Lewis University Men’s and Women’s Track and Field Coach Dana Schwarting, came to Lewis as an assistant coach in 2002. He took over Head Coaching Duties in the spring of 2005 and has mentored 58 athletes who have earned over 147 All-American Awards during this time. Over the last ten seasons alone, the following athletes have earned National Championships.
Rebecca Preisler was the 2015 indoor Pole Vault Champion with a winning jump of 13-5 ¼ . At this same meet, Isaac Jean Paul, won the High Jump Title with a leap of 7-3. Amanda Farrough won the indoor 5,000m run with a winning time of 16:09.10. And, to cap off the 2017 outdoor season, Amber Cook took home an Outdoor National Title winning the Triple Jump with a leap of
42-3 ½
Isaac Jean-Paul went on to win the 2017 World Championships in the High Jump at the Paralympic Games in London. His leap of 7-1 ½ is the world record for the Paralympic High Jump.
Since 2003, the program has won 29 GLVC Indoor and Outdoor Team Titles. The men have taken home the championship trophy indoors in 2003, 2005, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017, 2024 and for outdoors in 2016. The women claimed Indoor titles in 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024 and Outdoors in 2003, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
Other NCAA Division II National Champions during Schwarting’s tenure include pole-vaulter Duane Chappell, who won 6 national titles; pole-vaulter Mark Zilch, the 2005 Division II indoor national champion and a 2005 U.S. Indoor National Championships qualifier
Schwarting came to Lewis after serving two years as men’s and women’s track and field head coach at Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa. At Morningside, he coached three national champions, three national runners-up and 19 Division II All-Americans. In addition, he coached the male and female 2001 Division II Indoor Athlete of the Year and the female 2001 Division II Outdoor Athlete of the Year.
Two of Schwarting’ s Morningside athletes, A.G. Kruger and Meredith Davis (Lang) qualified for the 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials in the hammer throw and heptathlon, respectively. Kruger went on to compete at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, 2008 in Beijing, and 2012 in London.
Schwarting earned bachelor’s (1996) and master’s (1998) degrees at the University of South Dakota. As a member of South Dakota’s track and field team, he earned four varsity letters competing as a decathlete, hurdler and long-jumper. He was a two-time North Central Conference champion and national qualifier in the 110-meter hurdles, and he earned all-conference honors in the decathlon, heptathlon and long jump. When he graduated, he held school records in the pentathlon and shuttle-hurdle relay.
Dana and wife Lisa reside in Joliet with sons Logan, Parker and Keegan.
