Ken Ciolek begins his third season as an assistant coach with the Marietta College track and field and cross country programs.
Ciolek was named the Great Lakes Region Women's Assistant Coach of the Year during the 2010 indoor season. Two of his student-athletes provisionally qualified for the NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Championship. He also coached a pair of Marietta student-athletes at the 2010 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championship, including sophomore Mike Pankowski, who earned All-America honors with a fifth place finish in the Javelin Throw. Ciolek also participated in the 2010 USA Track & Field/US Olympic Committee Emerging Elite Coaches Training Camp this past summer at the US Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif.
Ciolek maintains a solid coaching resume, having coached at both the high school and collegiate levels. He spent two years as an assistant coach at SUNY-Brockport. During his time with the Golden Eagles, Ciolek guided eight national qualifiers, including three All-America honorees and the 2008 national champion in the indoor triple jump.
In addition to his duties at SUNY-Brockport, he has also served as an assistant coach with the Western New York Roadrunners, a local running club, for two years. Ciolek also assisted two different programs at the high school level for five seasons where he coached 16 national qualifiers, including a national champion in the high jump.
"I look forward to continuing the progress that was made last season and obtaining even great heights,” Ciolek said. “I feel that with the returners that we have along with some outstanding incoming freshmen that we will be able to continue to be a mainstay on the national and conference levels."
Ciolek received a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from SUNY-Brockport in 2007. A two-time national qualifier in both the javelin and decathlon, he earned All-America honors in the javelin after finishing second as a senior. During his two years with the Golden Eagles, Ciolek was named All-State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) on eight different occasions. He currently holds the school and conference record in the javelin.
Ciolek began his collegiate career at Buffalo State, where he earned All- New York State Collegiate Track Conference Association (NYSCTCA) honors 10 times. He also held the Buffalo State record in the javelin, decathlon and heptathlon.
"Ken is a great fit for this program with his experience in D-III track and field. His experience with national caliber athletes will help us keep moving our program closer to a conference championship and national prominence."
Ciolek, who lives in Marietta, has an USATF level II certification with a concentration in jumps, sprints, hurdles and relays. He is also a USATF level 1 certified instructor.
