Story by Kevin Juday, Elmhurst College
ELMHURST, Ill. -- After spending the past two seasons as the head coach of Elmhurst College's women's cross country and track and field teams, Jordan Bartolazzi will also begin coaching the men's cross country and track and field programs as Elmhurst's head coach of cross country and track & field.
Bartolazzi takes over the men's coaching duties after Jim Akita resigned following the 2018-19 season.
"I am thrilled to have the opportunity to be lead the men's program," said Bartolazzi.
"I am a product of the program and enjoyed some of the best years of my life as a member of the team. I learned so much from Coach Akita during my time as his athlete and colleague, and it's an honor to succeed him in this role."
Bartolazzi took over coaching the women's cross country team prior to the 2017 season. After placing eighth at the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) Championships in 2017, Bartolazzi guided the Bluejays to a fifth-place finish last season with Elita Spadlowski and Emily Gilligan both taking home all-conference honors.
In track and field, Bartolazzi has more than doubled the size of Elmhurst's roster since he took over the reins of the program, growing the squad to more than 50 student-athletes in just over two recruiting seasons. Gilligan earned a pair of all-conference honors in 2018 in Bartolazzi's first year at the helm. During the 2019 campaign, the Bluejays took home eight individual all-conference honors during the indoor and outdoor seasons with Gilligan winning a conference championship in the indoor mile run.
"Throughout Coach Bartolazzi's tenure at Elmhurst, he has developed a fantastic track record of recruiting, connecting with, and developing student-athletes," said Elmhurst Assistant Athletic Director Glen Brittich. "This is an exciting time for our Track and Field and Cross Country programs. The leadership Coach Bartolazzi brings will provide extreme growth and potential for our programs."
A 2015 graduate of Elmhurst College, Bartolazzi competed on both the men's cross country and track and field squads in his time as a Bluejay. He previously served as senior admission counselor at Elmhurst, where he helped oversee the College's recruiting efforts of all student-athletes. Bartolazzi believes that the cross country and track programs at Elmhurst are setup for a bright future.
"When I began coaching our women's team two years ago, I shared my vision for the growth of our cross country and track and field programs," Bartolazzi said. "I truly believe we are well-positioned as an institution to provide student-athletes with a tremendous experience during their four years at Elmhurst. The combination of an outstanding academic experience, a premier location in the western suburbs, and the possibility to be a part of an athletic program on the rise is extremely appealing."
Bartolazzi inherits a men's cross country squad that placed eighth at the CCIW Championships last season and a track team that placed ninth at both the indoor and outdoor CCIW Championships of 2019. Bartolazzi is eager for the challenges that await for both the men's and women's cross country and track and field programs.
"There is work to be done to return the cross country and track and field programs to the top end of the highly competitive CCIW, but there is no reason we cannot do it," said Bartolazzi. "I am excited to recruit high quality student athletes that want to become difference makers and leave a legacy in our program. Our team will be marked by quality people, not just great athletes. We will care for our community, work tirelessly to become the best athletes we can be, and prepare our team to leave Elmhurst four years later as mature and capable men and women ready to make a difference with their lives. I can't wait to get to work."
The College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) was founded in 1946 and currently services nine member institutions including Augustana College (Rock Island, IL), Carroll University (Waukesha, WI), Carthage College (Kenosha, WI), Elmhurst College (Elmhurst, IL), Illinois Wesleyan University (Bloomington, IL), Millikin University (Decatur, IL), North Central College (Naperville, IL), North Park University (Chicago, IL) and Wheaton College (Wheaton, IL). During the 2018-19 academic year, the CCIW honored over 2,200 academic all-conference recipients, 18 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, 43 CoSIDA Academic All-District recipients, and over 100 all-Americans.