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Jakubowski being awarded as the 2019 USCAA National Coach of the Year

FLC Athletics Tabs Shawn Jakubowski as new Head Women’s Cross Country/Track and Field Coach

2/7/2022 10:47:00 AM

By: Angela Roberts, Athletic Communications Assistant
DURANGO, Colo. – The Fort Lewis College Department of Athletics is pleased to announce the hiring of Shawn Jakubowski as the next Head Women's Cross Country/Track and Field Coach, effective immediately.

Jakubowski is a familiar face to the running programs after serving as the men's assistant coach in the 2021 cross country season. Before volunteering with the Skyhawks, Jakubowski was the Head Coach for the Cross Country/Track and Field programs at Berea College in Berea, Kentucky from 2015-2020.

At Berea, he guided the programs to six conference championships while qualifying two teams to the NCAA National Championships. He also coached an individual to a runner-up finish in the 3k Steeplechase as nationals. Additionally, he aided in the transition from NAIA/USCAA to NCAA Division III.

"When I moved to Durango in 2020, I was looking for ways to remain involved in coaching. I reached out to the staff at Fort Lewis and was able to become a volunteer coach on staff," recalled Jakubowski. "My greatest joy is working with student-athletes, and I become close with the athletes I was able to work with. That pushed me to my current role with the women's team where I get to invest my energy in the talented group of athletes here on campus."

In addition to his busy schedule, while coaching six teams at Berea College (M/W cross country, M/W indoor track and field, and M/W outdoor track and field), Jakubowski was the college's sole Sports Information Director from 2015-2019. He was responsible for all aspects of sports information work, including generating and reporting statistics, game management, website maintenance, and written material. Through all of that, Jakubowski's passion has remained in running.

"Me and running have a long relationship," Jakubowski joked. "The sport has always been something that allows me to get lost in my thoughts. Some days are a bit tougher than others, but I can't remember a run I started that I wasn't glad that I finished. Coaching the sport was a natural fit for me. All of my mentors throughout my life have been coaches, and coaching student-athletes allows me the joy of seeing them graduate and become leaders in life. It's bittersweet but worth every minute."

Prior to his time at Berea, Jakubowski was the Head Coach for the Cross Country/Track and Field programs at Tennessee Wesleyan University in Athens, Tennessee. While at Tennessee Wesleyan, he was instrumental in the inception of the first track program in school history, bringing in 52 recruits in a seven-month period and winning a conference championship in the program's first year of existence. 

Before transitioning into the coaching ranks, Jakubowski directed his passion for the sport into a successful four-year career as a student-athlete at Berea College. He was an integral member of the record-holding 4x800m relay team which finished fifth at nationals en route to First Team All-American honors. Though his collegiate racing days are over, Jakubowski can still be seen racking up mileage around the city of Durango in his free time.

"We are excited to welcome Coach Jakubowski to the Skyhawks family. Shawn is a proven winner and has built success at every program he's played a leadership role in," said FLC Director of Athletics, Brandon Leimbach. "Shawn possesses an admirable talent for recruiting and maximizing the potential of his student-athletes. He impressed us with his knack for mentoring the women's programs that he has previously led, and I have no doubt that our Skyhawks will benefit from his passion for athletics, academics, and holistic approach to the welfare of our student-athletes."

Jakubowski, a native of Knoxville, Tennessee, earned his Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology from Berea College in 2006 and completed his M.S. in Sports Administration from Eastern Kentucky University in 2012. He and his wife Mariah, an FLC softball alumni and Athletic Trainer for Durango High School, reside in Bayfield.
 
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