Ascent Track & Field Clinic at Columbia university

Join us for two days of expert track & field instruction at a state-of-the-art facility.

June 29-30 | New York, NY

20+

1:12

Olympians coached by clinic staff

Staff-to-athlete ratio at clinics

12+

400+

NCAA All-Americans produced by clinic coaches

Colleges represented

FeaturED COACHES

Clinic staff come from 12+ top college programs to instruct coaches and athletes of all levels.

DAN IRELAND

Clinic Director

Director of Track & Field/XC

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY

  • Daniel Ireland was named the Director of Cross Country/Track & Field in July of 2014, and the 2022-23 season will be his ninth season in charge of the Lions.

    Ireland came to Columbia with a solid pedigree of coaching that now, as he enters his ninth season in charge, includes 19 NCAA All-Americans; 92 individual NCAA qualifiers; 66 Ivy League Champions and with his nod as Ivy League Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year in 2018 and 2019, Ireland is a five-time Ivy League Coach of the Year, all of which he earned while in charge of the Columbia program.

    Ireland has also been a member of several organizations during his time as a head coach, starting in 2012 when he was the USTFCCCA Mid-Atlantic Region Women's Cross Country Representative, a title he held until the 2014 season. Currently he is the Ivy League Representative on the USTFCCCA DI Track and Field Executive Committee and since 2018 he has held the title of Vice President of the Metropolitan Conference.

    Under Ireland's tutelage three student-athletes have gone on to represent the United States with Brian Zabilski (2016) and Kenny Vasbinder (2017) each punching their tickets in cross country and Kali Hatcher (2019) throwing on the red, white and blue in the triple jump at the 2019 U21 Pan American Games.

    Columbia's cross country men posted their best finish since 2017 at the NCAA Cross Country Northeast Regionals, finishing fifth. The Lions also sent a pair of student-athletes to the NCAA Cross Country National Championships, with Phoebe Anderson and Tyler Berg representing the Lions.

    During the indoor season, the Lions took home a pair of Ivy League Indoor titles, with the women's DMR squad and men's 4x800m group taking the title at Heps. And during the outdoor season, Columbia's Ivy League dominance in the 4x800m continued as the men's squad won the Ivy League title for the ninth time in 12 years and fourth-straight time going back to 2017.

    The 2019 Cross Country season was one for the books, as for the third straight season the Lion women took the cross country Ivy League Heps title and on the men's side Kenny Vasbinder took the individual title and Tyler Berg (fourth) collected the best finish by a first-year man in program history. Ireland was, for the second straight season, named the Ivy League Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year.

    During the 2020 indoor season, Columbia's successes continued, as Katie Wasserman became the first Lion woman to qualify for the NCAA Indoor National Championships (One-Mile Run) since 2018 and the 10th since 2002. At the Ivy League Indoor Heps, Columbia, under Ireland's watch, collected three individual titles. Jack Pihlkar (weight throw), Daniel Igbokwe (triple jump) and Anna Jordahl-Henry (high jump) all took first in their respective events at Heps.

    Ireland led his Cross Country runners to success during the fall of 2018. The women's squad took home its second straight Ivy League Heps title, and it's sixth in program history. The men finished fifth in the field with Kenny Vasbinder finishing ninth overall. At the Northeast Regionals, the women once again topped the leaderboard finishing No. 1 in the region and No. 18 overall heading into NCAA National Championships. The women completed the season No. 18 in the country, with Libby Kokes being crossing the line first for the Lions in the No. 50 finisher in the field.

    Ireland was named both Ivy League Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year and the USTFCCCA Cross Country Northeast Regional Coach of the Year in 2018.

    The 2019 indoor and outdoor seasons saw great success for both the men and women of Columbia with the men scoring the most points at both the indoor (83 pts.) and outdoor (76 pts.) Ivy League Heps in program history. For the men, the 2019 season saw them finish top four at both the indoor and outdoor Heps during the same season for the first time in program history. Building off that success, Columbia sent Sam Ritz (One-Mile Run) to the NCAA Indoor National Championships and Allie Hays (5,000m); Brian Zabilski (5,000m); Alek Sauer (800m) and Daniel Igbokwe (Triple Jump) to the NCAA Outdoor National Championships. Hays had the best finish for Columbia, finishing 12th in the 5,000m final.

    During the Outdoor season of 2017, both the men and women's teams impressed, sending 19 athletes to the NCAA East Prelims. Three of those runners earned All-American status by moving on to the NCAA Finals when Robert Napolitano advanced in the 1,500m, Natalie Tanner was one of three women to qualify in both the 5,000m & 10,000m, and Nell Crosby became the school record holder and second team All-American in the 3,000m Steeplechase. The Lions won seven events at the 2017 Outdoor Heps, led by six titles in the middle distance and distance events.

    While hosting the 2017 Indoor Heps at the NYC Armory, Ireland helped Henna Rustami to a championship in the 3,000m run, before bouncing back to anchor the distance medley relay to another title. The men's effort was led by Alek Sauer, who went from fourth to first to take the 1,000m run, before being part of the winning 4x800m relay squad. In total, Columbia won seven titles at Indoor Heps.

    Ireland coached two runners to All-American honors during the 2016 track & field seasons, in Robert Napolitano and Natalie Tanner. During the indoor season, Napolitano qualified for the 2016 NCAA Championships in the 1 Mile, thanks to a 3:58.98 during the Fastrack National Elite Meet. Tanner shined during the outdoor season, making the NCAA Outdoor Final in the 5,000m run, taking 15th place overall. During his second season at Columbia, Ireland led 14 Lions to the NCAA East Prelims, while 12 athletes put forth All-Ivy League performances, five won Ivy League Championships, and five school records were broken.

    The fall of 2015 was a resurgence for the Columbia men, as the cross country team earned its second Ivy League title in three years. The men edged Penn, led by all-conference performers Aubrey Myjer (third), Jack Boyle (seventh) and Tait Rutherford (ninth). The women also had a strong finish at Heps, taking third behind all-conference runners Olivia Sadler and Leila Mantilla. Columbia was also victorious in two other cross country meets under Ireland, as the men and women were both victorious at the Leopard Invitational, while the before both teams won titles at the IC4A/ECAC Cross Country Championships.

    In his first season on Morningside Heights, Ireland picked up Ivy League Indoor Women’s Coach of the Year honors, when the Columbia women claimed second at the Indoor Heps. The women put forth eight All-Ivy League performances and three championships during the indoor season, while the men were victorious in four events at the same meet. The outdoor season was another successful one for Columbia, when 11 all-conference performances were achieved at Outdoor Heps.

    “I am excited and humbled to be named the Director of Cross Country and Track and Field at Columbia University,” Ireland said upon being hired. “Columbia has a long and storied tradition of success in cross country and track and field. I know that the young men and women who compete for Columbia are outstanding for their dedication to the sport, and their success in the classroom. I am excited to be working with many elite student-athletes.”

    Ireland spent three years as the Head Men and Women’s Cross Country and Track and Field Coach at La Salle, where he won both a men and women’s Atlantic 10 Cross Country Championship, was named A-10 Coach of the Year for both men and women’s cross country, and coached individuals to great successes in indoor and outdoor track and field. Ireland's teams were equally successful in the classroom as his cross country and track and field squads consistently achieved USTFCCCA All-Academic team status during his tenure.

    In three years at La Salle, Ireland coached two NCAA All-Americans, four NCAA Championships participants, 14 individual NCAA Regional Track qualifiers, one IC4A Champion, two ECAC Champions and 19 Atlantic 10 Conference Champions and he was named the A-10 Cross Country Coach of the Year four times. His student-athletes broke 10 school records and produced 108 All-East performances.

    Formerly the Head Men’s Cross Country, Distance, and Middle Distance Coach at Yale, Ireland’s teams enjoyed tremendous success during his 12-year tenure. The Bulldogs regularly placed in the top 10 at NCAA Cross Country Regionals, including a fourth and fifth place finish in 2003 and 2004, respectively. Yale has also performed well at the IC4A Championship, placing in the top eight every year since 2003, including third in 2006.

    Ireland coached a pair of All-Americans, 11 NCAA Regional Track Qualifiers, three IC4A Champions, and six Ivy League Champions at Yale. A total of 137 runners earned All-East status under his guidance and 41 earned all-Ivy League honors. In addition, his runners set 17 school records and had 83 performances that placed among the top 15 in Bulldog history.

    In 2010, Ireland served as the NCAA Northeast Regional Cross Country Meet Director, coordinating all aspects of the men's and women's championship. For the past two seasons, he has also served as the NCAA Northeast Region Cross Country representative. Prior to coming to Yale in 1999, Ireland spent six years as an Assistant Cross Country and Track and Field Coach at Georgetown. During his time there, the Hoyas won 14 Big East team championships in men's and women's cross country and track.

    In cross country, Georgetown finished in the top 10 at NCAA's five times on the women's side and once on the men's side. In track, the Hoyas finished in the top 10 nationally as a team a total of six times.

    He also spent time coaching the preeminent distance running club in the country, the Reebok Enclave in Washington, D.C. for two seasons. During this time he worked with four Olympians.

    Ireland ran for the Hoyas from 1988-91, qualifying for NCAA's three times in cross country. He won the 1991 Big East 10,000m outdoors and was a two-time All-Big East selection in cross country.

    Ireland graduated from Georgetown in 1991 with a bachelor's degree in international relations and received his master's in liberal arts from Georgetown in 1998. A native of Woodbridge, Va., Ireland was inducted into Woodbridge High School's Hall of Fame in 2009. He resides in the Bronx with his wife Christi and his three children, Jacob, Alaina, and Addison.

    The Ireland Files:

    - 19 NCAA All-Americans

    - 92 Individual NCAA Qualifiers

    - 66 Ivy League Champions

    - Four Ivy League Championships (2015 Men's Cross Country; 2017-19 Women's Cross Country)

    - 74 USTFCCCA All-Academic Individual Honors

    - 43 All-Academic Ivy League Selections

    - Men and Women USTFCCCA All-Academic Teams (2014-19)

BOO SCHEXNAYDER

Featured Speaker

SAC SPEED

  • With over 40 years of experience in coaching and consulting, Boo Shexnayder is regarded as one of the world’s premier field event coaches. He was the mastermind behind 26 NCAA Champions during his collegiate coaching career and is regarded as one of the greatest field event coaches in NCAA history. He has been a part of 13 NCAA Championship teams and a pair of Juco National titles, as well as developing a host of conference champions and All-Americans.

    Schexnayder has also been a prominent figure on the international scene. He has coached 18 Olympians and 7 Olympic/World Championship medalists. He has served on coaching staffs for Team USA to the 2003 Pan Am Games in Santo Domingo, the 2006 World Junior Championships in Beijing, and was the Jumps Coach for Team USA at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

    Schexnayder has been just as successful off the track. He is certified at Level I, II and III, and owns the prestigious Master Coach Designation from USA Track and Field. He is also certified by the NSCA as a Strength and Conditioning coach.

    Schexnayder has been heavily involved in Coaching Education. He formerly served as national chair of USATF’s Coaching Education Committee, Jumps Subcommittee chair, and chair of the Biomechanics subcommittee. Schexnayder was the founder of the Track and Field Academy, the educational branch of the US Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. He served as program director from its inception in 2009 through 2017, and still serves as an instructor in biomechanics, training design, and event-specific courses.

JASON SARETSKY

Director of Track & Field/XC

HARVARD UNIVERSITY

  • Jason Saretsky is in his 18th year at the helm of the men's and women's track and field and cross country programs at Harvard.

    As just the 10th person to serve as head coach of the track and field program since Harvard began formal competition in 1874, Saretsky has mentored 64 NCAA qualifiers, 181 NCAA regional qualifiers, coached nine individual ECAC/IC4A title winners, 164 Heptagonal champions, 5 NCAA Champions, 2 Olympians, and guided athletes to countless school records, with more than 275 marks added to the program’s top-10 list.

    Saretsky has been named USTFCCCA Northeast Regional Coach of the Year 13 times, and assistant coaches have won USTFCCCA Northeast Assistant Coach of the Year 16 times during his tenure at Harvard. Saretsky most recently coached the Crimson men's and women's teams to their first-ever combined titles at the Ivy League Outdoor Track and Field Championship, and their teams had respective finishes of 9th (women) and 11th (men) at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. The women's team also completed the triple crown, winning Ivy League (Heps) cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field titles. The Harvard teams produced a program record three NCAA Champions and 16 All-Americans throughout the 2022-23 season.

TRAIN WITH COACHES FROM THESE PROGRAMS AND MORE…

  • Stonehill

  • UMass-Lowell

  • UMass

  • Harvard

  • Princeton

  • NYU

  • UConn

  • St John’s

  • URI

  • Virginia Tech

  • Northeastern

  • And More!

What to expect

Spend 2 days learning from some of the best minds in the sport.

TRAIN WITH WORLD-CLASS COACHES IN EVERY EVENT

With experience coaching high school, college, and professional track & field, clinic staff have found success at every level. Collectively they’ve coached over 400 NCAA All-Americans and 20 Olympians. Through 12 total hours of training instruction, you’ll learn the skills you need to take your performance to the next level – no matter your event.

LEARN THE CONCEPTS BEHIND ELITE PERFORMANCE

In addition to training, you’ll learn the building blocks of elite performance. From periodization to acceleration mechanics, we’ll break down concepts that will help you improve even after you leave the Ascent Track and Field Clinic. Not only that, but we’ll send you home with a link to download training programs that you learned at the clinic.

EXPAND YOUR NETWORK AND STAY CONNECTED

Ascent Track Clinics are open to any and all entrants – athletes and coaches of all skill levels, and even passionate fans of the sport.

Come meet your peers and college coaches from all over the country, and forge relationships in the track & field community that can last a lifetime.

TRAIN AT A STATE-OF-THE-ART FACILITY

A 21-acre facility at the northernmost tip of Manhattan, Baker Athletic Complex is home to 14 intercollegiate teams from Columbia. For over 100 years, Baker has attracted some of the most impressive talent from around the globe, including greats like Carl Lewis and Jackie Joyner-Kersee, who still hold facility records. Find out what you’re capable of at a facility built for collegiate & professional competiton.

IMMERSE YOURSELF IN PROVEN CURRICULUM

Coaching attendees get access to “coaches only” classroom sessions led by renowned coaches like Boo Schexnayder, Kebba Tolbert, and Dan Ireland.

When you’re not in the classroom, observe real-life applications of proven training strategies as staff critique and empower athletes throughout the clinic.

SAVE YOUR SPOT:

Clinic Schedule

9 AM - 4PM Daily

(Tentative)

MORNING SESSION (VARIES BY EVENT)

8:15 - 9 AM - Registration

9:00 - 9:10 AM - Staff Introductions

9:10 - 9:45 AM - Active Isolated Stretching/Dynamic Warm-Ups

9:45 - 10:15 AM - Acceleration Mechanics

10:15- 11 AM - Acceleration Session

11:00 - 11:30 AM - Breaking Down the Drive Phase

11:10 - 12 PM - Max Velocity Mechanics

12:00 - 1 PM - Lunch

AFTERNOON SESSION (VARIES BY EVENT)

1-1:45 PM - All-Clinic Lecture: Approaching Track & Field from a Mental Health Perspective

1:45-2:15 PM - Strength & Conditioning: Event Specific Periodization and Proper Form

2:15 PM-3 PM - Dynamic Warm-Up #2

3:00-3:25 PM - General Strength Circuit Session

3:25- 3:45 PM - Medicine Ball Routines

3:45- 4 PM - Q & A, Recap of Day

4 PM - Depart Clinic

SAVE YOUR SPOT:

frequently asked questions

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Already signed up? Visit the info hub for an extensive FAQ and announcements for attendees.

  • No. Athletes of all skill levels are encouraged to attend!

  • Though we have access to indoor space, the 2024 Ascent Track & Field Clinic will be run outdoors, rain or shine. In the event of thunderstorms, the clinic will be delayed until the weather clears.

  • There are many hotels in the area, but the number of attendees means space may be limited, so we suggest reserving lodging as soon as you can.

  • All event groups are represented. Sprints (55/60m, 100m, 200m, 300m, 400m), distance (800m, 1600m, 3200m, cross country), throws (javelin, discus, shot put), jumps (high jump, long jump, triple jump, pole vault), and hurdles (55/60h, 100/110h, 300/400ih).

  • The $25 fee partly covers the additional costs of insurance and rental of specialized gear (landing mats, poles, standards, etc).

  • The Ascent Track & Field Clinic at Columbia is located at the Baker Athletic Complex in New York City, New York. For nearly 100 years, Baker Athletics Complex has served as Columbia University’s athletics and recreational facility for Columbia's outdoor varsity sports and recreational programs. A 21-acre complex at the northernmost tip of Manhattan, Baker is utilized by 14 intercollegiate teams (seven women's teams and seven men's teams) and is the venue for practice and intercollegiate competitions for nine varsity sports, including the men’s and women’s track and field teams.