Towne, Forino Named New Head Coaches of Charger Cross Country and Track Programs

Towne, Forino Named New Head Coaches of Charger Cross Country and Track Programs

Release courtesy of Brad Monastiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Media Relations and Event Management, Hillsdale College

Hillsdale, Mich. -- Hillsdale College’s athletic department announces the appointment of a new head men's track and cross country coach, and a new head women's track and cross country coach.

Former associate track coach Jeff Forino is now the Chargers’ head men’s track coach and will assume head coaching duties for the men’s cross country program after the conclusion of the 2011 season.

Andrew Towne returns to the Hillsdale College coaching staff after a two-year stint at Miami University in Ohio. Towne has assumed head coaching duties of Hillsdale’s women’s track and cross country programs, effective immediately.

Forino has been a part of the Charger coaching staff since 2003. In his duties as assistant track coach, he worked primarily with the sprinters and field event athletes. Under his daily guidance, Hillsdale produced its first-ever Division II national champion in a track event, when Jason Stomps won the hammer throw at the  2010 NCAA Division II Indoor Track championships. Forino has also coached numerous athletes who earned All-American honors throughout his tenure.

Forino has also served as a strength and conditioning coach for several sports throughout the athletic department. His previous coaching stints included time at Hanover (NH) High School (1995-2000), Springfield College (2000-02) and Dartmouth College in 2002-03.

Towne previously served as an assistant track coach at Hillsdale from 2006-09, before moving on to a similar role at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. While with the RedHawks, Towne specialized in coaching the team’s sprinters, hurdlers and jumpers.

Towne is a 2004 graduate of Hillsdale College, where he earned his degree in physical education, while earning a minor in math. He competed for the Chargers from 1999-2004, but also filled the role of student-coach during his career. He was an All-GLIAC athlete for the Chargers, and earned GLIAC All-Academic honors during his collegiate career.

Towne made a big impact on Hillsdale’s track program upon joining the coaching staff. His work with the team’s sprinters, along with outstanding efforts in recruiting, returned the Chargers to contender status in the conference. During his first tour of duty with Hillsdale, the Charger men swept the sprint events at the 2007 GLIAC Indoor Track and Field championships, and the team went from 8th place in 2006 to 3rd place in 2007. He coached five athletes who earned All-American honors during his first tenure at Hillsdale. He then went on to coach three Mid-American Conference champs while at Miami.

He is certified USATF Level II sprint/hurdles coach, and is an NSCA certified strength and conditioning specialist, in addition to being a USATF Level II jumps coach.