Women's track: Panthers hire new assistant head coach

Thursday, September 4 2008

By: Scott Richey/Sports Editor

Posted: 9/4/08

Former Eastern women's head coach and throws coach Mary Wallace competed collegiately at Rice. Then she was an assistant track coach at Arkansas.

Now Wallace is an assistant athletic director at Eastern and senior woman administrator.

But to do that she had to give up coaching

Jessica Sommerfeld, the new Eastern assistant head coach and throws coach, also competed collegiality at Rice and finished up her eligibility at Arkansas.

Sommerfeld said she knew Wallace from different alumni functions at Rice and through the coaching world.

She said Wallace was one of the first people to call her when the job became available.

And that job didn't stay open for long.

Eastern head track coach Tom Akers said in July he wanted the position filled by mid-August or early September.

He did just that.

Sommerfeld said she came to Eastern two weeks ago for an on-campus interview, and now she's been at Eastern for just one day as the newest member of the Panthers' coaching staff.Sommerfeld was most recently the throws coach at South Dakota State starting in 2005.

Before that she led the throws program at Texas Christian from 2003-04.

"I think she saw this opportunity as a step up as far as athletic programs," Akers said

A step up for her professionally. (To) help her gain some new insights and new ideas to help her progress as a coach."

Sommerfeld said the assistant head coach title was one of the reasons she decided to apply for the position at Eastern.

She said she wants to move up the ladder in track and field coaching and the opening at Eastern provided that opportunity.

Eastern's track and field complex was also a drawing factor.

"I was definitely impressed by the facilities," Sommerfeld said. "Here I have an indoor facility and an outdoor facility right outside my door. The weather is definitely going to be better too."

Akers said it wasn't a requirement for the new coach to be the throws coach, but it was a preferred area because the Panthers already have JaRod Tobler coaching the jumpers, Geoff Masanet coaching long distance runners and Akers coaching sprinters.

"We wanted to make sure that the coach we hired fit in with our philosophy," Akers said. "(Sommerfeld's) very knowledgeable about her events, and she cares about her athletes."

Akers said the search committee - which consisted of himself, Tobler, Masanet and Education Activities Coordinator Cindy Kennedy - brought the two final candidates to campus but Sommerfeld's personality put her over the top.

"We thought that her personality, not just as a coach but as a person, meshed real well with our present staff and our search committee," Akers said. "As you sort of look to replace somebody, you look for somebody to compliment the staff you have and bring in some ideas as well."

Masanet said Sommerfeld is very easy going and fit in with the current Eastern track staff during the interview process - something he said doesn't always happen right away.

"I've been on interviews where things were awkward," Masanet said. "She was easy to communicate with. People don't always mesh right off the bat, but I think she did."

Masanet said he thought it would be a smooth transition from Wallace to Sommerfeld. He said Sommerfeld should gain instant respect from Eastern's throwers because of the success she's had in her previous coaching stops.

Sommerfeld coached South Dakota State's Michelle Carter to the Division I Independent Championship in the discus and a second-place finish in the shot put in 2005. The Jackrabbits' Sara Ackman won the same discus title in 2006. Sommerfeld also helped lead Texas Christian to a 2003 Conference-USA men's Outdoor Championship and a 2004 Conference-USA women's Indoor Championship.

"She is just phenomenally good," Masanet said. "Her references were going berserk for her. All of them were. Her track record on paper is very strong, and I think we feel like we were able to get someone on the fast track to coaching stardom."

The Panthers had success in throwing events the past two seasons with several individual champions in both the Ohio Valley Conference Indoor and Outdoor Championships.

Junior thrower Kandace Arnold won the 2008 indoor shot put title, the 2008 outdoor discus and shot put titles and the 2007 outdoor shot put title. Senior thrower Rachel Galligan won the 2007 outdoor javelin title.

On the men's side, former Eastern thrower Jimmy Schultz won the 2007 indoor shot put and weight throw titles and the 2007 outdoor shot put title.

Former Eastern thrower Austin Hogue rounds out the individual titles with the 2007 outdoor javelin title.

Akers said he expects Eastern's success in the throwing events to continue. He said Sommerfeld could come in with new drills or coach the throws a little differently that could help Eastern's throwers with areas they might have struggled with.

"The thing I think our athletes have to realize is just because Coach Wallace isn't around doesn't mean we forget everything Coach Wallace taught (the throwers)," Akers said. "Now we have another reference."

Sommerfeld said she is athlete oriented and her main priority as a coach is to guide the athletes in the way they will improve the most.

"I teach the skills and we learn to communicate in a way that makes them understand," Sommerfeld said. "Every athlete communicates differently, and you've got to find what makes them tick."

Sommerfeld said her experience in developing throwers at South Dakota State in particular would help her advance the throwers at Eastern. She said Eastern's throwers have improved and her own competitive experience would help them grow.

"(Arnold's) an untapped individual with two more years of eligibility," Sommerfeld said. "We can go a long ways."

Scott Richey can be reached at 581-7944 or at srrichey@eiu.edu.