Three Assistants Join Swieton's Staff
7/15/2019 12:02:00 PM | General, MTF, Track & Field
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – Central Michigan Director of Track & Field/Cross Country Jennifer Swieton has announced the hiring of three assistant coaches to round out her staff.
Michael Schober, Jason Hartmann and Tatijana Jacobson will join Bryant Wilson and Stephen Saenz in completing Swieton's staff. Schober will coach sprints, hurdles and relays; Hartmann, men's middle distance, men's distance and men's cross country; and Jacobson, high jump and multi events.
Wilson and Saenz coached two Chippewas, Nadia Williams and Erin Howard, to All-America honors during the 2018-19 season in the resurgent program, which won the Mid-American Conference Women's Indoor Championship in February.
"Our three new coaches add to the great staff we already have with coach Wilson and coach Saenz," said Swieton, who is beginning her third year in charge of the program and was named the Mid-American Conference Women's Coach of the Year after leading her Chippewas to the indoor championship in February. "I genuinely could not be more excited about our staff. It is truly an amazing group of people.
"All three of our newcomers are very accomplished as coaches and have proven that they genuinely care about the student-athletes. They all bring a positive energy and are extremely motivated to help student-athletes succeed."
• Jacobson coached jumps and multis at Georgia from 2015-19 and from 2013-15 was a volunteer assistant at North Carolina. At Georgia, Jacobson coached a slew of All-Americans and Southeastern Conference champions, and in 2018 helped lead the Bulldog women to the NCAA Indoor title and the Bulldog men to the NCAA Outdoor crown.
Jacobson, who holds a bachelor's degree from Eastern Michigan, was a standout on the Eagle track and field team, finishing as the runner-up in the high jump at the MAC Championships three times and qualifying for the NCAA Outdoor East Preliminary as a senior in 2013.
"Coach Jacobson has been a part of success at many levels from her days at Eastern Michigan, to being a part of a national-championship coaching staff at Georgia, which is one of the best jumps schools in the NCAA," Swieton said. "We can't wait for her to bring that expertise to CMU."
• Hartmann comes to CMU with an outstanding pedigree. He was a six-time All-American while competing at Oregon, from which he earned his bachelor's degree in 2004. He coached a combined five NCAA Division II All-Americans in track and cross country at Saginaw Valley State from 2014-19. His resumé includes extensive experience as a high school coach and as a personal coach, and he has competed in numerous US Championships and marathons.
"Coach Hartmann is coming over from Saginaw Valley where he completely turned around that program," Swieton said. "The level of success they had under him turned a lot of heads and we are so excited to have him at CMU. He knows how to recruit the state and develop student-athletes. He is very detail oriented and will do everything he can to help the men succeed."
• Schober comes to CMU from MAC foe Kent State, where he coached 30 conference champions, 34 East Preliminary qualifiers, nine NCAA Championships qualifiers and five All-Americans from 2013-19. He was named the MAC Outdoor Men's Assistant Coach of the year in 2018.
Schober served as an assistant at NCAA Division III Mount Union in Alliance, Ohio, for one year. His protégés set eight program records, won 10 conference titles, were named All-America seven times, and won one national title. He was named the Men's Great Lakes Region Division III Assistant Coach of the Year in 2012-13 by the United States Track & Field/Cross Country Coaches Association.
"Coach Schober has been around the MAC for a while and he knows what it takes to win as a team and as an individual," Swieton said. "He has coached MAC champions and All-Americans. He knows how to motivate student-athletes and help them be their best. His love for the sport is evident."
Michael Schober, Jason Hartmann and Tatijana Jacobson will join Bryant Wilson and Stephen Saenz in completing Swieton's staff. Schober will coach sprints, hurdles and relays; Hartmann, men's middle distance, men's distance and men's cross country; and Jacobson, high jump and multi events.
Wilson and Saenz coached two Chippewas, Nadia Williams and Erin Howard, to All-America honors during the 2018-19 season in the resurgent program, which won the Mid-American Conference Women's Indoor Championship in February.
"Our three new coaches add to the great staff we already have with coach Wilson and coach Saenz," said Swieton, who is beginning her third year in charge of the program and was named the Mid-American Conference Women's Coach of the Year after leading her Chippewas to the indoor championship in February. "I genuinely could not be more excited about our staff. It is truly an amazing group of people.
"All three of our newcomers are very accomplished as coaches and have proven that they genuinely care about the student-athletes. They all bring a positive energy and are extremely motivated to help student-athletes succeed."
• Jacobson coached jumps and multis at Georgia from 2015-19 and from 2013-15 was a volunteer assistant at North Carolina. At Georgia, Jacobson coached a slew of All-Americans and Southeastern Conference champions, and in 2018 helped lead the Bulldog women to the NCAA Indoor title and the Bulldog men to the NCAA Outdoor crown.
Jacobson, who holds a bachelor's degree from Eastern Michigan, was a standout on the Eagle track and field team, finishing as the runner-up in the high jump at the MAC Championships three times and qualifying for the NCAA Outdoor East Preliminary as a senior in 2013.
"Coach Jacobson has been a part of success at many levels from her days at Eastern Michigan, to being a part of a national-championship coaching staff at Georgia, which is one of the best jumps schools in the NCAA," Swieton said. "We can't wait for her to bring that expertise to CMU."
• Hartmann comes to CMU with an outstanding pedigree. He was a six-time All-American while competing at Oregon, from which he earned his bachelor's degree in 2004. He coached a combined five NCAA Division II All-Americans in track and cross country at Saginaw Valley State from 2014-19. His resumé includes extensive experience as a high school coach and as a personal coach, and he has competed in numerous US Championships and marathons.
"Coach Hartmann is coming over from Saginaw Valley where he completely turned around that program," Swieton said. "The level of success they had under him turned a lot of heads and we are so excited to have him at CMU. He knows how to recruit the state and develop student-athletes. He is very detail oriented and will do everything he can to help the men succeed."
• Schober comes to CMU from MAC foe Kent State, where he coached 30 conference champions, 34 East Preliminary qualifiers, nine NCAA Championships qualifiers and five All-Americans from 2013-19. He was named the MAC Outdoor Men's Assistant Coach of the year in 2018.
Schober served as an assistant at NCAA Division III Mount Union in Alliance, Ohio, for one year. His protégés set eight program records, won 10 conference titles, were named All-America seven times, and won one national title. He was named the Men's Great Lakes Region Division III Assistant Coach of the Year in 2012-13 by the United States Track & Field/Cross Country Coaches Association.
"Coach Schober has been around the MAC for a while and he knows what it takes to win as a team and as an individual," Swieton said. "He has coached MAC champions and All-Americans. He knows how to motivate student-athletes and help them be their best. His love for the sport is evident."
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