Bert Rogers Last College: UW-Milwaukee, 1999 Position: Head Coach - Track & Field Experience: Fifth Year

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Bert Rogers enters his fifth season as the head coach for Marquette track and field, following three seasons as an assistant coach. Though Rogers oversees all aspects of the program, his coaching focus is on the sprinters, hurdlers, jumpers and the multi-event athletes.

Rogers helped a school-record eight student-athletes reach the 2010 West Preliminary Round of the NCAA Championships, including senior high jumper Erynn James, who ended her career with a 14th place finish. James along with distance runners Jayne Grebinski and Peter Bolgert all ranked among the top-25 athletes coming into the meet.

As head coach Rogers has helped Marquette student-athletes to 16 NCAA regional qualifying marks and eight athletes to the U.S. Junior National Championships, with two of them earning Junior All-American honors.

Under Rogers' watch in 2009, numerous Golden Eagles moved up the top-10 charts in Marquette history. Rogers helped Erynn James continue her development into one of the top high jumpers in school history, tying the school record in the indoor event with a leap of 5-9.25. Sarah Verdoliva set the Marquette 800-meter run indoor record at the Alex Wilson Invitational with a time of 2:12.38, vaulting her past a 10-year old school record.

In addition, Tyler O'Brien bettered his school record in the indoor 200-meter dash with a time of 21.87 seconds and Michael O'Brien continued his development in the sprints and hurdles, moving to sixth in the 500 meters and seventh all-time in the 400-meter hurdles. Jessica Ehlen, Jayne Grebinski and James each qualified for the NCAA Mideast Regional, while Courtney Kelly and Patrick Keeley earned all-America honors at the U.S. Junior National Championships.

During the 2008 season, Rogers helped eight student-athletes break individual Marquette records, while three relay teams also established top MU times. Tyler O'Brien broke the 200-meter dash record, which had stood for 28 years and put in the second best time ever in the 100-meters, behind only Olympian Ralph Metcalfe. Former walk-on Carrie Schmid set the school record in the pole vault and the women's 4x800-meter relay team took first at the BIG EAST Conference Outdoor Chamionships. Rogers also saw O'Brien, Peter Bolgert, and Kristin Pelzel qualify for the USATF Junior National Championships.

In 2007 Rogers helped six student-athletes to break Marquette school records, had three all-conference performers and saw Katlin Millin qualify to the USATF Junior National Championships in the 800m. School records were also set in both the men's and women's pole vault, with Kristin Stoniecki becoming the first MU female to clear 12 feet.

In 2006, Rogers helped guide Matt Piekarski to the BIG EAST decathlon title, Marquette's first BIG EAST champion in any sport, and the NCAA Championships, where he finished 16th. On his way, Piekarski set the heptathlon and decathlon school records at MU. Rogers also helped 10 athletes break MU records, including Ray Bratchett who became the first MU athlete in the high jump to clear seven feet.

In 2005, he coached Bratchett to an eighth-place finish at the USA Outdoor Junior Nationals in the high jump, and guided Jon Shaffer to a provisional qualification for the NCAA Indoor Championships in the 800m with a school record of 1:49.21. Shaffer also won the 2005 indoor C-USA 800m championship.

Rogers came to Marquette after stints at UMKC and Wisconsin-Milwaukee. At UMKC, he was an assistant track coach for three years, helping five student-athletes establish school records. He coached Clive Baron to the 2002 Commonwealth Games in the 800m. In addition, Rogers also served as head boys track and field coach at Cedarburg High School from 1999-2001 and was the sprints coach for the Greater Milwaukee Track Club.

Rogers earned a masters degree in sports science from the United States Sports Academy in the summer of 2007 and received his bachelor's degree in psychology and ethnic studies from Milwaukee in 1999. He was a four-year track and field letterwinner and three-year team captain for the Panthers. Rogers was part of school record-holding indoor mile relay and outdoor distance medley relay teams. He has earned his USA Track and Field Level 2 Coaching certification for sprints, hurdles and jumps.

A graduate of Parker High School in Janesville, Wis., Rogers and his wife, April along with children, Duncan and Aili, reside in Wauwatosa.