Aquinas College

Dave Wood begins his 21st season as the Head Track & Field Coach. Wood's tenure has been nothing short of phenomenal. He has directed the men's and women's programs from the basement in the Wolverine Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) to the head of the pack. The Saints' have won twenty WHAC indoor and outdoor team titles since 1998. Success under Wood's direction hasn't been limited to the conference level. Competing at the NAIA National Championships both indoors and outdoors, Saints' athletes earned All-American honors 75 times including four NAIA National Champions and four runners-up finishes during Wood's tenure. Those accomplishments have earned Wood seven NAIA Regional Coach of the Year awards. The Saints' success under Wood's direction comes as no surprise. The 1972 Michigan Class A mile champion and a middle distance standout at Central Michigan University, Wood has been developing team and individual champions at the high school, junior college and collegiate level since his first coaching assignment at Grand Rapids Union High School, his alma mater, in 1976. A USATF Level II certified coach in the sprints and hurdles, Wood came to Aquinas after an outstanding twelve-year stint as Head Cross Country and Track & Field Coach at Ferris State University. Wood was honored with a total of 10 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) "Coach of the Year" awards while guiding the Bulldogs to 11 GLIAC Championships in cross country and track & field. In addition to having his teams consistently ranked in the NCAA II top 20, Wood was recognized four times as NCAA II Great Lakes Region "Coach of the Year". His success at the national level was highlighted by 35 All-Americans, three National Champions and a seventh place finish at the NCAA II Outdoor Track & Field Championships during his tenure as Ferris State's coach.