Northwood Athletics Announces Track & Field/ Cross Country Coaching Staff Promotions

MIDLAND, MICH. – The Northwood Department of Intercollegiate Athletics announced the series of promotions to the Men's and Women's Cross Country and Track and Field coaching staff on Monday (September 18).

Garrett Lacy, who has served as an assistant on the cross country and track and field teams over the past year, has been promoted to Head Coach of the men's and women's cross country programs. Garrett Rohlk was promoted to Head Coach of both track and field programs after spending the past year as the assistant coach for throws. Heather Johnson, who was an assistant for track and field in charge of sprints, relays, and hurdles, was promoted to Associate Head Coach for both track and field teams.

These changes are effective immediately and follow the departure of former Track & Field Coach Jeremy Wilk, who recently accepted a position on the staff with the Miami Hurricanes.

In Lacy's first year with the program, the 2022 men's cross country squad was the first team to qualify for the NCAA DII Cross Country Championships, placing 25th at the event. Also, as assistant for the women's team, Northwood had their highest conference finish since 2008, taking sixth at the 2022 Great Midwest Cross Country Championships. Before Northwood, Lacy spent three years at Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC) where he was Head Coach of the men's cross country program. He spent his first two years there as an assistant. During his time at GRCC, Lacy coached three National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) DII All-Americans, two NJCAA DII Region-12 Runners of the Year, and two individual conference champions. 

Over Rohlk's past year as an assistant, his throws squad has had four athletes earn all-conference honors, two conference champions in indoor and outdoor shot put, including a sweep of the podium finishes during the men's shot put at the 2023 G-MAC Outdoor Championships, and two NCAA indoor qualifiers. Rohlk arrived in Midland following a three-year stint at Missouri Western State University (NCAA DII) from 2019-2022 as a graduate assistant and assistant coach. Rohlk graduated from MWSU in 2022 with two master's degrees in sport and fitness management and business administration. At MWSU, his athletes had much success, including a first-team All-American, two second-team All-Americans, two conference championships and four national qualifiers. Rohlk's throwers also posted eleven NCAA DII qualifying marks and his athletes hold 11 of the school's 12 throwing records.

The sprints, hurdles, and relays at Northwood over the past two seasons have shown tremendous improvement under Johnson's leadership.  In her first year, she coached one indoor conference champion for Northwood with Xzavia Price in the 60m, as well as working with the Indoor 4x400m relay squad, which would bring home the first GLIAC Championship in the event since the 90s. Price would also top the podium again in the outdoor 100m dash. Behind the scenes, she has built a sprints and hurdles 2022 recruiting class of 17 for the Timberwolves. Prior to Northwood, Johnson was on the track and field staff at Northern Arizona University (NCAA DI) from 2019-2021 as their graduate assistant while completing her master's degree in higher education.