Susan Seaton, who served as the interim director of men's and women's track & field/cross country this past season, has been promoted to director of track & field/cross country for both the men's and women's programs, director of athletics Mike Bohn announced Tuesday.
"We're proud of Susan and what she's been able to accomplish so far," Bohn said. "Our team's performances this year have been outstanding on the track and in the classroom. There's a bright future for track and field in Cincinnati and that's an exciting thing to be a part of. The Bearcats are in good hands."
As interim director, Seaton has guided both the men's and women's programs through one of their most successful track & field seasons in the last decade. The men finished fourth at the American Athletic Conference Outdoor Championships this past weekend, which is only the third time since 2005 they have finished that high outdoors. The women's team grabbed third overall at the league meet, and it achieved their highest finish ever at a conference outdoor meet. Combined, the two programs have set 17 school records and are looking to qualify a record number of student-athletes for the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds. On the cross country side, the men's team repeated as conference runners-up in 2014.
On top of being successful on the track, the programs have reached unprecedented academic success and hours of community service. The two programs combined to post a grade-point average of 3.28 for the 2014-15 academic season. The teams also accumulated nearly 500 hours of community service.
"I am honored and very excited to accept the position as Director of Men's and Women's Track & Field/Cross Country," said Seaton. "I would like to thank director of athletics, Mike Bohn, and senior associate AD/SWA, Maggie McKinley, for presenting this opportunity to me and for their great enthusiasm and commitment to the future of our program. We will build on our tradition of providing a family atmosphere to our student-athletes, continue to seek the highest standards academically and athletically, and encourage our team to embrace the department's One Team commitment. We have an experienced and successful coaching staff in place, and we are excited for the future of the united UC track & field/cross country team.
Over Seaton's 11 years with the track & field programs, she has quickly elevated the UC program through a team-oriented and family-focused philosophy that has seen the Bearcats perform at record-breaking levels on the track while setting new standards for academic achievement. During her tenure, she has coached over 40 NCAA Regional qualifiers, 30-plus school record holders, 18 individual conference champions, 12 NCAA Championships qualifiers, and five All-Americans.
"The future of the program under Susan's leadership is exciting and the current Bearcats exhibit this," McKinley said. "I, along with others, spent a considerable amount of time and effort evaluating the programs and what is in their best interests moving forward. We feel that naming Susan the director of track & field/cross country will continue the upward trajectory of both teams."
Seaton joined the Bearcats in 2004 as an assistant coach for the men's program specializing in the throws. She remained in that role until 2008 when she was named the interim head women's track & field/cross country coach. The interim title was dropped following the 2008-09 campaign. In the fall of 2014, Seaton was tagged the interim director of track & field/cross country.
Before joining the Bearcats, Seaton spent six seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Wisconsin and three years as an assistant at Northern Arizona University.
Seaton has a Level I and II USA Track & Field coaching education certification, and she is a graduate of the NCAA Women Coaches Academy and a member of the Alliance for Women Coaches. She also serves on the NCAA Division I Track & Field/Cross Country Committee. In addition to her committee responsibilities, Seaton also speaks at major coaching clinics across the United States.
A native of Saalfeld, Germany, Seaton earned her bachelor's degree from the German College of Sports Science in 1991 and a master's in exercise science from the University of Leipzig in 1994. Seaton was a standout athlete for the East German junior track and field team and competed for her German club team SC Motor Jena from 1984-87. She has competitive experience in the javelin, discus, shot put, multi events, high jump, long jump, hurdles and cross country.
Seaton Promoted to Director of Men's and Women's Track & Field/Cross Country
