Regular clinic registration ends in…

Ascent Track & Field Clinic

LoCATED AT Harvard University Athletics Campus/ Gordon Indoor Track

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

June 28-29 | Cambridge, Massachusetts

Save $50 before 5/1/25

Save $25 before 5/1/25

20+

1:12

Olympians coached by clinic staff

Staff-to-athlete ratio

400+

12+

NCAA All-Americans coached by clinic staff

Colleges represented

FeaturED COACHES

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

MARC MANGIACOTTI

Clinic Director, Associate Head Coach

HARVARD

  • Marc Mangiacotti enters his eleventh season as an assistant coach with the Crimson in 2022-23. He oversees the men’s sprinters and hurdles for Harvard.

    In the 2021-22 season he was named the NCAA DI Men's Indoor Track & Field Northeast Region Assistant Coach of the Year. He coached the 4x400m relay (3:05.92) that broke the Ivy League Record, Harvard School Record, and the IC4A Meet Record. Individuals coached by Mangiacotti also broke multiple indoor records, including Greg Lapit in the 400m (46.98), Oliver Murcko in the 300m (33.67) - this is also the Slovakian National Record -, Lance Ward in the 200m (21.23), and DeMarkes Stradford tying the record in the 60m (6.73).

    In the Outdoor season he was named the NCAA DI Men's Outdoor Track & Field Northeast Region Assistant Coach of the Year. He coached Daniel Falode, only one of three rookies to qualify for the NCAA Championships in Eugene, OR and a 4x100m relay (40.28) that broke the School Record.

    Mangiacotti came to Harvard after a two-year tenure at Brown where he coached five Ivy League champions that combined for nine league titles. He also coached 15 athletes who earned All-Ivy League credentials and saw his group break four school records.

    His time at Brown came on the heels of a highly successful stint at Wheaton College. In six years working with the Lyons, Mangiacotti’s athletes won eight NCAA national championships and earned 53 All-America accolades. His athletes also set 31 school record performances in sprints, hurdles, and relay events, and he was named the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCA) Division III national and regional women’s assistant coach of the year.

JASON SARETSKY

Director of Track & Field/XC

HARVARD

  • 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.

BOO SCHEXNAYDER

Featured Coach

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.

MEET AND TRAIN WITH COACHES FROM …

  • Brown

  • Columbia

  • Amherst

  • UConn

  • Tufts

  • URI

  • Harvard

  • Princeton

  • Penn

  • NYU

  • Northeastern

  • UMass-Lowell

  • Southern Maine

  • Stonehill

  • 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 GROUP

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 group.

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 will also send you a link to download training programs that you learned at the clinic, as well a 40-routine, 400-exercise training inventory from featured coach, Boo Schexnayder.

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

Every year, Gordon Indoor Track draws athletes from all over the country to its six-lane banked oval designed on the principles of biomechanics. Its springy surface has both reduced injury and propelled athletes to world-class marks.

Nearby, the state-of-the-art McCurdy Outdoor Track offers eight lanes protected by a windscreen, double runways for long and triple jump, throwing circles, a javelin runway, a multi-directional high jump apron, and a reversible pole vault runway.

IMMERSE YOURSELF IN PROVEN CURRICULUM

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

When you’re not in the classroom, observe real-life applications of proven training strategies as staff lead exercises, critique performance, and empower athletes throughout the clinic. When you leave, take home a complimentary gift, as well as a 40-routine, 400-exercise training inventory from featured coach Boo Schexnayder.

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Clinic Schedule

9 AM - 4PM Each Day

(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

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STAFF COACHES

Full staff below. Staffing may be subject to change without prior notice.

MARC MANGIACOTTI

Clinic Director/Associate Head Coach

HARVARD UNIVERSITY

Sprints/Hurdles/Jumps

BOO SCHEXNAYDER

Featured Coach

SAC SPEED

Sprints/Hurdles/Jumps/Throws

JASON SARETSKY

Director of Track & Field/XC

HARVARD UNIVERSITY

Distance

TRAMAINE SHAW

Director of Track & Field/ XC

NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY

Sprints/Hurdles/Jumps

ROB WHITTEN

Head Coach of Track & Field/XC

SOUTHERN MAINE

Pole Vault

MICHAEL DELGADO

Head Coach

STONEHILL COLLEGE

Throws/Hurdles/Jumps/Multis

TRENT BALTZELL

Head Coach

UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND

Jumps/Multis

MIKE SALEM

Director of Track & Field/XC

UMASS-DARTMOUTH

Distance/Throws/Jumps

  • Mike Salem enters his sixth season as the Director of Track & Field/Cross Country at UMass Dartmouth in 2023-24. He previously served as an assistant coach for the Tufts University women’s cross country and track & field programs four four seasons.

    In serving as the head coach for all six of UMass Dartmouth’s cross country and track & field teams, Salem takes over for longtime Corsair cross country mentor Jon Hird and legendary track & field coach Steve Gardiner. Hird retired from his position at the University this summer, while Gardiner will remain on Salem’s staff as an assistant coach.

    A resident of Medford, Mass., Salem previously served as the Head Women’s Track & Field Coach for two seasons (2012-14) at Bridgewater State University, where he also served as an assistant coach for the Bears’ men’s track & field program. During his tenure at Tufts, Mike helped Head Coach Kristen Morwick’s Jumbos make four straight appearances in the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships while also mentoring an NCAA champion, nine All-Americans and 24 NCAA qualifiers in track & field.

    While at Bridgewater State, Salem coached eight All-Americans, 10 NCAA qualifiers and 36 conference champions for both the women’s and men’s programs. Mike guided the Bears to the Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference indoor women’s title in 2014 and helped Head Coach T.J. Smith’s men’s program win a pair of league crowns in 2013, as Bridgewater State student-athletes combined to set 75 school records during his tenure.

    Salem’s student-athletes at Tufts and Bridgewater State were also recognized for their excellence in the classroom, as the Jumbos earned a combined eight United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic team honors over the last four years. Additionally, a total of 40 student-athletes at both institutions earned USTFCCCA All-Academic accolades.

    A 2009 graduate of Boston University with a degree in Political Science & Philosophy, Salem was a standout for the Terriers in track & field. A two-time America East Conference Commissioner’s Honor Roll honoree at BU, Mike earned a Master’s degree in Sports Leadership from Northeastern University last year. In addition to his coaching stints at Tufts and Bridgewater State, he served in a pair of assistant and associate coaching roles at Swarthmore College (2009-11) and Lewis & Clark College (2011-12) before returning to the East Coast.

ALLYSON WARUCH

Associate Head Coach

UMASS-LOWELL

Jumps

HOWARD POWELL

Associate Head Coach

NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY

Sprints/Hurdles

KEBBA TOLBERT

Associate Head Coach

HARVARD UNIVERSITY

Sprints/Hurdles/Jumps

MOOSE AKANNO

Associate Head Coach

UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Sprints/Jumps

REUBEN JONES

Assistant Coach

PRINCETON UNIVERSITY

Jumps

SELWYN MAXWELL

Assistant Coach

UCONN

Sprints/Hurdles/Jumps

BRENNER ABBOTT

Assistant Coach

HARVARD UNIVERSITY

Pole Vault

RYAN BANTA

Head Coach

PARKWAY CENTRAL

Sprints

TAELOUR JEFFERSON

Assistant Coach

UMASS-LOWELL

Sprints

BENJAMIN CARROLL

Assistant Coach

UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND

Throws

D.J. PETTY

Assistant Coach

Brown University

Sprints/Hurdles/Jumps

KAARON CONWRIGHT

Assistant Coach

HARVARD UNIVERSITY

Sprints/Hurdles/Jumps

JUDY PENDERGAST

Assistant Coach

HARVARD

Distance

  • Judy Pendergast '22 enters her first season as an assistant coach for Harvard track & field and cross country for the 2024-25 season. A former Crimson standout, Pendergast works with the women's and men's distance and middle distance groups. 

    The team captain for the 2021 Harvard women's cross country team, Pendergast returns to Cambridge after serving as the assistant cross country/distance coach for the University of Tennessee for the 2023-24 season. The Volunteers enjoyed an excellent season with Pendergast on the staff, as Tennessee's men's and women's cross country squads finished in first place at the 2023 NCAA Cross Country South Regional Championships. Benefiting from Pendergast's guidance, Tennessee's women's team finished in sixth place at the 2023 NCAA Cross Country Championships, matching the best finish in program history.

    Prior to her arrival in Knoxville, Pendergast worked with Harvard track & field and cross country as an assistant coach for the cross country team and distance groups for the 2022-23 season. During Pendergast's initial stint as a coach with the Crimson, Harvard's women's team won the 2022 Ivy League Cross Country title, and the men finished in 17th at the 2022 NCAA Cross Country Championships.

TOM SAGE

Assistant Coach

DARTMOUTH UNIVERSITY

Sprints/Hurdles

  • Judy Pendergast '22 enters her first season as an assistant coach for Harvard track & field and cross country for the 2024-25 season. A former Crimson standout, Pendergast works with the women's and men's distance and middle distance groups. 

    The team captain for the 2021 Harvard women's cross country team, Pendergast returns to Cambridge after serving as the assistant cross country/distance coach for the University of Tennessee for the 2023-24 season. The Volunteers enjoyed an excellent season with Pendergast on the staff, as Tennessee's men's and women's cross country squads finished in first place at the 2023 NCAA Cross Country South Regional Championships. Benefiting from Pendergast's guidance, Tennessee's women's team finished in sixth place at the 2023 NCAA Cross Country Championships, matching the best finish in program history.

    Prior to her arrival in Knoxville, Pendergast worked with Harvard track & field and cross country as an assistant coach for the cross country team and distance groups for the 2022-23 season. During Pendergast's initial stint as a coach with the Crimson, Harvard's women's team won the 2022 Ivy League Cross Country title, and the men finished in 17th at the 2022 NCAA Cross Country Championships.

BRIAN DOYLE

Assistant Coach

UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND

Sprints/Distance

JOANNA THOMPSON

Assistant Coach

NYU

Distance

DAN SCHWARTZ

Assistant Coach

STONEHILL

Sprints/Jumps

  • Dan Schwartz joined the Skyhawks in 2013 and was named the assistant coach with the track and field program at Stonehill College. He serves as the coach for sprinters, vertical jumpers, and multi-event athletes.

    During the 2017-18 season, Schwartz coached Alison Tobin '18 to All-America second team in the pole vault for first woman Skyhawk to earn All-America honors in the field. She also dominated during the season finishing first at both NE10 Indoor and Outdoor Championships, as well as, breaking the school records in both seasons. Schwartz also trained two other pole vaulters during the season and saw the three student-athletes sweep the pole vault field in both NE10 Championships. Schwartz has also coached multiple 400-meter distance runners that have competed at the NCAA Division II Indoor Championships in the 4000-meter distance medley relay. 

    Schwartz comes to Stonehill after spending a year as an assistant track and field coach at Central Connecticut State University, and prior to that, he served as an assistant track and field and cross country coach at Northampton High School.

    Schwartz graduated from the University of Massachusetts in 2012, where he was a captain of the track and field team and recorded the fourth highest point total in UMass history in the decathlon, with 6,166. Schwartz is a USTFCCCA Level 2 Certified Jumps Specialist.

RYAN DOHERTY

Assistant Coach

WHEATON COLLEGE

Sprints/Hurdles/Jumps

LISA WALLIN-LECLAIR

Assistant Coach

TUFTS UNIVERSITY

Throws/Multis

ERICK DUFFY

Assistant Coach

BOSTON COLLEGE

Jumps/Throws

PROUDLY SPONSORED BY

frequently asked questions

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

  • No. Any and all entrants are encouraged to attend.

  • Though we have access to the indoor track, the 2025 Ascent Track & Field Clinic will be run outdoors, rain or shine, though we will also make use of the Gordon Indoor Track facility. 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 your room as soon 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).

  • Holiday Pricing $299 through January 15

    Early Bird Pricing $349 January 16 through February

    Regular Pricing $399 March through April

    Late Pricing $449 after April

  • Holiday Pricing $175 through January 15

    Early Bird Pricing $199 January 16 through February

    Regular Pricing $225 March through April

    Late Pricing $249 after April

The Ascent Track & Field Clinic rents Harvard University’s facilities, but is not owned, sponsored, or controlled by Harvard University.

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