Now in his 14th season as the head track and field coach at Whitworth, Dr. Toby Schwarz has transformed the Whitworth Track and Field team into one of the top programs in the nation. During the 2009 season the men’s team finished third at the NCAA Indoor National Championships and sixth at the Outdoor National Championships while bringing home a combined two individual national champions, nine All-Americans, and three coach of the year awards - including the 2009 Indoor National Coach of the Year. The Whitworth men were named the USTFCCCA Scholar Team of the Year for both the indoor and outdoor seasons.

Schwarz has revitalized the Track and Field program at Whitworth. Winning the Northwest Conference men's and women's title in 2001 and again the men's title in 2008. Each of the last nine seasons more than 60 athletes (over 75% of the team) have qualified for the NWC championship meet. And over the last ten years Schwarz has coached 31 athletes to NCAA Division III All-American honors, including Kristin Shields to a national championship in the 100 meter dash in 2004, and two time national champions Emmanuel Bofa (800 meters) and Cody Stelzer (High Jump) in 2008 and 2009.

Schwarz has earned thirteen coach of the year awards, including the Indoor 2009 NCAA West Region and National Men’s Coach of the Year awards. Schwarz’s coaching staff has also won the past two NCAA DIII West Region Assistant Coach of the Year awards.

Following the 2006 track and field season, a decision was made by the coaching staff to cease the continuous growth of the program and move to a philosophy of a smaller, more focused and committed group of student-athletes. Through a process of "cuts" and "tryouts", a more streamlined group of track and field athletes make up the current and future Whitworth program.

Schwarz is excited about the philosophy that has been adopted in this new era of Whitworth Track and Field. With a smaller, more committed group of student-athletes, the level of excitement at practice is extremely high and this excitement has lead to the national championship caliber program that finished fourth nationally in the inaugural Al Carius Program of the Year award that was based on the team’s overall finish at the NCAA DIII cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field national championships.

Schwarz has also been the head coach of the very successful Pirate cross country program since 1998. At Whitworth, Schwarz has established the cross country program as a force to be reckoned with. In addition to their national championship appearance, the women's team finished as NWC runners-up in 2002-04 and again in 2008. The Pirate men have improved their conference standing every year since 1997, finishing 3rd in 2002-07 and winning the NWC and NCAA West Region titles in 2008 and sending the Whitworth men’s team to their first ever NCAA national championships in school history. Schwarz has led Whitworth runners to the NCAA championships every season since 2001.

Dr. Schwarz is also a Professor in the Kinesiology Department. Schwarz fills his "spare time" when he is not teaching and coaching by being very active in youth ministry. He is the advisor for Whitworth’s chapter of Fellowship of Christian Athletes and is also the Chair of North Spokane Young Life. Schwarz lives with his wife, Sally, in north Spokane’s Mead neighborhood.

If you are interested in more information on the Whitworth Track and Field teams, you can contact Coach Schwarz at tschwarz@whitworth.edu or (509) 777-4361.

Assistant Coaches

Travis Howell - Horizontal Jumps (5th year)
Travis Howell is in his fifth year with the Whitworth Track and Field program. Howell is also Whitworth's Director of Athletic Facilities and the program’s first full-time assistant coach. Howell is a graduate of Clarkston High School (2000), where he was a sprinter and jumper for the Bantams, and Gonzaga University, where he obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Health and Physical Education (2004) and Master’s in Sport and Athletic Administration (2008). Howell spent five years coaching the long jump and triple jumpers at West Valley High School in Spokane. Among the several horizontal jump success stories at the district, regional and state levels for both boys and girls, Howell coached Rashad Toussaint to three state championships in the triple jump, with a best of 50'-8.75", which is the current all-time best in the state of Washington. Howell has helped guide the Whitworth horizontal jumpers toward the top of the Northwest Conference, qualifying 34 athletes in the horizontal jumps for the conference championships the past four years. Most notable was Kristen Dormaier in 2008, who broke the Whitworth school record in the triple jump with a mark of 37’-9.5” and became the first female Pirate to qualify for the NCAA DIII Outdoor National Championships in the triple jump. In 2009 Whitworth freshman Allyssa Thompson broke the Whitworth Indoor school record in the triple jump while qualifying for the NCAA DIII Indoor National Championships with a mark of 37’-1”. Howell also acts as the programs recruiting coordinator and works closely with Schwarz on developing the Whitworth Track and Field program into one of the best in the nation. You can contact Coach Howell at thowell@whitworth.edu or (509) 777-3455.

Gary Baskett - Throws (5th year)
Gary Baskett, one of the most successful high school track and field coaches ever in the state of Washington, joins the Whitworth staff for his fifth season. A graduate of West Seattle High School (1960) and Central Washington University (1967), Baskett has created an extremely impressive athletic and coaching resume. Baskett began his track and field career as a school record holder in the shot put at both West Seattle and CWU. Baskett then moved into coaching where he quickly led the Mead High School boys program to an unprecedented 159-0 dual meet record in 17 years. During that undefeated 17-year stretch, the boy’s team finished in the top four at the 3A state meet 15 times, including five state team championships and 29 individual event champions. Baskett-led Mead teams were ranked as high as thirrd in the nation two times (1990 and 1995). In only four seasons with the Pirate track and field program, Baskett has quickly turned the Pirate throwers into not only the top in the conference, but in the nation. At the NWC championships the Whitworth men’s throwers dominated the field by accumulating 73 points while winning the shot put and discus. Baskett has coached 20 NCAA national qualifiers and eight All-Americans in his four seasons at Whitworth, and in 2008 and 2009 was honored for his coaching success by being named the NCAA West Region Assistant Coach of the Year. Baskett continues to teach Art at Mead High School.

Bob Omlin - Vertical Jumps (5th year)
Bob Omlin, a graduate of Quincy High School, where he was a state-level standout track and field athlete in several events, rejoins Toby Schwarz after coaching with Schwarz at Pullman High School in 1996. Since that time, Omlin became a Big Sky qualifier in the decathlon at Eastern Washington University and has extended his coaching resume as well. Omlin has coached multi-event competitors at Eastern Washington University, along with other jumping events. Coach Omlin has created one of the most successful vertical jump programs in the Northwest. He has qualified fifteen vaulters and sixteen high jumpers to the NWC championships where thirteen vaulters and ten high jumpers have earned All-Conference honors while winning four conference championships and setting one NWC high jump record. He has coached seven NCAA national qualifiers, six All-Americans, and in 2008 coached Cody Stelzer to the NCAA DIII Outdoor National title in the high jump and again in 2009 to the NCAA DIII Indoor National title. Omlin is a personal trainer in Spokane, where he works with individuals from all demographics, including several professional athletes. Omlin lives in Spokane with his wife Teresa, and their two children.

Dr. Jeff Rahn - Long Distance (13th year)
Dr. Jeff Rahn is the senior member of the Whitworth Track and Field coaching staff. A graduate of Mead High School (1977), Whitworth (1982) and University of Nevada - Reno (1988), Rahn has an extremely impressive high school and college resume. A member of the first team to win a state championship at Mead High School, Rahn continued that success at Whitworth where he continues to hold the school record in the 1500 meters (3:47.34). After returning to Whitworth as a coach, Rahn has helped to build both men’s and women’s programs to a level where they can challenge for the conference championship each year. Rahn is also the assistant coach for the Pirate cross country program. Rahn is a Professor of Chemistry at Eastern Washington University and resides in Spokane with his wife Annette and two children, Katherine (17) and Daniel (15).

Eloise Cappellano - Assistant Throws (4th year)
Cappellano, in her fourth season, brings a very long and successful resume to the Whitworth Track and Field team. A graduate from Glassboro State College in New Jersey (now Rowan University), Cappellano competed two seasons on the track and field team while completing her degree in Special Education. Cappellano has coached at the high school level in New Jersey and Deer Park, Washington and most recently at the very successful program at Mead High School. Throwers under Cappellano’s teaching have gone on to earn many state and national honors. Under Coach Cappellano’s guidance the Whitworth javelin throwers have developed into some of the top throwers in the country. Not only did Whitworth qualify six javelin throwers to the conference meet and score 18 points, but Cappellano had four men’s javelin throwers qualify for the 2009 NCAA DIII Outdoor National Meet where Whitworth was the only school to have 2 All-Americans. Coach El has accumulated eight national qualifiers and five All-Americans in only three seasons of coaching the Pirate Javelin throwers. She is also very active in distance running and weight lifting and has USATF Level I and II certifications. Cappellano works as a Special Ed teacher at Mead High School and has two sons, Alexander (27) and Sean (18).

Derek Dewindt - Hammer (3rd year)
Derek Dewindt enters his third season as the Pirates' hammer coach. Dewindt was a very successful hammer thrower at Whitworth, where he was the Northwest Conference Champion in 2006 and an NCAA DIII Outdoor National Qualifier. Dewindt has instituted a quality strength and conditioning program that has helped guide the Pirate throwers in their dominance over the NWC competition in 2008 and 2009. In 2009 Dewindt had three Pirate men’s hammer throwers in the top 5 and three Pirate women’s hammer throwers in the top 10 at the NWC meet, and added three men’s and one women’s NCAA DIII Outdoor National Qualifiers. Dewindt is currently a full-time personal trainer with OZ Fitness.

Sarah Marken – Graduate Assistant (1st year)
Sarah Marken will be returning to Whitworth athletics this year as a graduate assistant with both the cross country and track and field programs. Marken was a four year letter winner and team captain for the Pirates from 2003 – 2006 where she led the Whitworth women by scoring a total of 87 points at the NWC meet. She was an NCAA DIII national competitor in both the heptathlon and the 4x100m relay during her time at Whitworth.

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