PVCC Puma Press: October 2003

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	Photo by Stephen Harding
	Athletic Specialist Todd Lehman advises Jennifer Darnell at track and field practice.
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PVCC has a new athletic specialist this semester, Todd Lehman, whose job it will be to specialize in training PVCC's pole vaulters and other track and field athletes.

Lehman is not a newcomer to pvcc athletics. He has been in the department for five years. Up until now, he says, his major function has been managing the sports equipment in the department, but this semester he took on the position of athletic specialist.

He says that he will still help to manage the equipment a "limited amount, some management for games and meets," but that his primary job will now be to specialize in track and field events and pole vaulting.

Lehman graduated from USC in 1992 and went on from there to work at the Air Force Academy and then Indiana State University. He came to PVCC in 1998 and in addition to managing equipment, he has been working with track and cross country coach, David Barney, training the track team and pole vaulters.

Lehman says his new position will include many of the duties and responsibilities he already had, but he hopes to be able to reach the athletes at the college now on "more of a one on one level outside of just coaching."

He says that he wants to be able to help athletes to focus on academics as well as athletics and winning. Lehman emphasizes the athletic department's requirement of academic success and progress among its athletes. He points out that students must maintain a 3.0 GPA, and if they fall below that figure, they must attend study halls.

He further says that if student athletes' GPA's fall below a 2.0, they are not allowed to compete in sports at all until they bring the GPA back up to the 3.0 minimum. While Lehman says he wants to be able to help guide students in academics, he also emphasizes the need for athletic training.

Lehman says he is "always looking toward the end product" when it comes to athletic training. He says the students bring "tons of energy" to the department and that he sees a lot of promise in PVCC's athletics this semester.

Lehman says that students' athletic performance this semester has been so high that he is expecting the track team to go to the National Junior College Athletic Association outdoor championships and other national championships as well.

The NJCAA outdoor championships in track and field will be held in Levelland, Texas on May 6-8, and the indoor championships will be held in Manhattan, Kansas on March 5 and 6.

On Nov. 20-23, PVCC will be hosting the NJCAA Women's Soccer Championship at the Rose Mofford Sports Complex in Phoenix. Lehman says that the department will be putting a lot of effort into practices and training the women's soccer team for that event. He says that during the week of Oct. 6-10, pre-season testing was done to evaluate where the teams are at this point in the semester.

"All of our focus is towards qualifying these kids and getting them to the championships," Lehman says.