michelle wallerstedt hodge
ASSISTANT COACH
GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY
Michelle Hodge joined the George Mason Track and Field coaching staff in 2022, specializing in throws, including the discus, shot put, weight throw, and hammer throw. During her three-year tenure at Mason, Hodge has coached four NCAA Championship qualifiers and three USTFCCCA Academic Award honorees. She has guided 16 A10 medalists and contributed to the staff that led the women's team to the 2023 Atlantic 10 Outdoor Championship title.
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In the 2024 season, Hodge’s athletes excelled, producing two NCAA Championship qualifiers, one USTFCCCA All-Academic honoree, and two conference champions. Her athletes earned four medal finishes at the conference meets and set two school records. Arsalan Yaqubi set a new school record in the hammer throw at the A10 Outdoor Championship, winning the event, and broke his own record a week later at the IC4A meet. Bobby Kestyn also broke his own school record in the discus during the season. During the A10 Championship Kestyn won the discus, placed third in the hammer throw, and finished fourth in the shot put. Kestyn's performance earned him the A10 Field Performer of the Meet.
In 2023, Hodge led a small yet highly competitive throws group, including Garsen Gross, who set a school record in the hammer throw. Her athletes secured three medals at the A10 Championships and achieved seven top-eight finishes across various events.
In her first season at Mason in 2022, Hodge coached two NCAA Championship qualifiers, both of whom earned All-Academic honors. One standout athlete, Jaylen Simmons, won four A10 gold medals, set a school record in the discus with a throw of 53.67 meters, and was named A10 Field Performer of the Meet. Her athletes captured three additional A10 medals and earned 13 top-eight finishes, including all four men's discus throwers placing in the top eight.
Hodge brings over a decade of coaching experience, working at various levels, from youth programs to high school teams and college athletics. From 2018-2020, she served as a volunteer assistant throws coach at Weber State University, working with renowned coach Robert Weir. During this time, she helped coach Nathan Dunivan to gold medals in the discus and hammer throw at the Big Sky Championships and a 10th-place finish in the discus at the 2019 NCAA Outdoor Championships. She also prepared for the 2019-2020 professional season while coaching at Weber State.
Hodge herself is a distinguished George Mason University alumna. She competed for the university from 2012-2017, earning NCAA Second Team All-America honors by placing 15th in the discus at the 2017 NCAA Outdoor Championships. She won two A10 titles in the discus and qualified for the ECAC Championships throughout her career. Hodge still holds the school record in the discus with a throw of 55.16 meters.
Her excellence extended beyond athletics into academics and leadership. Hodge was a semifinalist for the 2017 NCAA Woman of the Year award, a three-time Academic All-America honoree, and served as president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Council. She was also honored with the Sue Collins Leadership Award for her contributions to women in sports.
While at Mason, Hodge received her bachelor’s degree in rehabilitative science and minors in kinesiology and leadership. Hodge is a USATF Level I Certified Coach and currently serves as an IRB Compliance Specialist within the Office of Research Integrity and Assurance at George Mason University. She resides in Rockville, MD, with her husband, Pat, a former Mason thrower, and their dog, Clio.
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