Sam Albert, who competed and coached track and field at the University of Rochester, was named as Director of Track and Field for the University in July, 2009. He oversees all aspects of the cross country and track & field programs at the University, and trains the Yellowjacket sprinters and hurdlers during track season.

As an undergraduate at Rochester, Albert was a two-time New York State Collegiate Track Conference champion and a four-time University Athletic Association champion, specializing in the sprints and hurdles. He was a two-year team captain, and held three school records at the time of his graduation. In May of his senior year, Albert was presented with the John Vitone Award from the Department of Athletics and Recreation for outstanding sportsmanship in the men’s intercollegiate sports program.

He was awarded a bachelor of arts degree in Biology from Rochester in 2001 and a master of science in education from the Margaret E. Warner School of Education and Human Development in 2002.

From the end of his undergraduate career through May, 2004, he served as an assistant coach for men’s and women’s track and field. As a member of the Rochester coaching staff, Albert worked primarily with the sprinters. The student-athletes whom he coached broke 20 school records, won four New York State championships, two ECAC championships, and three All-America honors. Albert also taught high school biology in the Sodus Central School District from 2002-2004. In August, 2004, he enrolled in a graduate degree program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He was awarded a master of arts in Exercise & Sport Science/Sport Administration in 2006.

He worked in the Tar Heel Athletic Department as a graduate assistant in Event Operations and Facilities and as a physical education instructor. He was actively involved in the planning and implementation of the 2005 Atlantic Coast Conference Indoor Track Championships, the 2006 ACC Softball Championships, and NCAA postseason events in soccer, baseball, tennis, field hockey, and volleyball. Albert worked at New York University as the Coordinator for the Violet Booster Club since August, 2006. In that role, he was responsible for all aspects of the development and alumni relations programs for NYU’s 21-sport athletic program. Additionally, he managed the athletics department’s annual fundraising campaign. In 2008-09, he was an assistant coach with the NYU men’s and women’s track and field programs.

Albert has long-standing ties to Western New York State. He is a native of North Tonawanda, N.Y. and an alumnus of North Tonawanda High School. He resides in Rochester with his wife Mackenzie.

Running at Rochester is a full-time occupation for Barbara Hartwig. She coaches the cross country plus indoor and outdoor track and field programs for women. The 2008-2009 academic year launches her 20th season with the Yellowjackets. Under Hartwig's tutelage, Rochester won a pair of UAA indoor track and field crowns (in 1990 and 1991) and a New York State indoor championship (2008). During her tenure, the Yellowjackets have hosted championships in UAA outdoor track and field, New York State cross country, indoor, and outdoor track and field, as well as the NCAA Cross Country Regionals and the UAA Cross Country Championships.

The recently-concluded 2007-08 year was one of the most successful for the year-long women’s program. Rochester had an individual qualifier for the NCAA National Cross Country Championships. The indoor track and field team won the New York State Collegiate Track Conference Championship. The outdoor team finished second in the NYSCTC event (which was hosted at Edwin Fauver Stadium).

Rochester sent two individuals to the NCAA Division III Outdoor National Championships and one competitor to the USA Track and Field Junior National Championships. The Yellowjacket track and field programs were each ranked nationally. Rochester athletes broke two indoor records and four outdoor records in the 2007-08 year.

More importantly, Rochester continued to earn the Team Academic Award from the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) for cumulative academic achievement in cross country plus track and field.

Hartwig was named the New York State Coach of the Year (by the New York State Collegiate Track Conference) for the 2007-08 indoor season. It was the second time she earned the State honor. She is a previous winner of the Region I Coach of the Year Award by USA Track and Field.

. Hartwig was installed as Division III President of the USTFCCCA in 2006 after spending consecutive three-year terms as Second Vice-President, then First Vice-President. She completed a four-year term as a member of the NCAA Division III Men's and Women's Track and Field Committee which oversees all three sports: cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field in 1998. During that time, she was the National Division III rules liaison.

She is the Historian for NYSCTC and has served as the Secretary of that organization. She completed a term as Sport Chair of NYSWCAA Cross Country and Track & Field. As Sport Coordinator #3, she was in charge of the cross country, indoor, and outdoor track and field programs.

In addition to her work with the women's cross country and track and field teams at the University, Hartwig has been the Director of the University's Instructional Sports Camp since 1998. She was the Assistant Director from 1992-93.

Hartwig came to the River Campus after two seasons of work as a graduate assistant coach at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. She also taught undergraduate physical education classes.

Prior to obtaining a Master's Degree in Athletic Administration, Hartwig taught and coached for six years at the scholastic level in Wisconsin.

The coach is a 1981 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse with dual B.S. degrees in Physical Education and Art Education. She was a four-year member of both the cross country and track and field teams. In her final year at LaCrosse, she served as an assistant cross country coach.

Hartwig has earned Level I and Level II Coaching Certification through USA Track and Field. She has also served as Women's Track and Field Chair for the Niagara Association of USA Track and Field.

John Izzo is in his tenth year as coach of the Yellowjacket Cross Country and Track teams. He came to the University from SUNY Brockport, where he coached the cross country and track and field programs for both men and women for 17 years.

Under his guidance, Rochester has finished highly in the New York State and ECAC Championships in the sports of cross country plus indoor and outdoor track and field. The Yellowjackets have succeeded admirably on the academic side as well. Rochester has repeatedly been recognized for collective academic achievement by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

The Yellowjacket program has also hosted several major championships since he arrived. In 2000, just two months after he came to the River Campus, Izzo co-hosted (with women's coach Barbara Hartwig) the 2000 NCAA Regional Qualifying meet for men and women. Rochester hosted the same meet again in 2005. In the spring of 2002 and in the spring of 2008, the Yellowjackets hosted the New York State Collegiate Track Conference (NYSCTC) outdoor championships at Edwin Fauver Stadium. Rochester is the site of the 2009 NYSCTC Cross Country Championships as well.

His skill at developing individuals is unrivaled. Rochester has sent individuals to the NCAA National Championship Meet in cross country and to the NCAA Division III Track and Field Championships. In both the 2007 and 2008 winter seasons, the Yellowjackets had an All-American in the weight throw.

A 1967 graduate of Brockport with a degree in education, he was inducted into Brockport’s Athletic Hall of Fame based on his undergraduate accomplishments during the mid-1960s. Izzo was a national qualifier in 1966 and 1967 and a New York State champion both indoors and outdoors in 1967. He was awarded the Brockport Alumni Association's highest honor, The Hall of Heritage in 1992.

Before joining the college coaching ranks. Izzo coached cross country (1969-1990) and track and field (1973-1977) at Brockport High School. His cross country team ran off a streak of 60 consecutive wins and four Sectional titles. In 2006, he was inducted into the Section V Cross Country Hall of Fame. He also taught European History at the high school for 31 years before retiring in 1998.

Coach Izzo is a member of the NCAA Division III Cross Country Coaches Association, the NCAA Division III Track & Field Coaches Association, and the U.S. Track Coaches Association. He is the current president of the New York State Collegiate Track Conference. He has also served as a private coach to numerous U.S.A. National Team athletes and nine national champions along with serving as team coach for three U.S.A. Track and Field international meets.

He was named the 2004-2005 Atlantic Region Coach of the Year for indoor and outdoor track by the USTFCCCA.

His interests extend beyond athletic competition. John Izzo is actively involved in the arts. He directed numerous theatrical productions, has written three screenplays, and is an active songwriter.

Paul Rose enters his fifth year on Rochester’s coaching staff. He is responsible for coaching the Yellowjacket throwers, and has advance knowledge in weightlifting/strength training.

The men’s and women’s throwing program has reached unprecedented levels of success under Coach Rose’s tutelage. He has coached two All-Americans and eight NCAA provisional qualifiers in his first four seasons at Rochester. The Yellowjacket throwers have captured two New York State Collegiate Track Conference championships and an ECAC championship since 2006, and the team has had numerous NYSCTC and ECAC qualifiers in the throwing events.

Prior to coming to the River Campus, Rose was an assistant men’s & women’s track & field coach at SUNY Brockport from 2000 to 2002, where he supervised the throwing events for the Golden Eagles. During that time, he coached an NCAA All-American, 6 NCAA qualifiers, 6 NYSCTC champions, 6 SUNYAC champions, and an ECAC champion.

A 1999 graduate of Brockport, Rose was a two-time NCAA automatic qualifier in the 35 lb. weight throw in 1998 and 1999. He is the former school record holder in that event, and holds a personal record of 19.22m. In 1999, he was also a provisional qualifier in the hammer throw, and has a personal record of 53.94m. He finished in the top 6 at State, Regional, and ECAC competitions a total of 41 times during his collegiate career.

Rose continues to compete yearly in the Empire State Games, and has been throwing competitively for 22 years.

Eric joined the University of Rochester staff in September 2009 as a men’s and women’s track and field coach. Bennett will work with pole vaulters, horizontal jumpers, and multi-event athletes.

Before joining the Yellowjacket staff, Bennett served as the assistant track and field coach at Elizabethtown College, his alma mater.

With Bennett on the coaching staff, Elizabethtown won eight Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Team Championships and made 14 NCAA Division III National Championship appearances. He coached the 2007 NCAA Division III Pole Vault Indoor Champion. Under Bennett’s tutelage, athletes earned five All-America honors and ten NCAA Division III National Championship qualifiers. Elizabethtown athletes broke 20 school records, won 19 MAC individual championships, and broke three MAC championship meet records. Seventeen student-athletes earned MAC All-Academic honors.

Bennett served as the Meet Director for the 2007 and 2009 MAC Championships. He was the Director of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Pole Vault Clinic in 2006 after previously serving as an instructor.

A 2004 graduate of Elizabethtown with a degree in Computer Science, Bennett was a two year captain (2003-2004) and the 2003 outdoor MAC Pole Vault Champion. He also medaled in the 2004 indoor and outdoor MAC Pole Vault competition. He was a member of three MAC championship teams.

Bennett is professionally associated with the Pole Vault Safety Certification Board, the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, and USA Track & Field.