SAN RAFAEL, Calif. —  Larry Schwartz has been chosen to guide the newly reintroduced men's and women's cross country programs at Dominican University of California.

Schwartz, with more than 12 years of experience as a competitor and a coach at the high school and college level, has been named the first men's and women's cross country coach since 1998, Director of Athletics Terry Tumey announced Monday. Schwartz will lead the Penguins into their inaugural season of NCAA Division II competition in the fall of 2010 and increase Dominican's number of intercollegiate sports to 12.

“We believe, with Larry's background, experience and unique approach to running, Dominican can establish a solid foundation for our new cross country program,” Tumey said. “We are pleased to have Larry on board with us as we continue to strive to meet our goals and expectations in NCAA Division II and Pacific West Conference competition.”

Schwartz, who joined Dominican in 2007 as Associate Director of Graduate and Pathways Admissions, graduated from Ukiah High School then earned his AA in Psychology in 2001 from Mendocino College where he was named “Re-Entry Student-Athlete of the Year .” He earned his BS in Human Development with a Minor in Exercise Science three years later at UC Davis then , in 2007, received his M/Ed. in Psychology with a concentration in Athletic Counseling from Springfield (Mass.) College.
At Springfield, Schwartz was the graduate assistant coach for both men's cross country and track and field. He specialized in distance, jumps, sprints/hurdles and multi-events. He helped the men's team to third-place (2006) and second-place (2007) finishes in the New England Men's and Women's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) championship; fifth (2006) and third (2007) finishes at NCAA Division III New England championships; and finished fifth (2006) and second (2007) in the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC), as well as leading individuals to NCAA Div. III Nationals in sprints, throwing and decathlon.

Schwartz hopes to bring the same consistency of success to Dominican's cross country programs.
“I expect to hit the ground running, competitively,” Schwartz said. “This program will be competitive within the first two years.  Once Dominican is officially out of the exploratory/candidacy phases of the NCAA transition, we aim to be contending for a post-season conference title and lead  our teams to NCAA D-II Nationals.”

Schwartz's athletic background ranges from cross country running to basketball to competitive roller skating at the national level to soccer to cycling to triathlons (he was one of the founding members of the UC Davis Triathlon Team in 2002) to table tennis to tennis, which he played all four years at Ukiah High.
“Out of all of them distance running was the one sport that gave me the most enjoyment. Not just for competitive reasons, but it became more of a lifestyle choice which pushed me into becoming a student of the sport,” said Schwartz, who also teaches undergraduate courses in the Psychology and Business departments at Dominican.

Along the way, Schwartz has raced in the Pacific Association of USATF and  has received nationally-recognized coaching certifications through USA Track and Field as well as Road Runners Club of America. His presentations related to running/coaching were for the USA Triathlon at a USAT Level 1. He also  taught the psychology portion and nutrition portion for the Connecticut State Coaching Certification, required by all club and high school level coaches, in 2005.

These certifications, along with personal experience as an athlete/coach and higher education studies, has led Schwartz  to develop a clearer understanding of the sport of running. His main focus is form and efficiency. He has studied  biomechanics and exercise physiology.

“To this day I continue to learn about running and better ways to become a more educated coach,” Schwartz said. “One of my goals for this cross country program is to help establish and instill Dominican's values to student-athletes to help them compete academically, athletically, and in life by putting one foot after the other. It's about understanding the process, not just the outcome.”