University of Jamestown

Jarvis Jelen took over as UJ's Director of Track & Field and Cross Country on March 1st, 2023.

In his first 3.5 years at the helm, Jarvis Jelen has led the Jimmie XC & TF program through a successful transition from the NAIA GPAC Conference to the NAIA NSAA Conference to the Jimmie’s longterm home in NCAA D2 & the NSIC Conference.

During this time he has led a program which achieved significant progress & accomplishments, including:

Roster Size Increases
M XC = 6 to 17
W XC = 3 to 11
M TF = 30 to 47
W TF = 16 to 31

Cross Country Accomplishments 
1 x Team Runner-Up
1 x Individual National Qualifier
7 x All-Conference Individuals

Track & Field Accomplishments 
2 x Individual All-Americans
14 x Individual National Qualifiers
9 x Individual Conference Champions
57 x Individual All-Conference 

2026 Outdoor Track & Field (NCAA NSIC)
Individual Conference Champions = 1
Individual All-Conference = 5
Not eligible for national championships

2026 Indoor Track & Field (NCAA NSIC)
Individual All-Conference = 1
Not eligible for national championships

2025 Cross Country (NCAA NSIC)
Women’s Team Finish = 6th of 16
Individual All-Conference = 1
Not eligible for national championships

2025 Outdoor Track & Field (NAIA NSAA)
Individual Conference Champions = 5
Individual All-Conference = 14
Individual National Qualifiers = 3

2025 Indoor Track & Field (NAIA NSAA)
Individual All-Conference = 8
Individual National Qualifiers = 1

2024 Cross Country (NAIA NSAA)
Women’s Team Finish = Runner-Up (of 5)
2024 Outdoor Track & Field (NAIA GPAC)
Individual Conference Champions = 1
Individual All-Conference = 11
Individual National Qualifiers = 3
Individual All-Americans ? = 1

2024 Indoor Track & Field (NAIA GPAC)
Individual All-Conference = 7
Individual National Qualifiers = 3

2023 Cross Country (NAIA GPAC)
Men’s Team Finish = 4th of 11 (best team finish in GPAC era)

2023 Outdoor Track & Field (NAIA GPAC)
Individual Conference Champions = 2
Individual All-Conference = 11
Individual National Qualifiers = 4
Individual All-Americans ? = 1

Coaching Career Stats
2016 - 2023 (Head XC/Assistant TF - NCAA Dl Abilene Christian University - Abilene, TX)
2015 - 2016 (Assistant XC/TF - NCAA Dll King University - Bristol, TN)
2014 - 2015 (Head XC - NCAA Dlll Cedar Crest College - Allentown, PA)
2013 - 2014 (Graduate Assistant XC/TF - NCAA Dl South Dakota State University - Brookings, SD)
2012 (Assistant XC - Sioux Falls Lincoln HS - Sioux Falls, SD)
2008 - 2009 (Assistant XC - Liberty Christian Academy - Lynchburg, VA)

Coaching Results (Prior to University of Jamestown)
1 XC Conference Team Championship
2017 Women’s Cross Country (NCAA Dl Southland Conference)

2 XC Conference Team Runner-Up
2020 Women’s Cross Country (NCAA Dl Southland Conference)
2015 Men’s Cross Country (NCAA Dll Conference Carolinas)

2 XC Conference Team Third Place
2021 Women’s Cross Country (NCAA Dl WAC Conference)
2019 Men’s Cross Country (NCAA Dl Southland Conference)

2 XC Region Team Top 5 Finishes
2021 Women’s Cross Country (NCAA Dl South Central Region)
2017 Women’s Cross Country (NCAA Dl South Central Region)

6 XC Individual National Championship Qualifiers
2022 (1 Individual)
2021 (2 Individuals)
2020 (1 Individual)
2017 (2 Individuals)

7 Track & Field NCAA National Championship West Prelim Qualifiers
4 x Women’s 10k
2 x Men’s 3kSC
1 x Women’s 5k

10 XC/TF Individual All-Region Performances
2022 (1 Individual)
2021 (2 Individuals)
2019 (2 Individuals)
2017 (3 Individuals)
2015 (1 XC Individual, 1 Track Individual)

6 XC/TF Student-Athlete of the Year Awards
2021 (WAC Conference Cross Country)
2020 (Southland Conference Cross Country)
2019 (Southland Conference Outdoor Track & Field)
2018 (Southland Conference Indoor Track & Field)
2017 (Southland Conference Cross Country)
2017 (Southland Conference Indoor Track & Field)

11 XC/TF Individual Conference Champions
3 x XC
2 x 10k
2 x 5k
2 x 3k
2 x 3kSC

63 XC/TF Individual All-Conference Performances

10 Southland Conference All-Time Top 5 Performers
Men’s 3kSC
Women’s 5k
4 x Women’s 10k
W Indoor 3k
3 x Women’s Indoor 5k

30 ACU Top 10 All-Time Performers (As of 2023)
5 x Men’s Indoor 3000m
1 x Men’s Indoor 5000m
2 x Men’s Outdoor 3kSC
1 x Women’s Indoor Mile
6 x Women’s Indoor 3000m
3 x Women’s Indoor 5000m
1 x Women’s Outdoor 1500m
3 x Women’s Outdoor 5000m
6 x Women’s Outdoor 10,000m
2 x Women’s Outdoor 3kSC

9 x USTFCCCA XC All-Academic Team Awards

17 x USTFCCCA All-Academic Individual Awards

38 Conference All-Academic Individual Awards

Personal
Originally from Sioux Falls, S.D., Jelen is a graduate of Sioux Falls Lincoln High School and graduated from Liberty University.

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 four sons: Judah, Shepherd, Keane, and Leo and a daughter, Rosie.