Meet the Dickinson College Track & Field Coaches

John Hartpence
Head Men's and Women's Track & Field Coach
      John Hartpence is in his third year as the head coach of the men’s and women’s track and field teams this fall.  He came to Carlisle from Hamilton College, located in Clinton, New York, where he was an assistant with the cross country and track & field teams. 
      Prior to joining the staff at Hamilton, he was the distance coordinator and assistant track coach at Big Sky High School from 1996-1998.
       A 1992 graduate of Cortland State in New York, Hartpence was a six-time All-Conference selection in Track & Field and two-time selection in Cross Country.  In addition, he twice earned All-ECAC honors in Indoor Track & Field.
        John is still competitive in Triathalons, finishing fourth in the 1998 National Amateur Championships and was the number one ranked triathlete in the northwest.
       He holds a B.S. in Physical Education from Cortland and a Master of Science in Health and Human Performance from the University of Montana.

Email Coach Hartpence if you would like to learn more about the running programs at Dickinson.

David Hummel
Throws Coach
     A graduate and competitor at Kutztown University, Coach Hummel is now in his eighth season of coaching at Dickinson. 
     He brings a knowlege of the shot put, weight throw, discus, javelin, and hammer throw, along with a strong background in strength training.  He has coached several all-conference athletes during his time at Dickinson.  Coach Hummel coaches all throwers.

Dick Ocker
Sprints Coach

     Coach Ocker earned his Bachelor's Degree from Shippensburg University, where he was the school record holder in the mile.  He also holds Master's Degrees in Education, Administration & Reading Supervision.
     He has been a familiar face at Dickinson College, where he coached for twenty five years, before going into temporary retirement from coaching.  During his previous stint with the program, he coached numerous All-Americans, including the women's 1989 200m national champion.
     Coach Ocker still competes on the senior circuit and enjoys training with his athlets.
Brian Falk
Middle/Long Distance
Coach Falk joined the Dickinson running programs in the fall of 2001 but is no stranger to Dickinson athletics by any means.  Falk coached the middle and long distance squads of the Red Devil track program from 1994 to 1998.  Two of his athletes earned a total of six berths in NCAA Championship meets, and four separate "All-America" designations.  He was a member of the coaching staff for the Red Devil women's indoor and outdoor conference champion teams in 1996.

Falk is a full-time high school teacher at nearby Susquehanna Township High School, where for the past ten seasons, has developed a powerhouse for both boys' and girls' programs.  Aside from the experience he brings of coaching high school and collegiate runners, he himself was a member of Temple University cross country team.  He is a veteran of hundreds of road, track, and cross country races, including four marathons.  He is a USATF level II certified coach in the distance events.

E-mail Coach Falk if you would like to learn more about the running programs at Dickinson.