Southwestern Community College has finalized positions related to the track and field and cross country programs for the 2020-21 season. The Spartans will look to Scott Vicker to be the director of cross country and track and field.
New to Vicker’s staff, as an assistant track and field coach for the 2020-21 season, is Southwestern alumnus and two-event school record-holder Jackson Shantz of Greenfield. With an emphasis on hurdlers and jumpers, Shantz will be joining a deep and talented coaching staff of Vicker, Mark Evans, and Trey Bruton.
Vicker, a lifetime resident of Creston, has a wealth of high school and collegiate athletic accolades. He was Creston High School’s first two-time Hawkeye 10 Conference cross country champion; a three-time individual state cross country qualifier; a two-time top-15 cross country finisher at state, including earning all-state by finishing 10th as a senior; a four-time state meet medalist in track, including runner-up in the 1,600; Drake Relays medalist in the 3,200; and Creston High School record holder in the 3,200 and 1,600.
During college, Vicker earned a Division I scholarship to Saint Louis University (SLU), competing in the Atlantic 10 Conference. He was a four-year scoring member of SLU’s cross country team and held school records in the indoor distance medley relay, outdoor 4x800 relay, and 3,000-meter steeple chase.
Shantz was most recently a graduate assistant coach for track and field at William Penn University. He lived in Creston growing up, before his family moved to Greenfield. He graduated from Nodaway Valley High School in May 2012 and attended Southwestern from 2012-14, before earning his bachelor’s degree in sports management at Graceland University and his master’s degree in business leadership from William Penn University.
While studying at William Penn, Shantz coached ten national qualifiers and two All-Americans. He was a national qualifier as a competitor for the Spartans and a four-time All-Conference competitor for the Graceland University Yellowjackets.