CHICAGO, IL (August 16, 2010)– Skip Stolley, Director of Track & Field and Cross Country for North Park University, has announced the hiring of two new part-time assistant coaches for the 2010-2011 school year—David Valentine and Dominique Jacobs.

David Valentine will be a part-time assistant coach for track and cross country, and an administrative assistant for Skip Stolley and Head Women's Coach, Tracey McGarry.  While at North Park he was the 1983 NCAA Division-III National Champion in the 10,000 meters and is the current North Park school record holder in five indoor/outdoor distance events.  While at Glenbrook North H.S., he was a nationally-ranked distance runner and a 3-time IHSA Sectional Track & Field/Cross Country Champion, and All-State performer.   As a post-collegian, he was sponsored by the Converse Chicago Racing Team and won more than ninety (90) road races.

"David has 23 years experience in the financial services industry and has been with the Alliant Credit Union in Chicago since 2003."

Previously, he was an assistant track/cross country coach at North Park University from 1992-94.  Skip Stolley adds, “ Since my arrival last fall, Dave has been very supportive of our athletes and our vision for advancing our track and cross country programs to the next level.  Last year he was a volunteer official for our home meets and attended most of our away indoor/outdoor meets, where he assisted us with filming the technical events.  He also attended numerous high school invitationals, conference meets and sectionals to recruit on our behalf.  Dave bleeds gold & blue and is a great addition to our coaching staff.”

David says, "Hard work and faith in Jesus Christ will always point you in the right direction.  It's guided me my entire life.”  He and his wife, Carlota, live in Round Lake, IL.

Dominique Jacobs will be a track and field graduate assistant coach.  While working towards her M.A. degree in Education, her track & field responsibilities will include coaching the horizontal jumps and working with the Viking heptathletes and decathletes.

Dominique qualified for the Florida State Championships in four sprint and jump events while at Pinellas Park High School in Largo. She accepted an athletic scholarship to South Plains College in Texas, where she became a multi-event athlete competing in the heptathlon, long jump and triple jump.  After being the 2007 Indoor National Junior College champion in the long jump, runner-up in the triple jump, and placing second and third respectively in those events at the 2007 NJCAA Outdoor Championships, she accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Oklahoma.

There, she specialized in the jumps, graduating in May 2010 with a 3.0 GPA and a B.A. degree in sociology after being an NCAA West Regional qualifier in the triple jump and ranking #6 on OU's all-time performers list. 

“Dominique was a great candidate for our graduate assistant position and will be a major asset in developing our long jumpers and triple jumpers and helping us to recruit in all event areas, says Head Women's Track Coach, Tracey McGarry.”