The Brock Badgers promoted Jac Harris to head coach of the track and field program on Wednesday, Aug. 11.

Harris (BKin ’14) has served as assistant coach of the Brock track and field teams since 2015.

“I’ve poured my heart and soul into this program as a coach and athlete for the past decade and am thrilled to step into the head coach role and continue to lead and develop the program further,” Harris said. “In a male-dominated field, I think female leadership and representation is important, and I’m happy to be among many fantastic women coaching sport.”

Harris guided the Badgers to five Top 10 finishes at the OUA Championships as head sprints coach during the 2019-20 season. The team set five new program records along the way and had a sprinter, Tyrell Smikle, compete at the U SPORTS Championships in the 60m dash.

As a student-athlete, Harris was named MVP twice while earning her Bachelor of Kinesiology (Honours) degree at Brock.

“We’re very fortunate to have Jac take the helm of our varsity track and field program. It is important for us to continue to provide leadership for our student-athletes that provides gender equity and diversity,” said Melissa Krist, Director, Brock Sports. “We look forward to Jac’s wealth of experience in creating an exceptional student-athlete experience.”

Boasting an indoor and outdoor athletics facility, Harris expects the new Canada Games Park at Brock to impact the team’s ability to recruit high-profile prospects profoundly.

“For prospective student-athletes, the new facility may be the missing piece of the puzzle when they’re choosing their preferred institution,” Harris said. “We foresee Canada Games Park will draw in additional high-calibre recruits and help build on our successes at championship meets.”

Harris grew up in Jordan, Ont. and graduated from Beamsville District Secondary School, where she was a five-time, Top 10 finisher at the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations Track and Field Championships. She won a silver and bronze in the 400m dash.

Harris is looking forward to working with Kevin Moore, who was recently named head coach of the cross-country program.

“As collaborating coaches, we look to create a bridge between our two programs, allowing a smooth transition for our distance runners as they move from the cross-country season into the indoor track season,” Harris said. “We’re excited to see what the future holds for our student-athletes.”