Eastern Mennonite University has announced the hiring of Jason Lewkowicz as its cross country and track & field coach. Lewkowicz has held the same position at Hannibal-LaGrange Universityfor the past three years.

Lewkowicz replaces Matt Dougherty, who resigned as EMU’s first combined cross country and track & field coach in May of 2010. Lester Zook served as interim cross country coach last fall while Pete Nelson was the interim track & field coach.

“I’m really excited about having Jason join the athletic department staff,” said Athletic Director Dave King. “He is a proven recruiter and program builder and I am delighted that he is willing to take on yet another re-building project here at EMU. The variety of his experiences and range of institutions he has worked at is great preparation for taking over our cross country and track & field program.”

Lewkowicz has been in Hannibal, Mo., the past three seasons heading both the cross country and track & field programs. Before that he spent three years at UVa-Wise, in Wise, Va., coaching the cross country program all three seasons and starting up the track & field program in the fall of 2007.

“I’m definitely excited to join Eastern Mennonite University and have the opportunity to restore the cross country and track & field programs back to a place of prominence,” Lewkowicz said. “And I’m excited to be back in Virginia where I started my coaching career.”

Not only did he start coaching in Virginia, but Lewkowicz himself grew up in North Carolina and his wife is from the Roanoke area, adding to his draw to return to the East Coast.

Lewkowicz earned both his undergrad and master’s degrees from Appalachian State in Boone, NC. He was also a high jumper on the track & field team during his time as a student.

He has coached 22 NAIA National Championship qualifiers and three All-Americans during his time at Hannibal-LaGrange and UVa-Wise, as well as 92 athletes who have claimed all-conference awards and 28 conference champions. In his final season at Hannibal-LaGrange, the women's track & field team claimed the outdoor conference championship and Lewkowicz was named AMC Outdoor Track & Field Coach of the Year. Lewkowicz also focuses on athletes in their role as students, and has had 16 NAIA Daktronics Scholar-Athletes and 61 academic all-conference award winners.

King said Lewkowicz’s well-balanced approach makes him an ideal fit at EMU.

“As Athletic Director, Jason's commitment to faith development in his athletes is very appealing to me as we continue to pursue our goal of developing Christian character in young people through athletics,” King said. “I am pleased that his vision and purpose in coaching is in line with that of our athletic department and the university. I am looking forward to all that he will bring to the athletic department, especially the relationships he will build with athletes helping them reach their potential.”

Lewkowicz said he feels called to help each student-athlete do the best they can.

“God has blessed us all with abilities,” he said, “and we need to harness that and get the most that we can out of it, and then give honor to Him no matter what the results are.”

Despite small roster sizes in recent years at EMU, Lewkowicz sees a number of reasons to be excited.

“I like the facilities,” he said. “It’s more than I’ve ever had to work with. It’s also a great area to recruit in and there is good talent in this area and in this state. We’re in a position to improve rapidly and give athletes a chance to be impact performers from their first year.”

Even with the small numbers, Lewkowicz is not inheriting a bare cupboard as Eastern Mennonite has still had a handful of national qualifiers in both cross country and track & field in the past few years.

Lewkowicz and his wife, Wendy, have three sons, Noah, Eli and Asher.

Carissa Eichmeyer enters her first season as an assistant coach at EMU after graduating from Hannibal-La Grange University in 2011.  Her education degree focused on physical education.

Carissa was a four-year member of the HLGU cross country and track & field teams.  During her career at Hannibal-LaGrange, she was an eight-time American Midwest Conference All-Academic Team member.   She was named All-AMC First Team numerous times in the events of steeple chase and racewalking.  Carissa also qualfied in the racewalk for the NAIA Indoor & Outdoor National Championship Meets in 2010 and 2011.

She is originally from Marthasville, Missouri, and was the only female to earn the tri-athlete award from her high school, playing three sports all four years.

Britten Olinger is in his first year as an assistant coach at Eastern Mennonite University after spending four years as a sprinters/jumpers/hurdlers coach in the high school ranks.

Britten ran for Coach Jason Lewkowicz when the two coincided for two years at UVA-Wise. He was also a three-sport athlete at Patrick Henry High School (golf, basketball and track & field) and earned All-State honors in track & field.

In the fall of 2008, Britten assisted with the UVA-Wise cross country team and helped a female runner qualify for the national meet. He has coached at both Patrick Henry HS and Abingdon HS, with seven of his athletes earning All-State accolades. Britten was also an assistant boys' basketball coach at Abingdon.