Tony Mihalich

Mihalich has been instrumental in the development and success of All-American Annabelle Eastman. Eastman became Mason's first-ever steeplechase national qualifier in 2021. She finished 13th overall at the 2021 NCAA Outdoor Championships, earning Second Team All-American honors.
 
In 2021, Eastman broke three school records (steeplechase, 3000m and 5000m)and also set the A-10 Championship record in the steeplechase (9:53.07) to qualify for her second NCAA East Preliminary Championships. In total, she improved her school record time in the event on three occasions.
 
In addition, Eastman earned a bid to the 2020-21 NCAA Cross Country Championships in Stillwater, Oklahoma where she finished 83rd. She became Mason's sixth-ever national qualifier, and the first since 1996. She went on to represent Mason again in the Fall of 2022, where she finished 92nd at the NCAA Championship in
Tallahassee, Florida. She was on the USTFCCCA All-Southeast Region team twice.
 
Mihalich has sent three steeplechase runners to the NCAA East Preliminaries in the last five years (2020 was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic): Eastman (2019, 2021, 2023), Khalilah Hamer (2019) and Trent Lancaster (2018, 2019). He has worked with eight of the ten best women’s Steeplechasers in George Mason history.
 
In 2014, Mihalich helped the women’s track and field team win both the indoor and outdoor Atlantic 10 titles. He also assisted the men’s team in earning A-10 runner-up finishes in both indoor and outdoor that year.
 
During his first stint on Patriot Circle, Bethany Sachtleben won the first individual Atlantic 10 title in George Mason’s inaugural cross country season in the conference (2014) before earning an All-Southeast Region honor as well.
 
The Buffalo, N.Y., native found success as well at Iona as the Gaels’ men’s cross country team won four MAAC cross country championships during his tenure, adding to their impressive streak of 27 straight conference titles, a streak that continues today. The women won three MAAC championships during Mihalich’s time at Iona, winning back-to-back titles in 2016 and 2017.
 
In the fall of 2017, the men finished 12th at the 2017 NCAA Cross Country Championship. Seniors Gilbert Kirui and Johannes Motschmann earned All-America status by finishing in the top 40 in Louisville, Kentucky. In 2016, Mihalich also partook in the growth of Tara Jameson, who earned All-American recognition with her seventh place finish in the 10,000m race at the 2016 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
 
During Mihalich's first fall campaign with the Gaels in 2014, junior Kate Avery won the 2014 NCAA Cross Country Championship with a first-place time of 19:31.6. He also helped the women’s team to its first ever NCAA Northeast Regional Championship title. That same year, the men’s cross country team finished eighth at the NCAA Championship and took third in the Northeast Regional. Avery went on to claim a Silver Medal at the SPAR European Cross Country Championships in Samokov, Bulgaria.
 
Prior to his first Mason stint, Mihalich served as graduate assistant coach at Temple University from 2010-12. Under Mihalich’s tutelage, Travis Mahoney earned the school’s first All-America honor in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Mihalich also worked with the recruiting and operations processes of the program, while earning a master’s degree in sport and recreation management.
 
Mihalich earned his bachelor’s degree in Spanish from John Carroll University and is a USATF Level I Certified Coach. His father, Joe, is a basketball coach at La Salle University. Coach Mihalich is married to Maddie (Sumser) Mihalich who graduated from George Mason in 2012.