UNIVERSITY CENTER - Saginaw Valley State University Head Coach Rod Cowan has announced the addition of Jason Hartmann to the Cardinal coaching staff for the cross country and track & field programs. He will work mainly with the distance runners during the indoor and outdoor track & field seasons.
Hartmann joins the Cardinals after a professional running and part-time coaching career that helped high school student-athletes optimize their potential and represent American distance running as top competitors across the country.
"With the completion of our new indoor facility and adding Coach Jason Hatmann it's an exciting time for Cardinal Cross Country and Track & Field," said Coach Cowan. "Anytime you can provide your student-athletes with a coach that brings as much as Jason does it provides a sort of spark. His appointment is well deserved as he transitions from his successful professional running career. As a part-time coach he developed national class runners, including a World Junior Championship qualifier. His Rockford, Michigan roots will serve our program greatly as he is well respected throughout Michigan and the midwest."
Hartmann's coaching accomplishments include leading Niwot High School (Niwot, Colorado) to their first ever regional championship title on the women's side (2011), and producing the state mile champion on the Niwot High School men's side (2013), and recruiting for a top-10 NCAA Division I cross country and track program at the University of Oregon (2004-2005). During his three-year coaching tenure at Niwot High School, both the men's and women's cross country 5k records were broken three times and bested each year. He has sent numerous high school student-athletes that he has coached, both on the team as well as privately, to strong collegiate running programs, with many on athletic scholarships. His most notable accomplishment was the success of female student-athlete Elise Cranny, who will join the Stanford University Cardinal this upcoming fall.
As Elise Cranny's coach for all four years, Hartmann progressed her from a 21:30 5k her first race out of the gate (at altitude) as a freshman in high school to the USA Junior 6k Cross Country National Championship Title her senior year. He developed her from a 5:12 mile her first track meet her freshman season to a 4:10 1,500m, the third fastest all-time female high school 1,500m performance ever. Her accomplishments under Jason's guidance also include punching a ticket to the world junior national championships in the 1,500m, winning the New Balance High School indoor 800m (2:06) track and field championships title (2014), winning the New Balance High School indoor mile (4:40) track and field championship title (2013), the runner-up title at Nike Cross Country National Championships (2013) and six Colorado State Track and Field Individual Championship Titles (1,600m, 3,200m, 800m). He led Cranny to break the 22-year-old Colorado state mile record from 4:49 to 4:47 and 3,200m record from 10:21 to 10:17 her senior year as well.
A native of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Hartmann was a three-time All American for Rockford High School who secured state titles in the 800, 1,600, and 3,200m, finished fourth at Footlocker Championships and became the Gatorade Track and Field Athlete of the Year Honoree in 1998. The six-time All-American for NCAA Division I University of Oregon was a two-time recipient of the Bill Dellinger MVP award in cross country in 2000 and 2002, and Harry Ritchie Award Recipient for the highest points in track and field in 2003. He has represented the USA singlet at World Cross Country championships and was the champion of the 2009 Twin Cities Marathon. He's qualified for US Olympic trials four times (track 10k and in the men's marathon). His sponsorships ranged from Nike, Strands, Powerbar, RallySport and the Boulder Running Company, and he's appreciative of their support during various stages of his career. Jason was the top American finisher at three major marathons on US soil (Chicago in 2010 with a 2:12 and twice he placed 4th at Boston marathon in 2012 and in 2013).
A graduate of the University of Oregon, Hartmann double-majored in education and sociology. Hartmann has been a member of the USATF Long Distance Running Committee since 2012 and provides input and feedback as both a coach and former competitor in order to better the sport as a whole.