Jenna Schwartz Joins Lobo XC/T&F Coaching Staff as Assistant
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – New Mexico Cross Country / Track & Field Head Coach Darren Gauson announced the addition of Jenna Schwartz to the Lobos’ staff as the Assistant Coach for distance on Tuesday.
At UNM, Schwartz will assist with coaching both the men’s and women’s athletes in cross country as well as track.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Jenna to our coaching staff,” said Head Coach Darren Gauson. “Having known Jenna and her family for a few years, she has the enthusiasm and dedication that’s required to coach at the collegiate level.”
Originally from Waterloo, Ill., Schwartz joins the Lobos after a four-year career at Missouri, where she recently completed her Graduate Certificate in Positive Coaching and Athletic Leadership along with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with an emphasis in management. Competing in cross country and track for the Tigers from from 2019 to 2024, Schwartz ranks No. 4 in program history in the Indoor 5000m (16:25.20), No. 6 in the Outdoor 10,000m (33:56.58) and No. 9 in the Outdoor 5000m, earning a spot on the SEC Academic Honor Roll in every semester during her time in Columbia.
“Jenna’s experience as an SEC athlete is so valuable to a national distance program like ours,” Gauson said. “We’re eager to see her contributions to what we’re building here!”
Right away, Schwartz will be tasked with helping coach a distance program that is entering the season with lofty expectations on both the men’s and women’s side for the first time in nearly a decade. New Mexico is the preseason favorites to win the Mountain West for both men’s and women’s cross country for the first time since 2015, with the men ranked No. 8 in the nation in the USTFCCCA Preseason Coaches’ Poll and the women ranked 20th.
“I’m incredibly excited to join such a historic program and work with an incredible staff,” Schwartz said. “Albuquerque is an outstanding place to train at an elite level and I’m humbled and grateful to do whatever I can to keep our successes going.”