Michael Bartolina
Assistant Track and Field Coach
Phone: (985) 549-5187
Email:
michael.bartolina@selu.edu
Michael Bartolina, one of the premier pole vault coaches in the nation, is in the third year of his second stint as an assistant coach with the Southeastern track and field programs.
Bartolina, who started his college coaching career with the Lions as as a graduate assistant in 1992-93, will oversee the Lions’ and Lady Lions’ jumps and combined event athletes as well as co-oordiante the cross country programs.
During Bartolina’s tenure, the Southeastern track program produced six regional and one national qualifier in the jumps and combined events, including an All-American performance from Avery Sorapuru in the 2006 Men’s Long Jump.
Before joining the Southeastern coaching staff, Bartolina spent three years as National Equipment Manager/Texas Regional Manager for Carlinville, Ill.-based First to the Finish, Inc. Working for the second-largest track and field supply company in the United States, Bartolina managed the equipment division and oversaw all sales and promotional activities within the state of Texas.
Prior to his time in the private sector, Bartolina spent two seasons as assistant track coach at McNeese State where he coached the combined events and jumps and served as recruiting coordinator. Among his pupils was standout decathlete Kristian Rahnu, who was ranked second in the nation in 2002 and competed in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.
Before taking the job at McNeese, Bartolina served as head coach at Ranger (Texas) College where he led the team to three finishes in the top three at the JUCO National Meet. He coached Sylvia Chelimo, the 1999 JUCO national champion in cross country and Cameal Rhule, who established a JUCO record for points scored by a heptathlete at the national meet.
Bartolina, a 1992 graduate of the University of Central Oklahoma, began his coaching career as assistant track coach at Edmund Memorial (Okla.) High School before moving to Southeastern for the 1992-93 season where he served as a graduate assistant and coached former Lions pole vaulter and current Southeastern head coach Sean Brady.
Bartolina returned to his home state, taking a position as assistant coach at Edmund North High School before becoming head coach at Brazosport (Texas) High School. Bartolina also spent one season as an assistant coach at Texas-Pan American, where he coached the sprinters and jumpers while also serving as recruiting coordinator.
Bartolina, who has USA Track and Field Level I certification and Level II certification in jumps and multi events, competed in track at OSU from 1987-90.
A native of Edmund, Okla., Bartolina is married to the former Erica Boren, a former standout pole vaulter at Texas A&M and fourth-place finisher at the 2005 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships. He has a son, Ethan (8).
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