Saint Mary's University of Minnesota Men's Track And Field

Taylor Smith was promoted to the role of Associate Head Track and Field Coach at the start of the 2025-2026 Track and Field season, after serving as an Assistant Coach since 2022. Smith is the primary coach for the sprint events. Since his arrival, a total of 70 performances have joined the Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota All-Time Top 10 List, with a total of 8 School Record marks. In addition, Smith has coached athletes to a total of 52 MIAC Honors (8 All-MIAC & 44 MIAC Honorable Mention). Smith has also coached athletes to 2 individual MIAC titles in their respective events. During his time, athletes coached by Smith have received a total of 16 Academic All-MIAC honors, 3 Academic All-District honor, 1 USTFCCCA All-Region honoree, and 3 USTFCCCA All-Academic award recipients. Prior to his arrival at Saint Mary’s, Smith had stops at D1 Training – Madison West (Madison, WI) and Michael Johnson Performance (McKinney, TX), where he designed and implemented training programs for athletes ranging from the High-School to Professional level. While at Michael Johnson Performance he was heavily involved in the NFL Pre-Draft process prior to the 2021 NFL Draft. Before his time with Michael Johnson Performance, Smith was a Graduate Assistant at the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse, where he assisted with the Men’s Track and Field program primarily. A native of De Soto, IA, Smith graduated from Central College (IA) with a Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Science. While attending Central College, Smith was a four-year member of the Men’s Track and Field program. In 2021, Smith earned his Master’s Degree in Human Performance with an emphasis in Applied Sports Science, from the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse. Coaching Certifications: - USTFCCCA Jumping Event Specialist (2022) - USTFCCCA Sprint, Hurdle, & Relay Specialist (2023) - Adult Mental Health First Aid (2023) - ALTIS Relays Course (2024) - ALTIS Shorts Sprints Course (2024) - ALTIS Horizontal Jumps Course (2024) - USTFCCCA Track & Field Technical Coaching (2024) - ALTIS Sprint Hurdles Course (2025)

Rebekah Salfer serves as the assistant track and field coach at Saint Mary’s University, where she specializes in coaching jumpers and hurdlers. She joined the Cardinal coaching staff in September 2025, bringing with her a strong background as both a collegiate athlete and a coach. A graduate of St. Olaf College, Salfer earned her degree in kinesiology while competing as a heptathlete on the track and field team. During her time at St. Olaf, she set school records in both the 60m hurdles and 100m hurdles, landed eight performances on the program’s all-time top-10 list, and earned multiple All-MIAC and Honorable Mention honors across a range of events. Salfer’s coaching experience includes time with the Stallions Track & Field Club in Kenosha, WI, and ETS Performance in Racine, WI. She also volunteered with a local high school program, where she designed and implemented strength and conditioning plans during the 2023 and 2024 seasons. In addition to her hands-on coaching background, Salfer is a Precision Nutrition Certified coach, reflecting her holistic approach to athlete development and performance.