Aug. 21, 2009

Romeoville, Ill. - Lewis head cross country and track and field coach Dana Schwarting announced on Friday (August 21) that he has hired former NCAA Division III Manchester College assistant Rick Hammer as his top aide.

"Rick brings a lot of experience to the job, having recruited without the aid of scholarships at Division III," Schwarting said. "He has shown tremendous ability to develop distance runners and help them compete at a very high level. He will really thrive at the Division II level and help get our track and cross country to the top of the Great Lakes Valley Conference.

Hammer, who spent three years at Manchester, coached seven national qualifiers, two All-Americans and one National Champion during his tenure. While there, 11 different school-records were shattered and 186 spots were claimed on the Manchester track and field top 10 performance list. Hammer also spent time as an assistant coach for both Tri State University and IPFW.

Hammer is a USATF Level I Certified Track and Field Coach and has a Level II certification in the endurance events. He is also a United States Track and Field/Cross Country Coaches Association and USA Triathlon member.

As an undergrad, Hammer competed for Huntington University, as he was a two-time captain, national qualifier and Academic All-American.

A Catholic University sponsored by the De La Salle Christian Brothers, Lewis offers nearly 80 undergraduate majors and programs of study, accelerated degree completion options for working adults, various aviation programs and 22 graduate programs in nine fields. The mid-sized university is being honored for the fifth consecutive year by The Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report. For more information please visit www.lewisu.edu.

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