Head Cross Country Coach Jarvis Jelen is his seventh season with the ACU XC/TF program. He is responsible for the recruitment and training of the Wildcats' cross country and distance runners.
During the fall of 2022, Jelen helped veteran distance runner Irene Rono cement her place in Wildcat cross country history as she qualified for her third consecutive trip to the NCAA Championships.
Jelen By The Numbers with ACU Cross Country / Track and Field
• 1 Southland Conference Team Championship
2017 Women’s Cross Country
• 1 Southland Conference Team Runner-Up
2020 Women’s Cross Country
• 4 NCAA XC Nationals Qualifiers
Alexandria and Michaela Hackett (2017)
Irene Rono (2020, 2021, 2022)
Prudence Kiyeng (2021)
• 7 NCAA XC All-Region
Diana García Muñoz, Alexandria and Michaela Hackett (2017 Cross Country)
Briahna Gerlach and Kevin Kipkosgei (2019 Cross Country)
Irene Rono (2021, 2022 Cross Country)
Prudence Kiyeng (2021 Cross Country)
• 5 NCAA Track & Field Nationals Qualifiers (West Prelim)
Briahna Gerlach (2022 10K)
Irene Rono (2022 5K)
Irene Rono (2021 10K)
Ryan Cleary (2018 3K Steeplechase)
Ryan Cleary (2019 3k Steeplechase)
Alexandria Hackett (2018 10K)
Michaela Hackett (2018 10K)
• 1 WAC Conference Champion
Irene Rono (2021 Cross Country)
• 5 All-WAC Conference Performances
Briahna Gerlach
(2021: First Team Cross Country)
Prudence Kiyeng
(2021: First Team Cross Country)
Irene Rono
(2022: Second Team Indoor 3K)
(2022: Third Team Indoor 5K)
(2021: First Team Cross Country)
• 10 Southland Conference Champions
Irene Rono (2021 Outdoor 10k)
Irene Rono (2021 Outdoor 5k)
Irene Rono (2021 Indoor 3k)
Irene Rono (*2020 Cross Country)
Ryan Cleary (2018 3K Steeplechase)
Ryan Cleary (2019 3k Steeplechase
Alexandria Hackett (*2017 Cross Country)
Alexandria Hackett (2018 Outdoor 10K)
Michaela Hackett (2017 Indoor 3K)
Michaela Hackett (2017 Indoor 5K)
*Athlete of the Year
• 5 Southland Conference Student-Athletes of the Year
Irene Rono (2020 Cross Country)
Ryan Cleary (2019 Outdoor Track and Field)
Alexandria Hackett (2018 Indoor Track and Field)
Alexandria Hackett (2017 Cross Country)
Michaela Hackett (2017 Indoor Track and Field)
• 29 All-Southland Conference Performances
Ryan Cleary
(2019: First Team Outdoor 3K Steeplechase)
(2019: Third Team Outdoor 1,500m)
(2019: Second Team Indoor Mile)
(2018: First Team Outdoor 3K Steeplechase)
(2017: Second Team Cross Country)
Briahna Gerlach
(2019: Second Team Indoor Mile)
(2019: First Team Cross Country)
(2021: Third Team Cross Country)
Diana García Muñoz
(2017: First Team Cross Country)
Carnley Graham
(2018: Second Team Cross Country)
(2017: Second Team Cross Country)
(2019: Second Team Cross Country)
Alexandria Hackett
(2018: First Team Outdoor 10K)
(2018: Second Team Outdoor 5K)
(2018: Second Team Indoor 3K)
(2018: Second Team Indoor 5K)
(2017: First Team Cross Country)
Michaela Hackett
(2018: Third Team Outdoor 10K)
(2018: First Team Outdoor 5K
(2018: Third Team Indoor 3K)
(2018: Third Team Indoor 5K)
(2017: First Team Cross Country)
Kevin Kipkosgei
(2019: First Team Cross country)
Denis Lagat
(2019: First Team Cross Country)
Irene Rono
(2021: First Team Cross Country)
(2021: First Team Indoor 3K)
(2021: Third Team Indoor 5K)
(2021: First Team Outdoor 5k)
(2021: First Team Outdoor 10k)
• 10 Southland Conference All-Academic Student-Athletes
Cross Country
Ryan Cleary (2016, 2017)
Brielle Collett (2016)
Diana García Muñoz (2017)
Briahna Gerlach (2019)
Carnley Graham (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019)
Alexandria Hackett (2017)
Michaela Hackett (2017)
Kevin Kipkosgei (2019)
Reid Rivers (2016)
Irene Rono (2020)
Track and Field
Sierra Bennett (2018)
Ryan Cleary (2017, 2018, 2019)
Carnley Graham (2017, 2018, 2019)
Alexandria Hackett (2018)
Michaela Hackett (2018)
Reid Rivers (2017)
Irene Rono (2021)
• 3 WAC Conference Athletes of the Week Citations
Irene Rono (Sept. 21, 2022)
Irene Rono (Oct. 18, 2021)
Irene Rono (Oct. 5, 2021)
• 14 Southland Conference Athletes of the Week Citations
Irene Rono (Apr. 22, 2021)
Irene Rono (Mar. 31, 2021)
Irene Rono (Feb. 4, 2021)
Briahna Gerlach (May 1, 2019)
Briahna Gerlach (Sept. 24, 2019)
Carnley Graham (Oct. 9, 2018)
Carnley Graham (Sept. 25, 2018)
Carnley Graham (Sept. 4, 2018)
Kevin Kipkosgei (Sept. 4, 2018)
Kevin Kipkosgei (Oct. 22, 2019)
Alexandria Hackett (Jan. 17, 2018)
Michaela Hackett (Oct. 17, 2017)
Alexandria Hackett (Sept. 19, 2017)
Michaela Hackett (Sept. 5, 2017)
• 10 WAC All-Academic Fall Honorees (2021-22)
• 135 Southland Conference Commissioner’s Honor Roll mentions
Prior to ACU
A collegiate and high school head coach with more than a decade's worth of experience, Jelen joined Lance Bingam's staff at ACU during the summer of 2016 following two successful seasons as the assistant cross country/track and field coach at King University – a NCAA DII school based in Bristol, Tenn.
In his tenure with the Tornado men and women, Jelen directly coached three all-region award winners 10 all-conference student-athletes. Two track school records were broken during his tenure and his student-athletes earned a combined eight academic honors at the conference and national level.
Prior to his arrival at King, Jelen was the women's head cross country coach at NCAA DIII Cedar Crest in Allentown, Pa., for the 2014-15 season, and served as a graduate assistant coach in 2013-14 for South Dakota State. Five of his student-athletes at Cedar Crest achieved personal records in the 6K as the team earned All-Academic recognition from the USTFCCCA.
While at South Dakota State,
Jelen coached three all-conference student-athletes in the steeplechase while the men's cross country team won the Summit League championship led by All-America Trent
Lusignan. The women's team finished as the conference runner-up, and overall the distance program collected 21 all-conference awards between cross country and track and field.
Jelen's additional coaching stops include two assistant coaching stints with Sioux Falls Lincoln High School in South Dakota and one season at Liberty Christian Academy.
Personal
As a student-athlete, Jelen made the Big South's All-Decade Cross Country Team for the 2000's as he was a six-time all-conference honoree and an all-region selection for Liberty XC in 2007. He also made the league's Presidential Honor Roll on three occasions.
Jelen began his collegiate career at Augustana College, where he was a DII Academic All-America following the 2004-05 season.
At the high school level, Jelen was a three-time XC/Track state champion for Lincoln High School.
Jelen earned his Bachelor of Science degree in kinesiology: fitness specialist from Liberty University in 2009. He is a certified USATF Level I coach.
Jelen and his wife, Emily, have three sons: Judah, Shepherd and Keane, and a daughter, Rosie.
