Head Coach Dan Tomlin

Dan Tomlin is entering his first season as the head coach for both the men's and women's track and field teams.

The past two seasons, Tomlin has served as an assistant coach both for the track and field teams, and cross country teams.

As an assistant coach, Tomlin led five different athletes to conference titles in two seasons in the pole vault and hurdle events.

His athletes are responsible for breaking three school records.

Tomlin is a graduate of St. Ambrose University (2005), where he was a four-time letter winner for the Fighting Bees track and field team, and a two-time letter winner for the cross country team.

He was named MVP of the track team his junior and senior seasons.

As a college athlete, Tomlin was a conference champion three times during the outdoor season, winning the decathlon twice and the pole vault conference crown his senior season. He was also just the fifth Fighting Bee to earn NAIA Academic All-American honors for scholastic and athletic success.

Tomlin is originally from Peoria Notre Dame High School (2001) where he enjoyed success as a letter winner on the golf and baseball teams.

To contact Coach Tomlin, email TomlinDanielD@sau.edu

Assistant Coach Dan Zeimet

Dan Zeimet begins his fourth season as the head coach of the St. Ambrose University men’s and women’s cross country teams. Coach Zeimet brings twelve years of coaching experience to this position. Zeimet also serves as the Assistant Track Coach at St. Ambrose.

From 1999-2002, Zeimet served as the Head Cross Country Coach at Assumption High School, Davenport, IA. At Assumption, his boy’s squad finished in the top 5 at the Iowa state meet in 2001 and 2002 while also winning the Boys Mississippi Athletic Conference Championship in 2001. Zeimet was named Iowa Class 2A Boy’s Southeastern Area Coach of the Year in 2001. Zeimet was named Midwest Classic Conference Women's Coach of the Year in 2004 and again in 2005.

Zeimet, a '91, '96 MBA alum, was a 2-time XC national qualifier at Ambrose. He was inducted into the St. Ambrose Athletic Hall of Fame in 2000. He also serves as the University Registrar. Coach Zeimet and his wife, Melissa, have two children, Tyler James and Leah Rose.

Assistant Coach Ryan Saddler

Ryan Saddler begins his sixth season as coach for sprints. Saddler is a native of Waterloo, IA where he graduated from East High School in 1991. He later graduated from St. Ambrose in 1995 with two undergraduate degrees: a BS Degree in Biology and a BA Degree in Psychology. Currently, Coach Saddler is the Director for Students with Disabilities at St. Ambrose.

He had been Head Coach for the four seasons between 2000-2003. Saddler’s Head Coaching career began in 2000 when he picked up the pieces from the prolific 19 season’s Coach Kevin Rose invested in rebuilding the Track and Field program. Saddler ran for four years under Coach Rose before serving as his Assistant Coach for three years.

Coach Saddler was named the 2000 MCC Women's Coach of the Year, the 2001 MCC Women's Coach of the Year, and also honored as the 2000 MCC Men's Coach of the Year.

On the National level he qualified three women to the NAIA Indoor Championships while two qualified for the Outdoor Championships. Five men qualified for the NAIA Indoor Championships and the one that qualified for the Outdoor Championships brought back a fourth place finish and the All-American Honor.

Saddler also coached Rob Firrell to a National Championship in the 35# Weight Throw in 2003, only the schools second national championship, and the first for the track and field team.

While at St. Ambrose, Saddler was involved in various activities such as: Athletics, the Black Student Union, the Gospel Choir, Residence Life, and the University Choral. During his athletic career, Saddler was a four-year starting defensive back for the Fighting Bee football team and a two-time national qualifier in track and field.

Assistant Coach Rob Firrell

Rob Firrell begins his second seasons as an assistant coach for the Bees in the throwing events.

A very successful first season saw Firrell send a thrower to nationals during the indoor season in the weight throw and the outdoor season in the hammer and discus.

 At the men’s conference meet, Firrell had two throwers in the top three in three of the four events, including a conference champion in the hammer throw.

At the women’s meet Firrell had two girls score in the top six in three of the four events.

 Firrell finished third in the shot put his senior year at Davenport West, before later garnering two All-American honors during the indoor season and conference championships in the hammer throw and shot put in his senior outdoor campaign.