Completed Event: Track & Field at VertKlasse Meeting on April 4, 2025 , , Completed
T-F
Final
James Madison
at VertKlasse Meeting
Completed
James Madison University | Official Athletics Site
Track & Field
McCown, Ron
Ron McCown
- Title:
- Track & Field Head Coach
- Email:
- mccownrw@jmu.edu
- Phone:
- 540-568-3935
Ron McCown was named the eighth track and field head coach in JMU history on July 20, 2018. McCown made his way to Harrisonburg after serving as track and field assistant coach at Stephen F. Austin for 17 seasons.
The indoor season saw Rachel Lloyd and Erica Moolman both jump 3.70m (12’1 3/4”) in the pole vault to tie for the top spot on the JMU record board. McCown’s athletes also had nine all-time top 10 performances. The events seeing these performances were the pentathlon, weight throw, high jump and pole vault.
In 2021, McCown saw five of his athletes earn All-CAA honors after earning medals at the CAA Championships. Leading the way was transfer Jordan Otto who captured the 2021 CAA High Jump Championship and Skyla Davidson who won the triple jump at the CAA Championship. Shelby Staib (javelin), Dominique Johnson (discus) and Bethany Biggi (heptathlon) secured bronze medals in their respective events. Additionally, Staib was the sole Duke to qualify for the NCAA East Prelims as she competed in the javelin.
The indoor season saw multiple record-book performances highlighted by freshman Erica Moolman setting the program pole vault record with a mark of 3.68 meters (12' 3/4").
His second season was limited to just indoor competition due to COVID-19 concerns in 2019-20 but his athletes made their mark as four freshmen placed their names in the record book. In the pole vault, freshmen Rachel Lloyd (3.53m) and Maddie Croteau (3.08m) sit third and eighth respectively in program history.
Freshmen Erin Babashak (2,977) and Bethany Biggi (2,969) landed seventh and eighth on the all-time indoor pentathlon list. At the ECAC Championships junior Skyla Davidson set her personal record in the triple jump at 12.15m, good for third in program history.
Mainly working with the multi-events, jumps and throws, McCown saw great success in his first year at JMU. Nicolette Serratore (multi-event) broke the school record in both the javelin throw 48.43m (158’11”) and heptathlon (4,828), while also winning the CAA individual title for the heptathlon and qualifying for the NCAA East Preliminary Regional in the javelin. Sidra Morris broke the school record in the hammer throw [54.12m (177’7”) and weight throw [18.10m (59’4 ¾)]. He also sent Dominique Johnson (discus) and Jantsen Wilson (triple jump) to the NCAA East Preliminary Regional after the two set personal best marks in their respective events and won the CAA individual titles.
During his 17 seasons at Stephen F. Austin, McCown's student-athletes garnered 37 individual conference titles, 27 NCAA Preliminary qualifying marks and 12 school records. He also coached eight as national qualifiers. His most recent success came this past season as McCown guided 15 conference scorers in eight separate events. His responsibilities included high jump, pole vault, heptathlon, decathlon, long jump and triple jump.
He coached six conference champions in the heptathlon with five athletes over the 5,000 point mark. McCown coached the second and third best performers in SFA history in Madde Kaufmann (5272) and Crystal Chang (5266). Chang also posted the school record in the pentathlon at 3,962 and finished 12th at the NCAA Indoor Championship.
In the jumps area, McCown guided eight high jumpers that posted marks of 5'8" or higher, including SFA record holder Teresa Murray at 5'10 3/4". He developed Jennifer Schreiner from a triple jumper to a pole vaulter with her personal best mark of 12'10". McCown coached Leah Matthews to a school record and NCAA appearance in the long jump with a mark of 20'8". He also helped coach four girls to jump over 40' in the triple jump.
McCown has helped five decathletes reach marks over 7,000 points, including Chris Jones, who posted a mark of 7,380 in 2011 to rank 28thin Division I. During his 17-year tenure, McCown coached 34 team championships, including a Southland Conference title for the women in outdoor track and field in 2017.
McCown is a NCAA Division I Track & Field All-American after finishing seventh at the finals in the decathlon in 1994. His personal best for the decathlon is 7,562. He competed on the track and field team at Odessa College and earned the title of NJCAA All-American while earning third place at the National Championship in 1992. He finished his collegiate career at Stephen F. Austin. McCown has USA Track and Field Level I and II (horizontal and vertical jumps) certifications. He is also certified in strength and conditioning by both the USTFCCCA and NCAA.
McCown earned his Bachelor of Science in education from Stephen F. Austin in 1996 and received his Master of Science in kinesiology from Sam Houston State in 2001.
In the outdoor slate of the 2022-23 season, Skyla Davidson registered a career-best triple jump of 12.93m (42’ – 5.25”) at the NCAA East Preliminary Championships. McCown has now coached six female jumpers over 40’ in the triple jump, two of whom have been over 42’ (Jantsen Wilson and Davidson). Wilson and Davidson sit second and third, respectively, in the JMU record book in the triple jump. Thrower Shelby Staib qualified for NCAA East Prelims for the third time in her career in the javelin. Staib also finished runner-up at the Sun Belt outdoor championships with a throw of 47.10m (154’ – 6”). McCown’s athletes produced additional top-10 performances in the high jump and shot put, respectively, with Bethany Biggi [1.66m (5’ – 5.5”)] and Jenae Bowers [12.75m (41’ – 10”)] making improvements on their previous bests.
During the indoor season, Coach McCown coached an ECAC Champion in the triple jump, an indoor school record in the pole vault, and several additions to the top-10 list. Skyla Davidson won the ECAC triple jump title with a jump of 12.60m (41 – 4.25”), while Jordan Venning achieved a fourth-place finish with a jump of 12.35m (40’ – 6.25”). Davidson and Venning now sit second and third indoor all-time at JMU. Rachel Lloyd set a school record in the pole vault, jumping 3.81m (12’ – 6”), and finished third at the Sun Belt Indoor Championships. Jaiden Martellucci moved up in the JMU record book with a weight throw of 15.38m (50’ – 5.5”) for seventh. Freshman Jenna Callan produced a pentathlon score of 3,229 to round out the program’s top-10 list.
2022 once again brought success for Coach McCown’s event groups and the track and field team. The team highlight was the Dukes winning their first-ever ECAC Outdoor Championship. Individually, Shelby Staib threw a program-record 48.92m (160’6”) in the javelin and qualified for the NCAA East Preliminary Round for the second-straight season. Rachel Lloyd also set a school record when she jumped 3.91m (12’10”) in the pole vault. This season also witnessed 10 all-time top 10 performances in the hammer, discus, pole vault, javelin, heptathlon, high jump and triple jump.The indoor season saw Rachel Lloyd and Erica Moolman both jump 3.70m (12’1 3/4”) in the pole vault to tie for the top spot on the JMU record board. McCown’s athletes also had nine all-time top 10 performances. The events seeing these performances were the pentathlon, weight throw, high jump and pole vault.
In 2021, McCown saw five of his athletes earn All-CAA honors after earning medals at the CAA Championships. Leading the way was transfer Jordan Otto who captured the 2021 CAA High Jump Championship and Skyla Davidson who won the triple jump at the CAA Championship. Shelby Staib (javelin), Dominique Johnson (discus) and Bethany Biggi (heptathlon) secured bronze medals in their respective events. Additionally, Staib was the sole Duke to qualify for the NCAA East Prelims as she competed in the javelin.
The indoor season saw multiple record-book performances highlighted by freshman Erica Moolman setting the program pole vault record with a mark of 3.68 meters (12' 3/4").
His second season was limited to just indoor competition due to COVID-19 concerns in 2019-20 but his athletes made their mark as four freshmen placed their names in the record book. In the pole vault, freshmen Rachel Lloyd (3.53m) and Maddie Croteau (3.08m) sit third and eighth respectively in program history.
Freshmen Erin Babashak (2,977) and Bethany Biggi (2,969) landed seventh and eighth on the all-time indoor pentathlon list. At the ECAC Championships junior Skyla Davidson set her personal record in the triple jump at 12.15m, good for third in program history.
Mainly working with the multi-events, jumps and throws, McCown saw great success in his first year at JMU. Nicolette Serratore (multi-event) broke the school record in both the javelin throw 48.43m (158’11”) and heptathlon (4,828), while also winning the CAA individual title for the heptathlon and qualifying for the NCAA East Preliminary Regional in the javelin. Sidra Morris broke the school record in the hammer throw [54.12m (177’7”) and weight throw [18.10m (59’4 ¾)]. He also sent Dominique Johnson (discus) and Jantsen Wilson (triple jump) to the NCAA East Preliminary Regional after the two set personal best marks in their respective events and won the CAA individual titles.
During his 17 seasons at Stephen F. Austin, McCown's student-athletes garnered 37 individual conference titles, 27 NCAA Preliminary qualifying marks and 12 school records. He also coached eight as national qualifiers. His most recent success came this past season as McCown guided 15 conference scorers in eight separate events. His responsibilities included high jump, pole vault, heptathlon, decathlon, long jump and triple jump.
He coached six conference champions in the heptathlon with five athletes over the 5,000 point mark. McCown coached the second and third best performers in SFA history in Madde Kaufmann (5272) and Crystal Chang (5266). Chang also posted the school record in the pentathlon at 3,962 and finished 12th at the NCAA Indoor Championship.
In the jumps area, McCown guided eight high jumpers that posted marks of 5'8" or higher, including SFA record holder Teresa Murray at 5'10 3/4". He developed Jennifer Schreiner from a triple jumper to a pole vaulter with her personal best mark of 12'10". McCown coached Leah Matthews to a school record and NCAA appearance in the long jump with a mark of 20'8". He also helped coach four girls to jump over 40' in the triple jump.
McCown has helped five decathletes reach marks over 7,000 points, including Chris Jones, who posted a mark of 7,380 in 2011 to rank 28thin Division I. During his 17-year tenure, McCown coached 34 team championships, including a Southland Conference title for the women in outdoor track and field in 2017.
McCown is a NCAA Division I Track & Field All-American after finishing seventh at the finals in the decathlon in 1994. His personal best for the decathlon is 7,562. He competed on the track and field team at Odessa College and earned the title of NJCAA All-American while earning third place at the National Championship in 1992. He finished his collegiate career at Stephen F. Austin. McCown has USA Track and Field Level I and II (horizontal and vertical jumps) certifications. He is also certified in strength and conditioning by both the USTFCCCA and NCAA.
McCown earned his Bachelor of Science in education from Stephen F. Austin in 1996 and received his Master of Science in kinesiology from Sam Houston State in 2001.
He and his wife Tracy have one son, Sheldon. His son is currently in medical school at UTMB in Galveston, Texas.
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