Head Coach Dan Tomlin

Dan Tomlin is entering his third season as the head coach for both the men's and women's track and field teams in 2009.

Tomlin was named Midwest Collegiate Conference Men's Track and Field Coach of the Year in 2008.

During his first two years as head coach, Tomlin's athletes have broken 40 school records while also maintaining cumulative GPA's above 3.0.

Tomlin has coached athletes to 27 Midwest Collegiate Conference Individual Championships while also winning the men's team title in 2008. Tomlin has also coached athletes to two All-American finishes and seven top 15 finishes at the NAIA National Championships.

The Fighting Bees have also qualified numerous relays for the Drake Relays, including top 10 finishes by the men (10th in '08) and women (6th in '09) shuttle hurdle relays.

Tomlin's student-athletes have seen major success in the classroom as well, as 12 men and women have been named Academic All-Americans.

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.

To contact Coach Tomlin, email TomlinDanielD@sau.edu

Dan Zeimet

Head Cross Country Coach, Asst. Track & Field Coach - Mid-Distance

Dan Zeimet is the head men's and women's cross country coach for the Fighting Bees, and also serves as the assistant coach for track, working with the middle-distance crew.

Since being named head cross country coach in 2003, the Fighting Bees have seen its programs become the highly-regarded teams they are today. In the past six seasons, Zeimet’s cross country teams have won the Midwest Collegiate Conference five times. (Men-'06,'07,'08, Women- '04,'05) During that time, he has sent one team and seven individuals on to the NAIA National XC Championships along with 30+ athletes earning academic scholar honors. 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, a '91 BA, '96 MBA alum, ran both track and cross country for four years for the Fighting Bees and was a 2-time XC national qualifier. 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.

Ryan Saddler

Asst. Track & Field Coach - Sprints

Ryan Saddler is a former head coach of the Fighting Bee men's and women's track and field teams, and works primarily with the sprinters and relays.

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 also 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 stepped in to continue 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.

Rob Firrell

Asst. Track & Field Coach - Throws

Rob Firrell begins his fourth season as an assistant coach for the Bees in the throwing events, after three very successful seasons, and a college career that included an NAIA National Championship.

Under Firrell, Bee throwers have placed 73 times in Conference competition, with 9 conference championships. He has also coached 6 school record holders, and qualified a thrower 6 times to the NAIA National Indoor and Outdoor Track Meets.

A Graduate of Davenport West, Firrell threw at both the Drake Relays and the State Meet, where he finished 3rd in the Shot Put. At St. Ambrose, Firrell won MCC conference titles in both the Shot Put and Hammer Throw, as well as placing in the Discus. He still owns many meet records, including the Midwest Collegiate Conference record in the Hammer Throw.

He qualified two times to both the NAIA National Indoor Meet and NAIA National Outdoor Meet. Firrell is a 2-Time All American in the Weight Throw. He finished 3rd his junior year, and won the NAIA National Championship in his senior campaign.

Firrell graduated in 2003 as one of St. Ambrose most decorated athletes in school history. He was selected as the team MVP his Junior and Senior year, served as the teams captain his senior year, and won The Fighting Bee Award, the highest honor bestowed on a student-athlete, his senior year. He still holds the school records in the men's weight throw and the men's hammer throw.

Beth Cunningham

Graduate Asst. Track & Field Coach - Long Distance

Beth Cunningham is entering her first season as assistant coach to both the men’s and women’s cross country and track team in 2008-09. Cunningham comes to St. Ambrose after receiving her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Central College.

While at Central, Cunningham excelled in both cross country and track. In 2004-2005, she was an IIAC Indoor Conference Champion in the 5k (in 2004) and in the 3k (in 2005). Also in 2005, she was nominated for the NCAA Woman of the Year.

Cunningham is originally from Davenport, Iowa, and graduated from Davenport Central High School in 2001. She was assistant track and field coach from 2005-06 at Central College. Cunningham comes to SAU from Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pa., where she was the assistant coach for cross country and track and field from 2006-2007.

Molli Hermiston

Graduate Asst. Track & Field Coach - Strength & Conditioning

Molli Hermiston is in her first year as a Graduate Assistant for the Fighting Bees Track & Field program, serving primarily as the strength and conditioning coach as well as a multi-events coach.

Molli has a Bachelors of Science Degree in Exercise Science and is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist.  She currently works at Genesis Power Sports Performance as a Sports Performance Coach and Personal Trainer while pursuing a Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership at St. Ambrose University.

Molli was a four-year varsity student-athlete for Elmhurst College competing in the heptathlon, javelin, high jump, and the women’s 4x400m relay.  She was a CCIW Conference Champion and National Qualifier in the Javelin in 2005 and won many All-Conference titles throughout her career in the heptathlon, javelin, and high jump.

She is originally from Eldridge, Iowa and went to North Scott High School where she played Volleyball and ran Track & Field and was a State and Drake Qualifier in the high jump.

	Marcus Simpao Graduate Assistant