCAA Championships following strong performances at the Mid-Atlantic Regional meet hosted by Penn State in University Park, Pa.  Fischer punched his ticket to the championships for the second time in his career after winning the Mid-Atlantic Regional meet, navigating the 10,000-meter course in a time of 30:16. Fischer would go on to receive Mid-Atlantic Regional Athlete of the Year honors from the USTFCCCA.  Fischer became the first Nittany Lion to win the men's race at the Mid-Atlantic Regional since Dan Mazzocco (2003) took home the title. Mirroring Mazzocco's 2003 season, Fischer was tabbed as the 2014 Mid-Atlantic Regional Athlete of the Year following his Mid-Atlantic regional performance.  Hunsberger qualified for the NCAA Cross Country Championships as an individual with her 11th-place finish (20:49) at the Mid-Atlantic Regional earning all-region honors in the process. In her NCAA Cross Country Championships debut, Hunsberger would finish 161st clocking time of 21:38.  The Nittany Lion men's track and field team would begin the indoor season as the No. 5 team in the nation.  The men's team would finish fourth at the Big Ten indoor track and field championships, while the women would finish in a tie for third with Purdue, scoring 68 points.  Gondak, in his first year as head coach, would receive Mid-Atlantic Regional Coach of the Year honors after leading the Nittany Lions to the top ranking spot in the region and a top-ten national ranking. Penn State entered the NCAA Indoor Championships with five entries with one each in mid-distance, distance, jumping, and throwing events and a DMR.  Gondak, the squad's distance and mid-distance coach, led two to sub-four minute mile times last season. In addition, the program won its home Sykes-Sabock Challenge Cup over regional foe Princeton.  Senior Darrell Hill would finish fourth at the NCAA championships in the shot-put, with his fourth-place finish, Hill became the fourth Nittany Lion to finish fourth or higher at the NCAA Indoor Championships in the men's shot put and he also recorded the highest finish in the shot put since Joe Kovacs placed third in 2010.  The Penn State men were highlighted by a runner-up finish in the distance medley relay. The quartet of Kidder, Alex Shisler, Za'Von Watkins and Robby Creese clocked in at 9:32.21 to finish second. For Creese, Kidder and Watkins it is their second career first team All-America finish in the distance medley relay, as they finished second at the 2013 NCAA meet.  Kidder also finished seventh in the men's mile with his time of 4:04.48. His seventh-place finish in the men's mile Saturday is the highest Nittany Lion finish since Ryan Foster took third in 2011.  On the women's side, the 4x400-meter relay of Megan Osborne, Dynasty McGee, Tichina Rhodes and Kiah Seymour posted an eighth-place finish with their season-best time of 3:34.57. McGee, Rhodes and Seymour repeated as first team All-Americans in the 4x400-meter relay from last year.  In all, nine out of the 11 Penn State student-athletes that competed at the NCAA Indoor Championships tallied first team All-America honors.  The outdoor season would see eight athletes qualify for the outdoor championships, with three athletes receiving first team honors -- including two second-place finishes for the blue and white.  The men's team would tie a school-record checking in as high as No. 11 in the nation, and consistently being ranked inside the top-16 throughout the outdoor season.  Rachel Fatherly would rewrite the school record in shot put launching a throw of 56-3.25 (17.15) on her way to receiving Mid-Atlantic Regional Field Athlete of the Year honors and qualifying for the outdoor championships.  Darrell Hill would complete the sweep of Mid-Atlantic Regional Field Athlete of the Year honors claiming the outdoor honors after claiming the indoor award earlier in the year.  Hill would go on to finish second at the outdoor championships in the shot put at 20.78m (68-2.25). Hill's runner-up finish is tied for the highest finish in school history in the men's shot put since C.J. Hunter in 1990.  Brandon Kidder would record a second-place in the 800-meters with a time of 1:49.36, while Steve Waithe would garner All-American for his eighth-place performance in the triple jump 16.26m (53' 4.25"w.)  Robby Creese, Rachel Fatherly, Tori Gerlach, Brannon Kidder, Kiah Seymour, and Darrell Hill represented the Nittany Lions at the United States Track & Field championships to wrap up the outdoor season.  2014 Recap...  The 2014 season featured record-breaking performances for Gondak and his middle distance/distance contingent. After setting the second-fastest collegiate time in the distance medley relay (9:26.60) in 2013, the quartet of Brannon Kidder, Brandon Bennett-Green, Za'Von Watkins and Robby Creese returned in 2014 to top their own mark. On Jan 31, the foursome set a facility, meet, and Penn State DMR record with their time of 9:26.59, which was the top-time in the NCAA during the 2013-14 season.  The distance medley relay quartet of Watkins, Br. Bennett-Green, Ryan Brennan and Kidder won Penn State's third-straight Big Ten title with their time of 9:45.48.  Along with being a member of the school record-setting DMR team, Creese ran the second-fastest 1,000-meter time (2:20.65) in the NCAA during the 2013-14 season.  At the Big Ten Championships, Kidder captured his second-straight 800-meter run title with his time of 1:49.52. He then followed up his 800-meter run title with a runner-up finish in the 1,500-meter run (3:44.95) at the 2014 Big Ten Outdoor Track & Field Championships.  Kidder not only had major success at the Big Ten meets, but moved up in the record books as well. During the indoor season, he ran a sub-4:00 mile twice (Penn State National and the UW Husky Classic). Along with his time of 3:58.49, which is tied for second in the Penn State record books, he ran 1:47.45 to move into third all-time in the Penn State record books.  Watkins garnered first team All-America honors in the 800-meter run (1:50.23) as he finished seventh overall at the 2014 NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships. Watkins was also a member of the 11th-place DMR team at the 2014 NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships.  Along with Kidder, Watkins moved near the top of the Penn State record books as well. Watkins moved into fifth all-time in the indoor 800 as he posted a time of 1:48.11 at the Sykes & Sabock Challenge Cup.  Leigha Anderson and Tori Gerlach also posted top times on the track during the 2013-14 school year. Anderson went onto win the 10,000-meter run (33:52.32) at the Penn Relays and Tori Gerlach won the Big Ten title in the 3,000-meter run with her time of 9:10.76, which moved her into second all-time at Penn State.  Fischer, Gerlach and Kidder represented the Penn State distance/mid-distance program at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. At the NCAA East Regional, the Nittany Lions posted solid results to advance to Eugene, Ore. Fischer finished fifth in the 5,000-meter run (14:11.57), Gerlach ran a personal-best time of 10:03.55 in the 3,000-meter steeplechase to place seventh and Kidder clocked in at 3:45.72 to place seventh in the 1,500-meter run.  Along with the men's distance medley relay record falling in 2014, Kidder and Marta Klebe set school records during the 2014 outdoor track & field season.  Kidder broke a 27-year-old 1,500-meter run school record as he posted a time of 3:38.82 at the Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational at Stanford. On the women's side, Klebe ran a time of 4:15.20 at the 2014 Big Ten Track & Field Championships to take down the 1,500-meter run school record that was set in 1993 (Startare, 4:16.96).  Academic Success...  Under Coach Gondak, Penn State student-athletes have found great success in the classroom. The Penn State women's cross country team tallied a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.44 during the 2013 cross country season, which earned them All-Academic honors from the USTFCCCA.  Twelve Penn State distance student-athletes were named to the Big Ten's Distinguished Scholar list for the 2013-14 school year. To qualify you must have at least a 3.7 GPA for the previous year. Three of the 12 student-athletes posted a perfect 4.0 GPA. Since his time on campus, Penn State track & field has garnered 235 All-Academic Big Ten Track & Field honors and 118 All-Academic Big Ten Cross Country Honors.  In the Big Ten...  Since joining the conference in 2006, Gondak has coached a total of 29 Big Ten Champions, including 14 of the last 16 winners in the 800.  The Nittany Lions have also been consistent at the conference level in the relays, with the DMR winning five-straight Big Ten titles (2012-16). The Nittany Lions have been highly recognized under Gondak's watch, as Penn State has earned a total of four Big Ten Freshman of the Year citations since 2010. Casimir Loxsom was the first Nittany Lion to earn the honor, winning after an outdoor 800-meter victory as a freshman in 2010. Creese swept the honors during the indoor and outdoor campaigns in 2012, while Kidder was named the conference's top rookie during the 2013 indoor season.  Penn Relays Success...  Gondak and the Nittany Lions have become a fixture on the podium at Penn Relays, taking top honors in the sprint medley relay in 2011 and 2012, in addition to a victory in the 4x800 in 2012. The first sprint medley title came in 2011, marking Penn State's first Penn Relays win since 1987. The relay would also clock a school-record 3:17.10 in the effort. The same year, Gondak led the Nittany Lions to a second-place finish in the 4x800-meter relay (Lionel Williams, Samuel Borchers, Loxsom, and Ryan Foster) in an epic battle at Penn Relays, where the team clocked 7:12.90 - the seventh-fastest time in collegiate history. The Nittany Lions' 2012 4x800 victory was the first by a Penn State squad since 1987.  The Lions continued to excel in 2013, taking top honors in both the distance medley relay and the 4x800. The Nittany Lion distance medley relay ran 9:24.68 with Robby Creese holding off Oregon and Villanova for the win; Loxsom also split 1:46 on the relay. With his performances Loxsom was named the Penn Relays Athlete of the Meet.  In 2014, a 7:18.99 finish in the 4x800m Championship of America event earned a runner-up status for the quartet of Wade Endress, Watkins, Ryan Brennan, and Kidder.  Outstanding Athletes Coached...  Over his career, Gondak has coached some of the Nittany Lions' most prolific athletes, including four-time Big Ten Champion Ryan Foster. Foster capped his Penn State career in 2011, setting a then-school-record 3:58.49 for the indoor mile, and going on to finish third in the event at the NCAA Indoor Championships. The former Nittany Lion excelled under Gondak's watch, ending up with a total of three All-America finishes - including two bronze-medal efforts - to go along with numerous Penn State records. In fact, Foster was at the helm of a banner middle distance relay in Nittany Lion history, which featured three All-America finishes in the same race. Foster led the way in third, followed by Owen Dawson in eighth and Lionel Williams in 11th. In fact, Gondak's charges hold all of the top-five indoor 800 marks in the Penn State record books, with Loxsom on top at 1:46.98, Foster at 1:47.32, Kidder at 1:47.45, Dawson at 1:47.77, and Watkins in fifth at 1:48.11.  All told, Foster owns one of the more impressive PR ranges on the Nittany Lions record books, boasting career bests of 1:46.78 in the 800, all the way to his 3:58.49 mile PR. Foster also rates second in the Penn State record books in the 1,000 at 2:19.60. Foster and Dawson went 1-2 in the 800 at the 2009 Big Ten Indoor Track & Field Championships. Foster again led the charge in the 800 at the 2009 Big Ten Outdoor Track & Field Championships as the Nittany Lions finished 1-3-4.  Loxsom also enjoyed one of the most outstanding middle distance careers in Nittany Lion history, including a school-record run of 1:45.28 in the 800 during the 2011 season. The effort bettered Randy Moore's long-standing school best 1:45.96, which had stood since 1985. The same year, Loxsom would place fourth in a blistering 800-meter final at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, running 1:45.31. Gondak would also guide a then-freshman Loxsom to a sizzling 1:16.92 for 600-meters in 2010, which formerly stood as World Junior (Under-19) Best. During the 2013 indoor season, Loxsom set the American Collegiate record in the 600 (1:15.79) and his time of 1:15.42 in the 600 is the fastest for an American in all conditions.  Loxsom would go on to post an impressive victory in the event at the USATF Junior Championships and advance to the IAAF World Junior Championships. Loxsom would post a silver-medal finish at the World Junior event, clocking 1:46.57. Loxsom's finish was the highest-ever finish by a U.S. athlete in a distance event at the world junior competition. He also posted runner-up finishes in the 800 at both the indoor and outdoor NCAA meets.  Gondak has also been instrumental in the development of senior Creese, and junior Kidder. Creese wasted no time in making a mark on the Penn State record books, running 2:19.53 to set Collegiate and American Junior Records in the 1000 meters during his freshman campaign in 2012.  Kidder showed outstanding promise bettering the sub-4:00 mile barrier during the indoor season, going 3:59.48 to become just the fourth sub-4:00 miler in Nittany Lion history. Gondak has guided three of the four outstanding milers. Kidder's success would continue during the outdoor season, as the rookie clocked a sizzling 1:46.87 for the 800 at the USATF Senior Championships. Kidder would also place third in the 800 at the NCAA Outdoor Championships as a freshman.  Kidder and Loxsom went 2-3 in the 800-meters at the 2013 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, which is the first time since 1948 two of the top-three finishers were from the same school.  The 2013 Big Ten Indoor Track & Field Championships featured the Penn State men sweeping the middle distance events, including four runners in the finals of the 800.  International Coaching Info...  During the summer of 2014, Gondak coached the U.S. men's distance squad at the North America, Central America and Caribbean (NACAC) U-23 Championships. Under the guidance of Gondak, the U.S. men's distance team won two gold, four silver and three bronze medals.  Prior to Penn State ...  Prior to Penn State, Gondak spent nearly eight seasons at the University of Kentucky before moving to Georgia Tech in 2006. As an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the Wildcat middle distance/distance runners, Gondak oversaw 25 All-America finishes in his event area, while 19 athletes earned All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) honors. Prior to working at Kentucky, Gondak was the cross country and assistant track and field coach at Georgia Tech from 1995-96, and Toledo from 1996-98.  Gondak started out as a walk-on athlete at Syracuse and quickly improved, qualifying for the IC4A Championships as a sophomore, junior and senior in the distance-medley relay and mile run. During his senior year, he was placed on scholarship and named captain of the cross country program. Gondak graduated summa cum laude as the valedictorian of the civil engineering program.  Coaching Honors...  2015 Mid-Atlantic Region Cross Country Women's Head Coach of the Year  2015 Mid-Atlantic Region Indoor Men's Head Coach of the Year  2014 Mid-Atlantic Region Indoor Men's Assistant of Coach of the Year  2013 Mid-Atlantic Region Indoor Men's Assistant of Coach of the Year  2013 Mid-Atlantic Region Outdoor Men's Assistant of Coach of the Year  2010 Mid-Atlantic Region Outdoor Assistant of Coach of the Year  2009 Mid-Atlantic Region Assistant of Coach of the Year  Outstanding Athletes Coached...  Robby Creese  2014 NCAA Indoor Runner Up (DMR)  2013 NCAA Indoor Runner-Up (DMR)  3x USTFCCCA First Team All-American  Collegiate 1,000-Meter Record Holder (2:19.53)  4x Big Ten Champion  Two-Time Big Ten Freshman of the Year  4x Penn State School Record Holder  Owen Dawson  NCAA All-American (800m)  2009 Big Ten Runner Up (Indoor 800m)  2009 Big Ten Bronze Medalist (Outdoor 800m)  Ryan Foster  3x NCAA All-American  2x NCAA Bronze Medalist  4x Big Ten 800-Meter Champion  3x USTFCCCA Mid-Atlantic Track Athlete of the Year   Penn State Record Holder  Australian National Indoor Record Holder (800m, 1000m)  Isaiah Harris 2016 NACAC U-23 Champion (800m)  2016 U.S. Olympic Trials Sixth-Place (800m) 2016 NCAA Outdoor All-American   2016 NCAA Outdoor Fourth-Place (800m)  2016 Big Ten Outdoor Champion (800m) 2016 Big Ten Indoor Champion (800m)  Penn State School record Holder (800m Indoor) All-Time Big Ten Indoor Record Holder (800m)  Brannon Kidder  2015 NCAA Outdoor Runner Up (800m)  2014 NCAA Indoor Runner Up (DMR)  2013 NCAA Indoor Runner Up (DMR)  2013 NCAA Outdoor Bronze Medalist (800m)  5x USTFCCCA First Team All-American  9x Big Ten Champion  2013 Big Ten Freshman of the Year  USATF Senior Semi-finalist (800m)  2013 Millrose Games Champion (4x800)  2014 USTFCCCA Mid-Atlantic Region Indoor Track Athlete of the Year  Marta Klebe  2013 Big Ten Silver Medalist (1500m)  2013 NCAA First Round Qualifier  2x Penn State Record Holder (1,500 & Outdoor DMR)  Casimir Loxsom  6x NCAA All-American  6x Big Ten Champion  American Collegiate Record Holder (600m, 1:15.79)  All-Conditions American Record Holder (600m, 1:15.42)  2013 Penn Relays - Collegiate Athlete of the Relays  2013 Big Ten Indoor Track Athlete of the Championships  2013 Big Ten Indoor Track Athlete of the Year  9x Penn State Record Holder  USATF Junior Champion (800m)  IAAF World Junior Silver Medalist (800m)  2010 Big Ten Freshman of the Year  4x USTFCCCA Mid-Atlantic Region Track Athlete of the Year  Mark Miller  2008 NCAA Qualifier  2008 Big Ten Champion (Indoor 800 meters)  2006 Big Ten Champion (Outdoor 800 meters)  Four-Time Big Ten Medalist

Tucker enters his second year as the associate head coach for the Nittany Lion track & field program following a four year coaching stint at, his alma mater, Florida. Tucker oversees the sprints, hurdles and relays program. Tucker wrapped up his first year in Happy Valley by making a trip to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to serve as an Assistant Coach for the U.S. Virgin Islands track & field team. Tucker coached Eddie Lovett of the U.S. Virgin Islands in the 110-meter hurdles at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Indoor season saw Tucker lead sophomore Xavier Smith to a school record in the 60-meters, breaking a 13-year-old record in the opening meet of the season. Smith would go on to further lower the record to its season ending mark of 6.68. Malik Moffett joined Smith in the top-five with his mark of 6.79 for the No. 4 all-time mark in program history. During the 2016 outdoor season, Penn States mens 4x100-meter relay ran the fastest time by a Nittany Lion squad in over 30 years blazing the track to the tune of 39.92 seconds at the Pac-12/Big Ten Challenge in Tempe, Ariz. Tuckers relay team recorded two of the top five-fastest sprint relays in program history during the 2016 season. Tuckers 2016 squad also set program top-10 marks in the 100-meters and 200-meters including times of 10.45w, 10.46w, and 10.52w by Xavier Smith, Dan Chisena and Anton Porter, respectively, as well as times of 20.73w, 20.96 and 21.05 by Malik Moffett, Xavier Smith and Dan Chisena, respectively. During his time at Florida, Tucker coached one NCAA champion (2013 - Eddie Lovett - 60-meter hurdles), two NCAA runner-ups, 14 All-Americans, six SEC champions, and eight school record holders. Tucker also coached 13 student-athletes to top-10 performances in school history.  As a program between 2012-15, Florida won three national titles, three SEC conference titles and posted numerous SEC runner-up finishes.  Prior to coaching at Florida, Tucker was the assistant coach for hurdles, relays and sprints from 2003-2012 at Kentucky and he also coached at Illinois for three years overseeing the hurdles, relays and sprints program.  While with the Wildcats, Tucker helped lead the track and field program to some of the most successful seasons in program history. During his time at Kentucky, Tucker coached 27 All-Americans, 26 All-SEC honorees, 15 All-Region athletes, six SEC champions, three NCAA runner-ups and an NCAA Champion (Rondel Sorrillo, 200m, 2010). Under Tucker´s tutelage, 34 school records fell and 67 athletes ranked in the top-10 in school history.  At Kentucky, Tucker coached four student-athletes that competed at the Olympics. Luis Luna was Tucker´s first athlete to see Olympic action as she competed in the 400m for Venezuela in the 2004 Athens Games. In 2008, three of Tucker´s athletes competed in the Beijing Olympics as Sorrillo (200m) and Mikel Thomas (110m high hurdles) competed for Trinidad and Tobago, while Jose Acevedo competed for Venezuela in the 200m.  Before starting his coaching career as a volunteer assistant with the Gators in the 1999-2000 season, Tucker enjoyed a prolific collegiate career at Florida. Tucker, a four-time SEC champion and a six-time All-American, won the 400-meter hurdles at the 1998 SEC Championships with a personal best time of 49.82, which still ranks as the eighth-fastest time in Florida history. He also ran on three conference championship teams and four All-America 4x400-meter relay teams.  In the classroom, he was a two-time All-SEC academic honoree at Florida, where he earned a bachelor of arts in History and a master's degree in Education. Tucker has three sons Ezra (6), Erin II (2), & Samuel (1).  

Spence is in his 10th year coaching the Nittany Lion women's jumpers and multi-event athletes after outstanding results over the past nine seasons. In his first nine years with the Nittany Lions, Spence has overseen 14 All-America efforts, including Gayle Hunter, who claimed a total of nine All-America certificates in the multi-events. Hunter is the indoor school record holder in the long jump 20-11.00 (6.37m) and pentathlon (4342), outdoor school record in the Heptathlon (5797) and 4x400m (3.27.69) relay under Spence's watch. Under the guidance of coach Spence, Dannielle Gibson tallied a third-place finish in the triple jump. Gibson, a sophomore, scored six points for Penn State with her leap of 42-3.50 during the 2015 Big Ten Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Gibson would also finish fourth in the long jump with her personal-best jump of 20-2.25 - Her distance of 20-2.25 ranks 10th all-time at Penn State and was a member of the eighth-place 4x100-meter relay recording a time of 47.19. Gibson would go on to qualify for the NCAA East Prelims in the long jump and the triple jump , finishing 31st in the triple jump (40-4.75), and 44th in the long jump (18-2.5). In the vertical jumps, Ahmenah Richardson cleared a height of 5-9.25 in the women's high jump for a sixth-place finish during the Big Ten Outdoor Track & Field Championships, while finishing ninth with her height of 5-8 during the Big Ten Indoor Track & Field Championships. Richardson qualified for the NCAA East Prelims in the high jump, finishing 26th with her height of 5-7. The Philadelphia native began the year with a second-place finish at the Florida Relays with her height of 5-8, tallied a personal-best height of 5-11.25 to finish second at the Penn Relays - her height of 5-11.25 is tied for second all-time at Penn State and finished second at the Kehoe Twilight Meet with her height of 5-8 during the outdoor season. Richardson began the indoor season with a third-place finish at the Penn State Relays clearing a height of 5-8.75, placed third at the Penn State National Invitational with her height of 5-8, and tallied an indoor personal-best height of 5-9.75 to finish fourth at the Tyson Invitational. Her mark of 5-9.75 is tied for fourth all-time at Penn State. Spence also guided Brittney Howell to an outstanding 2014 outdoor campaign, highlighted by an outstanding long jump at the NCAA first round Championships. Howell also turned in a pair of scoring performances at the Big Ten level, finishing third in the long jump and ninth in the high jump at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships. Howell would also post the top long jump mark among Nittany Lions during the 2014 campaign - going 20-4.50 (6.21m) during the Indoor season and 20-10.75 (6.37m) during the outdoor season. The performance ranks fifth indoors and third outdoors in the all-time Penn State standings. Coming into her own in 2014 was freshman high jumper India McCoy. McCoy notched a lifetime-best clearance of 5-10.00 (1.78m) during the outdoor season. McCoy along with fellow protégée Ahmenah Richardson who in 2014 made a trip to the Big Ten medal stand for a third-place finish at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships. Also, coming into her own in 2014 was freshman long and triple jumper Dannielle Gibson. Gibson had an outstanding freshman year achieving a lifetime-best leap of 42-2.00 (12.80m) in the triple jump and 20-1.00 (6.11m) in the long jump during the outdoor season. Gibson along with fellow jumper Kaitlyn Lopez who in 2014 put up a lifetime best of 39-5.25 (12.02m) in the triple jump and 18-10.50 (5.82m) in the long jump. During the 2014 season, freshman multi-eventer Tal Ben-Artzi had an outstanding indoor seasoning putting up a life-time best score of 3861 in the indoor pentathlon. Spence oversaw marked improvements from senior Marlene Ricketts, who advanced to the NCAA Indoor Championships in the triple jump in 2013, coming home with USTFCCCA Second Team All-America status. Ricketts also shined at the conference level, finishing second in the triple jump at the Big Ten Indoor Championships to go along with a fourth-place standing in the long jump. Ricketts ended her senior season with an indoor lifetime-best effort of 42-4.75 (12.92m) and outdoor lifetime-best effort of 42-2.75 (12.87m) in the triple jump - the second and fifth farthest performance in school history. Spence took on a new coaching role in 2012, overseeing the Nittany Lion men's and women's javelin throwers, including All-America finishers Laura Loht and Lauren Kenney. The Nittany Lions javelinists had a stellar season under Spence, beginning with a victory at Kenney at the prestigious Penn Relays Carnival. During the championship portion of the season, Spence guided the duo to a one-two finish at the Big Ten Championships with Loht taking top honors. The Nittany Lions were thoroughly impressive at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, mounting a three-four finish including a PR toss from Loht at 169-4 (51.92) for third, and a lifetime-best 167-10 (51.17) for Kenney in fourth. Along with Loht, Kenney, and Eli Skinner, Spence guided six athletes to the NCAA Eastern Preliminary Round, with Marlene Ricketts and Tanaya Lloyd representing Penn State in the women's triple jump and Erika Morgan competing in the women's high jump. Lloyd and Ricketts held their own against the top triple jumpers in the country at the event, placing 14th and 15th, respectively. Spence helped Lloyd, a 2012 graduate, to an outstanding Nittany Lion career overall, as Lloyd finished up with the Lions with the fourth-best performance in Penn State history at 42-3.50 (12.89). Spence's athletes recorded an outstanding medal haul at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships in 2011, scoring podium finishes in all four horizontal events. Along with Hanif Johnson's bronze-medal finish in the triple jump, junior Doug Moppert added a third-place finish in the men's long jump, while Tanaya Lloyd claimed runner-up status in the women's triple jump, and Bianca Fung posted a third-place finish in the women's long jump. The 2009 season was a also banner year for Spence and the Nittany Lion jumps squad with a trio of Lions qualifying for the 2009 NCAA Outdoor Championships, including Clarence Smith in the triple jump, Hunter in the heptathlon and long jump, and first-time NCAA qualifier Fung in the long jump. Indoors, Spence guided Hunter to a runner-up finish in the pentathlon - which tied the highest ever finish by a Nittany Lion at NCAA Indoor - while also overseeing Hunter's school record leap of 20-11.25 (6.38) in the long jump during the multi-event competition. At the regional level, Spence led a total of five athletes to appearances at the NCAA East Regional Championships, including Hunter in the long jump, triple jump, and 100-meter hurdles, Fung in the long jump, and Smith, along with teammates Jay Pagana, and Johnson, in the triple jump. Throughout the year, Hunter set a trio of school records under Spence's watch, scoring 4342 to reset her own pentathlon mark, and posting a total of 5797 to better her own school standard in the heptathlon. Hunter would also earn Mid-Atlantic Region Field Athlete of the Year honors during the indoor and outdoor seasons under Spence's watch. On the Big Ten stage, Spence guided Smith to triple jump titles at both the indoor and outdoor conference championships, while leading his men's triple jumpers to a one-three-four showing at the outdoor conference meet. Indoors, Spence-coached athletes recorded a total of four scoring performances, while adding another four outdoors. On the women's side, Spence led Hunter to top three finishes in the indoor pentathlon, and outdoor heptathlon, as well as scoring finishes in the indoor long and triple jumps, as well as the outdoor triple jump. Overall, Spence also oversaw a total of six top-eight scoring finishes in the women's events during the Big Ten Indoor Championships, and four during the outdoor conference meet. In 2008, Spence led Hunter to a handful of All-America finishes, including fifth-place efforts in the NCAA pentathlon and heptathlon, as well as a fifth-place standing in the outdoor long jump. On the men's side, Spence saw Smith to an All-America finish and a Big Ten title in the triple jump. Spence's efforts were decidedly noteworthy, as he was named Mid-Atlantic Men's Assistant Coach of the Year during both the indoor and outdoor seasons. Spence's athletes proved to be a big part of Penn State's scoring effort at the 2008 Big Ten Indoor Championships including a silver-medal finish from Taylor in the men's long jump, and bronze-medal standings from Hunter in the pentathlon, long jump, and triple jump. Spence's contingent was just as successful at the outdoor conference meet, including a two-three-four finish in the triple jump from Smith, Taylor, and Pagana, while the Penn State women provided four scoring finishes, led by Bettis in third. During his first year in Happy Valley, Spence led Hunter to NCAA appearances in the pentathlon indoors and heptathlon outdoors, where she posted an eighth-place finish, earning All-America honors. Prior to coming to Penn State, Spence coached 14 conference champions, 26 all-conference performers, 22 regional qualifiers, 10 NCAA qualifiers, and three All-Americans at Missouri State. Spence, who was named NCAA Women's Outdoor Track and Field Mideast Region Assistant Coach of the Year for Jumps/Combined Events in 2006, was a part of a coaching staff that won four Missouri Valley Conference Team Championships in both the indoor (2003 and `04) and outdoor (2002 and `03) seasons. The team also finished three times as the conference runner-up for the team championship (indoor 2002, outdoor 2004 and `06). Spence and his wife, Teri, reside in State College. The couple has three daughters - Ashlie, Keiva, and Ale'ka - and one son - Ashton. T In December of 2015, Spence graduated from Missouri State University with a Masters Degree in Communications (Master of Science in Administrative Studies (MSAS) / Applied Communication).

Reckart enters her first season as the assistant coach for the Nittany Lion cross country/track & field program following coaching at North Carolina for three years. Reckart will assist with the cross country and distance event areas. Reckart joins the Nittany Lions following a three-year stint as the assistant cross country/distance coach at North Carolina. The Tar Heel cross country program is coming off a historic season as both teams tallied top-25 NCAA finishes for the first time in school history. The Tar Heel men's cross country program advanced to back-to-back appearances at the NCAA cross country championships for the first time in almost 40 years. At the 2014 NCAA Cross Country Championships, the men finished 12th, their highest finish since 1985 and the women placed 22nd. The men also posted a 17th-place finish at the 2013 NCAA Cross Country Championships. On the track for the Tar Heels, Reckart coached both indoor 3,000-meter run champions at the 2014 ACC Track & Field Championships (Annie LeHardy and Isaac Presson), she also coached 11 NCAA indoor championship qualifiers and 17 NCAA first round qualifiers during the last two years. Reckart graduated from The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) in 2008 with a bachelor's degree in exercise science. During her time at TCNJ she was a member of the track & field team and posted All-America honors seven times. She was a member of a 4x400-meter relay that won two national titles. Following her track career, she started coaching at TCNJ by helping with the middle distance program. Prior to North Carolina, she served as a graduate assistant and volunteer coach at North Florida.

Kelly has coached six Penn State All-America finishes and three Penn State school records. During the 2013-14 season, Kelly's group improved on the success from the previous year. Kelly led the Nittany Lions to three First Team All-America finishes, six NCAA First Round qualifiers, four Big Ten medalists, 12 Big Ten scoring performances, two Big Ten Athletes of the Week and two Penn State school records. For his success with the men's team during the 2014 outdoor season, Kelly was named the 2014 USTFCCCA Mid-Atlantic Region Men's Outdoor Assistant Coach of the Year. He had student-athletes score in every event in which he has athletes, accounting for 38 of the program's 78 points at the Big Ten meet. In addition, Steve Waithe won the league's triple jump title. Kelly qualified three for the NCAA final rounds - including two triple jumpers and a decathlete. 2015 Recap Senior Steve Waithe would garner his third All-American honor in his two year career as a Nittany Lion for his eighth-place performance in the triple jump 16.26m (53' 4.25"w) at the 2015 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships - the third best outdoor mark in Penn State history. Brian Leap recorded a 13th-place in the triple jump with his distance of 15.65m (51-4.5) at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships, garnering second-team All-American honors. During Big Ten competition, Waithe was named second team All-Big Ten following the Big Ten Outdoor Track & Field Championships, while Leap, who finished second in the triple jump at the Big Ten Indoor Championships with his personal-best leap of 16.02m (52-6.75) - the second best mark all-time at Penn State received second-team Big Ten honors. 2014 Recap... Redshirt freshman Robert Cardina moved up the record books in the multi-events and ended the year with First Team All-American honors. Cardina owns the school record in the heptathlon (5,511) and his score of 7,666 in the decathlon ranks second all-time at Penn State. His score of 7,666 gave him an eighth-place finish in the decathlon at the 2014 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships garnering him First Team All-American honors. Joining Cardina in Eugene, Ore., was junior Waithe and junior Brian Leap. Waithe transferred to Penn State and made an immediate impact in the triple jump event. In the indoor season, Waithe tallied a distance of 52-6 (16.00) in the triple jump, which ranks tied for second all-time. In the outdoor Penn State record books, Waithe ranks fourth in the triple jump 52-8.75 (16.06). At the Big Ten and NCAA levels, Waithe enjoyed major success. At the 2014 Big Ten Indoor Track & Field Championships, he finished second in the triple jump (51-7.25) and eighth in the long jump (51-10.5). At the 2014 Outdoor Big Ten Track & Field Championships, Waithe claimed the triple jump title (52-0) and placed fourth in the long jump (24-0.25). Waithe tallied first team All-America honors at both 2014 NCAA Championship meets. At the 2014 Indoor NCAA Track & Field Championships, Waithe placed sixth in the triple jump (51-10.5) and at the 2014 Outdoor Track & Field Championships, he finished fifth in the triple jump (52-11.5). Leap also qualified for the 2014 Outdoor NCAA Track & Field Championships in the triple event. Leap went on to finish 16th in the triple jump (51-6.5) and was named a Second Team All-American. His lifetime-best mark of 51-6.5 ranks seventh all-time at Penn State. In the pole vault, freshman Lexi Masterson set the second-best mark (13-1.75) all-time at Penn State during the indoor season. Masterson went onto set the pole vault school record in the outdoor season with her height of 13-3.5. On the men's team, Dylan Bilka moved into fifth (16-8.75) all-time at Penn State during the outdoor season. Kelly enjoyed a productive opening campaign with the Nittany Lions in 2012-13, coaching one USTFCCCA Honorable Mention All-American, three NCAA Eastern Preliminary Round qualifiers, two Big Ten medalists, and one Penn State record holder. 2013 Recap... Kelly coached a trio of high flyers in the high jump during the 2013 campaign with senior Sean Reilly, junior Jon Hendershot, and sophomore Michael McClelland all bettering the seven-foot barrier during the indoor season. McClelland was a top Nittany Lion during the indoor season, clearing a lifetime-best 7-1 (2.16). Hendershot and Reilly continued to improve during the outdoor season, led by Hendershot's school-record tying leap of 7-3.25 (2.22) at the Jim Thorpe Invitational. Reilly would enjoy a stellar final season in the Blue and White, clearing a career-high 7-2.25 (2.19) at the LSU Battle on the Bayou. Reilly continued to excel into the postseason, qualifying for the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the event, where we would finish 19th overall to earn USTFCCCA Honorable Mention All-America status. Both Hendershot and Reilly were consistent throughout the year, as the pair of Nittany Lions turned in scoring finishes at both the Big Ten Indoor and Outdoor Championships. Horizontal jump specialist Leap also shined under Kelly's watch in 2013, earning bronze-medal finishes in the triple jump at both the Big Ten Indoor and Outdoor Championships. Kelly guided Leap to outstanding improvements during the year, as the then-sophomore improved his lifetime-best effort in the triple jump to 50-10.25 (15.50) during the indoor season. Leap also made great strides in the long jump, ending the season with a personal-best 24-0.25 (7.32) at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships, which was also good for a fifth-place finish in the competition. Prior to Penn State...  Kelly signed on at Penn State in the summer of 2012 after enjoying a highly successful 11-year coaching stint at Rutgers. Prior to his departure from New Brunswick, he was overseeing the efforts of all the Scarlet Knights' field event athletes. Kelly was also successful on the recruiting trail in 2013, adding in transfer triple jump standout Steve Waithe from Shippensburg University. Waithe was the PSAC Indoor and Outdoor Champion in the his signature event, and went on to All-America finishes at both Divison II Championships in 2013. Kelly also welcomed in-state sensation Cody Minnig from Neshaminy High School. With a PR of 10.73, Minnig was the No. 6 ranked Pennsylvania prep in the 100 meters in 2013, coming away with a fifth-place finish at the PIAA Outdoor Championships.  On the women's side, Kelly added standout pole vaulter Lexi Masterson from Hempfield Area. Masterson was the PIAA runner-up in the event as a senior and owns a lifetime-best clearance of 12-0. Kelly arrived at Rutgers in 2001, helping the Scarlet Knights to outstanding success in the Big East Conference, including three conference team titles. Individually, Kelly guided 19 Big East Champions, as well as 45 All-Big East performers. In 2004, his athletes swept the top three spots in the decathlon at the Big East Outdoor Championships. Kelly, who was elevated to Associate Head Coach for the Scarlet Knights in 2008, has undoubtedly made a mark on the Rutgers' record books as Kelly-coached athletes currently own eight school records. Off the track, Kelly maintained the role of the Scarlet Knights' Recruiting Coordinator, while also serving as the men's track and field coaching staff liaison to Academic Support. An outstanding athlete in his own right, Kelly was a three-time All-American in the decathlon while competing at Kutztown University, earning runner-up honors at the 1998 NCAA Outdoor Championships. In 1998, Kelly, who still owns Kutztown school records in the decathlon and 110-meter hurdles, was named Pennsylvania State Athlete Conference (PSAC) Athlete of the Year. He is also a Kutztown Hall of Fame inductee, and a member of the Golden Bears' "Top 30 Athletes of the 20th Century." Kelly earned his B.A in Political Science in 1999. Prior to Rutgers, Kelly spent several seasons at Lehigh University, coaching all Mountain Hawk throwers. He is married to Maisha Kelly, who is a Senior Associate Director of Athletics and Senior Woman Administrator at Bucknell University, and has one son, Gregory. Coaching Honors... 2014 USTFCCCA Mid-Atlantic Region Men's Outdoor Assistant Coach of the Year Kelly in 2014... 3 First Team All-Americans 6 NCAA First Round Qualifiers 4 Big Ten Medalists 12 Big Ten Scoring Performances 2 Big Ten Athlete of the Week Winners 2 Penn State Records Outstanding Nittany Lions Coached... Dylan Bilka NCAA First Round Qualifier Big Ten Scorer Rob Cardina Penn State Record Holder (Heptathlon) 2014 First Team All-American NCAA First Round Qualifier Big Ten Medalist 2x Big Ten Scorer Jon Hendershot Penn State Record Holder (High Jump) 2x NCAA First Round Qualifier 2x Big Ten Athlete of the Week Selection 4x Big Ten Scorer Brian Leap 3x Big Ten Medalist 6x Big Ten Scorer 2x NCAA First Round Qualifier 2014 Second Team All-American Lexi Masterson Penn State Record Holder (Outdoor Pole Vault) NCAA First Round Qualifier 2x Big Ten Scorer Sean Reilly 2013 Honorable Mention All-American NCAA First Round Qualifier 2x Big Ten Scorer (2013) Steve Waithe 2015 First Team All-American 2x 2014 First Team All-American 2x Big Ten Athlete of the Week Selection 3x Big Ten Medalist 5x Big Ten Scorer 2x NCAA First Round Qualifier