Head Coach - Phil Thompson
The 2025-26 season will be Phil Thompson's 11th season as the Head Coach for the men's and women's track and field programs. Before that, Thompson served as an assistant coach for three seasons under previous coach Brian Yowler. Thompson also serves as the Head Coach for the men's and women's cross country team, and the 2025 season will be his seventh year in charge.
Thompson was named the Presidents' Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 2017 after the men's program won the Outdoor PAC Championship. In 2018, the men's program captured both the Indoor and Outdoor PAC Championships, and Thompson was named the PAC Coach of the Year for both seasons. Also in 2018, under Thompson's coaching, hurdler Nicole Bartoletta became Geneva's first ever NCAA National Champion when she won the indoor 60 meter hurdles at the NCAA Division III National Championships. In 2019, the men's program once again won both the Indoor and Outdoor PAC Championships, and the program captured its six straight PAC Championship in 2020 when it won the Indoor PAC Championship. Thompson received PAC Coach of the Year honors for each of those seasons as well. Then in the 2021 outdoor season, the Geneva men won their seventh straight PAC Championship, and Thompson again won PAC Coach of the Year honors. Under Thompson's leadership, 46 men's and women's school records have already been broken during his tenure as Head Coach. He has also coached multiple student-athletes on to the NCAA Division III National Championship meet, most recently Jack Garvin who advanced in the high jump to the 2024 Indoor NCAA Division III National Championships.
On the cross country side, during the 2019 season the women's cross country program put together its best season in school history, narrowly finishing second at the PAC Championship. The women's program broke the team school record time at a meet at Lock Haven earlier in the season. In the 2021 spring season, the men had their highest finish, third overall, at a PAC Championship. Over the past six seasons, the women's program has finished in the top three at the PAC Championships every year. In addition, Carmen Medvit qualified for the NCAA Division III National Championship Meet in both 2022 and 2023, while Hailey Carroll qualified for the NCAA Division III National Championships in 2023, the first times a Geneva cross country runner has made it to the national championship meet. On the men's side, the men's program has finished in the top three in the PAC Championships twice in recent years, and in 2023 Kevin Arseneaux captured the first individual PAC Championship for either the men or women since Geneva joined the PAC in 2011.
Thompson's simple but passionate vision has been built from a variety of experiences, all starting locally at New Castle's Shenango school district. It was there that Thompson started running cross country in 7th grade and over time set his sights on track and field. His track and field career took him to the state finals all four years in high school and has led him to be the most decorated distant runner in Robert Morris University history, including a first-place finish in the Mississippi half marathon.
Thompson is both a USATF and USTFCCCA Level 1 Certified Coach, including being USTFCCCA Level 2 Certified in throws, sprints, hurdles, and relays. He also has a Performance Enhancing Specialist Certificate.
Thompson lives in New Castle, PA, with his wife Sarah and his son Dash.
Coach Thompson can be contacted by email at prthomps@geneva.edu or by phone at 724-847-6761
