Cross Country Coaches

Head Coach

Nick Hartz

nicholas.r.hartz@svcc.edu

In his 8^th season as the Head Coach, Nick Hartz looks to add his experience and knowledge to the very successful Cross Country program. He is a USATF Level II Coach in Endurance and Sprints, Hurdles, and Relays.
In his first season as the head coach, he won the NJCAA Region IV Coach of the Year as the Women’s team won the Region IV Meet and was also named the NJCAA Division I Midwest Region Coach of the Year. Prior to his time as head coach, he was an assistant on the cross country staff for four seasons, and helped coach the athletes to many great performances with multiple qualifiers to the national meet.
Coach Hartz is a 1996 graduate of Bureau Valley High School. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in History from Monmouth College in 2000 and a Master’s of Education in Educational Psychology from the University of Illinois in 2007. He is currently a teacher at Bureau Valley Junior High School.

Assistant Coach

Mike Sullivan

michael.d.sullivan@svcc.edu

Now in his 24^th year as a coach for the Skyhawk Cross Country program, Mike Sullivan continues to build a running program with over 30 years of experience to his credit. Coach Sullivan was the NJCAA Region IV 2015 Cross Country Coach of the Year. He also officiates area IHSA track meets each spring and was named the Honorary Referee for the 2016 IHSA State Meet.
Sullivan holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Occupational Education from SIU and currently resides in Sterling with his wife, Pat. They have three children, five grandchildren, a great granddaughter, and a great grandson.

Assistant Coach

Aaron Roe

aaron.r.roe@svcc.edu

Coach Roe brings many years of experience coaching cross country. Coach Roe was an assistant and head coach for cross country at Spoon River College for four years and an assistant coach at Moraine Valley Community College in both Cross Country and Track for three years. Coach Roe has helped many athletes achieve both academic and athletic success over the years, with many national qualifiers in the programs. While coaching is very fulfilling, Coach Roe still enjoys chasing his own personal challenges. Coach Roe has competed in 16 marathons and has recently ventured into the world of ultramarathon racing. He trained this past year in running various distances ranging from 50K to 12-hour endurance races and is preparing for his first 100 mile race this October. Coach Roe, a 2006 graduate of Byron High School, graduated with his Bachelors in Business Marketing and Management from North Central College in 2010 and a Masters in Entrepreneurship in 2012. He is currently the Director of Research and Planning at Sauk Valley Community College.