Ascent Track & Field Clinic

Location: Harvard University Athletics Campus/ Gordon Indoor Track

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

July 20-21 | Cambridge, Massachusetts

20+

1:12

Staff-to-athlete ratio at clinics

Olympians coached by clinic staff

400+

12+

NCAA All-Americans produced by clinic coaches

Colleges represented at the clinic

FeaturED COACHES

Clinic staff come from 12+ 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 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.

TRAIN WITH COACHES FROM THESE PROGRAMS AND MORE…

  • Virginia Tech

  • Northeastern

  • UMass-Lowell

  • Harvard

  • Princeton

  • Penn

  • UConn

  • Tufts

  • URI

  • Southern Maine

  • Stonehill

  • And more!

  • Davidson

  • NYU

  • Amherst

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 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

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 Shexnayder, Marc Mangiacotti, Jason Saretsky, and Kebba Tolbert.

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:

Our Sponsor

A big “thank you” to this year’s sponsor!

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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 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 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).

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