Release courtesy of Gettysburg Athletic Communications
GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Bryson Hartzler has been named the full-time head coach of the Gettysburg College cross country and track and field programs according to Executive Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Campus Recreation Mike Mattia.
Hartzler had served in an interim role as the head coach following the retirement of long-time coach Aubrey Shenk after the 2019 cross country season.
"In just one shortened track and field season as interim head coach, Bryson brought a jolt to the program and energized our student-athletes to compete at their best," said Mattia. "Also, he did a phenomenal job hitting the recruiting trail and was able to increase our reach throughout the country while securing the commitments of a very talented incoming class. He has a vision for the future for both the cross-country and track and field programs that intends to increase the success of the programs to compete on a national level while also providing an incredible overall experience for our student-athletes."
Hartzler wrapped up his fifth season at Gettysburg in 2019-20. After taking over the helm of the track program in December, he saw his student-athletes rev up the engines and post school records in two events as well as 40 new entries into the program's top-10 indoor list.
"I am very humbled and honored to be in this position at such an outstanding academic institution with a tremendous athletic department," said the graduate of Penn State University. "I have truly enjoyed the five years I have spent at Gettysburg and have learned a lot from the talented people that make up this department. I want to thank Mike Mattia and Barbara Fritze for giving me this opportunity."
Hartzler has had his hands full as the coach of six sports, each of which has seen new levels of success during his tenure. The men's and women's cross country programs have featured a total of three national qualifiers, six all-region finishers, and five All-Centennial Conference First Team selections. In 2016, Ben Taber '17 qualified for the NCAA Division III Championship after a fourth-place finish at regionals, marking the best regional finish by a men's runner in 18 years. Hartzler coached a pair of NCAA participants in the fall of 2017 in Elizabeth Hilfrank '18 and Sarah Rinehart '19. Hilfrank went on to become the program's first All-American in 36 years.
In track and field, Hartzler has coached two All-Americans, three national qualifiers, 10 all-region selections, and 14 Centennial Conference champions. During his first season at Gettysburg, he oversaw the development of NCAA qualifiers Katie Cavanaugh '16, Katie McCoubrie '16, and Andre Hinds '16. Cavanaugh earned national accolades indoors (60-meter hurdles) and outdoors (100-meter hurdles), while Hinds picked up his All-America certificate in the discus outdoors. McCoubrie capped an outstanding career at Gettysburg by winning three conference titles in the jumps in 2016.
During the 2017-18 season, Gettysburg featured a total of 20 all-conference performers. Ty Abdul-Karim '18 nailed down championships in the 100-meter dash and the 200-meter dash, becoming the first Bullet in program history to win a CC crown in either event. The women picked up their first-ever championships in the 4x800-meter relay during the conference indoor meet, while adding individual titles by Kendra Meredith '18 (long jump) and Ellery Lyon '18 (javelin) at the CC Outdoor Championship. In 2019, Nicholas Grissinger '21 and Steven Heinbaugh '22 both claimed individual titles in the 400-meter hurdles and decathlon, respectively, at the CC Outdoor Championship.
"I am very thankful for the hard work of our student-athletes as well as our loyal coaching staff: Amanda Kerno, Kirby Scott '77, Matthew Logan, Troy Litten, Darryl Jones, and Nick Ulassin '15," said Hartzler. "I am delighted for what this program returns and am very excited to welcome a very talented incoming class of first-year student-athletes."
Prior to Gettysburg, Hartzler served as an assistant cross country and track and field coach for two seasons at Division III Bluffton University from 2012-14, working primarily with sprinters and jumpers in track. He also spent two years as an assistant track and field coach at Mifflin County High School, where he coached multiple state qualifiers.
As a student-athlete, Hartzler began his collegiate career at Penn State-Behrend, where he qualified for the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championship in the high jump as a sophomore. He then transferred to Penn State University, where he provisionally qualified for the NCAA Division I Championship in the same event, leaping 7-1 1/2 as a senior. Also at Penn State, Hartzler served as a strength and conditioning intern, working primarily with Penn State's Olympic sports.
Hartzler, a native of Belleville, Pa., graduated from Penn State in 2011 with a Bachelor of Science degree in kinesiology. He also earned a Master's of Business Administration from Bluffton in 2014.