University of Northern Iowa Athletics
Track and Field
- Title:
- Assistant Coach - Throws
- Email:
- daniel.omara@uni.edu
- Phone:
- (319) 273-5853
Dan O'Mara wrapped up his ninth season in 2018 as an assistant track and field coach overseeing the throwing events. O'Mara has built the UNI throws program into one of the top programs in the Midwest.
In the past 10 years, O'Mara has coached the Panthers to 50 First-Round NCAA National Championship qualifying spots, 42 Missouri Valley Conference Honors, eight conference champions, nine UNI school records, six NCAA national championship qualifiers, three NCAA second Team All-American honors, one All-Time Missouri Valley Conference Record and one Drake Relays Discus Crown.
Under O'Mara, the Panthers have become a recognized force in the throwing events at both the Missouri Valley Conference and NCAA meets. His knowledge and experience has carried over to producing athletes that have been ranked among the top-15 competitors in the nation. O'Mara's impact as the throws coach at UNI cannot be understated.
Seeded third heading into the 2018 Outdoor Missouri Valley Conference Championships, UNI snagged first place, edging out the favorites Illinois State and host Indiana State. The men's team racked up 56 points in the throws. Six Panthers were shot put finalists and qualified for the West Prelims. Five throwers earned all-MVC honors. Two discus throwers also qualified under O'Mara's guidance at this year's West Prelims, including a student-athlete named to the MVC scholar-athlete team.
In 2017, UNI sent Hope Koerperich, Sarah Pate, Brad Walski, Isaac Holtz, Evan Colfack and Thomas Yezek to the NCAA West Preliminaries and claimed its first MVC title in the shot put.
In all, the Panthers scored 22 points in shot put at the MVC outdoor championships. Champion Brad Walski was backed by teammates Isaac Holtz (third place), Kyler Yodts (fifth place) and Thomas Yezek (eighth place).
The men scored 28 points in the discus throw. Holtz took the title, and Walski was second. Evan Colfack was fourth, and Thomas Yezek was fifth. Jake Humpal rounded out the field of Panthers with an eighth-place finish in the discus.
Walski also led the Panthers in the hammer throw with his second-place finish, and teammate Isaac Holtz took fourth.
On the women's side in 2017, junior Sarah Pate earned all-conference honors with a second-place finish in discus and third-place finish in the hammer throw. Teammates Allison Griffin and Maddy O'Brien chipped in points in the hammer at sixth and eighth, respectively. Griffin also took sixth in the shot put. Hope Koerperich and Anna Bentley finished seventh and eighth in the javelin.
During the 2016 season, O’Mara saw the UNI throws crew break three school records, earn seven all-conference selections including the MVC men’s discus title, had five qualify for the NCAA West Preliminary Round with senior Justin Baker culminating the year by earning second-team All-America.
Baker was a powerhouse in the throws in 2016, breaking his own school record in the hammer throw four times throughout the season, including at the NCAA Championships where placed 15th in the country. He earned All-MVC in both the shot put and hammer throw at the MVC Outdoor Championships by placing second overall in both competitions, breaking the UNI record in the shot put twice during the season. O’Mara also led a youth movement during the 2016 season with sophomore Isaac Holtz and junior Jake Humpal both earning spots at the NCAA West Preliminary Round after they finished first and second overall in the discus throw at the MVC Championships.
On the women’s side, O’Mara coached senior Jamie Lindstrom to a record-breaking senior season where the Hudson, Wis., native qualified for the NCAA West Preliminary Round for the third time in her career. She ended her career ranked No. 3 all-time in the outdoor shot put (50-9.25) and No. 5 in the discus throw (160-1.00) after her personal-best performances in 2016. She also earned all-conference in the indoor weight throw, placing second overall after an indoor season where she broke the UNI record in the event and put herself second all-time in the indoor shot put.
The 2015 throws squad was also led by Baker. Baker earned third place in the shot put at the 2015 Indoor MVC Championships with 56-9. He also went on to earn the No. 2 spot on UNI’s All-time Indoor Performance list in the shot (59-8) and weight throw (66-1). At the 2015 Outdoor MVC, Baker established a new UNI school record in the hammer throw (206-10), and hit a huge personal best in the shot (61-2.5) to finish runner-up. Baker made it to the NCAA West Preliminary meet in both the shot put and hammer throw. He earned a spot to the NCAA Finals with a personal best toss of 61-6.75, where he garners NCAA Honorable Mention All-American.
Freshman Brad Walski, finished third in the discus and seventh in the shot put at the 2015 Missouri Valley Conference Outdoor meet with distances of 171-1 and 53-9. Humpal and Baker both placed in the men’s discus with personal best tosses of 162-6, and 162-2. Walski also finished fourth in the shot put at the 2015 MVC indoor meet with toss of 55-10.
Lindstrom scored in three throwing events at the 2015 Missouri Valley Conference Outdoor Championships. Lindstrom place 4th in the hammer throw (189-6), 4th in the discus (160-1) and 8th in the shot put (47-6.5). Teammates Chloe Schmidt and Sarah Pate also scored in the women’s discus with throws of 159-1 and 157-7 finishing 7th and 8th respectfully. Lindstrom had a stellar indoor season by placing 5th in weight throw (64-5.25) and 8th in the shot put at the 2015 MVC Indoor Meet. She also turned in the second best throw in school history in the weight at the Jack Jennett Invitational with a toss of 64-8.
In the spring of 2014, O’Mara guided Matt Schiffer to an outstanding senior year. The senior from Mason City, Iowa, turned in the third best discus throw in school history at the Jim Duncan Invitational breaking the meet record with a distance of 187-10. He then went on to win UNI’s fourth consecutive Missouri Valley conference discus title for the Panthers and earn a spot at the NCAA West Regional Track and Field Championships.
In 2013, O’Mara guided Jordan Williams this third consecutive Missouri Valley Conference Title in the discus. He also coached Williams to UNI”s second Drake Relays Title in the men’s discus with a throw of 190-7. Williams went on to be ranked among the best discus throwers in the country with a throw of 193-7 at the Alabama Relays. He turned in a second team NCAA All-American performance in the discus, at the 2013 NCAA Outdoor track and field championships with a throw of 190-1. Williams also scored valuable points at the 2013 Missouri Valley Conference Indoor meet with a toss of 63-1 in the men’s weight throw to finish third and seventh in the shot with a toss of 54-6.
O’Mara coached second year thrower Baker to a third place finish in the men’s shot put at the 2013 Missouri Valley Conference Indoor. His throw of 56-3 ranks him ninth on UNI’s All-time performance list. Baker went on to qualifier for the 2013 NCAA West Region Track Field Championships in the men’s shot put. Adam McDonnell was another one of O’Mara’s athletes who qualified for the 2013 NCAA West Region Track and Field Championships. McDonnell finished sixth in the men’s weight throw at the MVC Indoor meet and eight in the men’s hammer at the MVC Outdoor meet.
The UNI’s women throwers had one of their best years since his arrival. Kelsey Sukovaty became second best thrower in UNI’s history in the women’s weight throw and women’s shot put. Sukovaty, surpassed the 50-foot barrier in the shot put on five different occasions and turned in a weight throw of 63-2 at the 2013 Missouri Valley Conference Indoor Meet. Sukovaty also qualified in the shot put for the 2013 NCAA West Region Track and Field Championships.
During the 2012 indoor season, O'Mara coached senior Justin Romero to his second consecutive Missouri Valley Conference win in the shot put with a toss of 59-2. Romero then went on to break the Missouri Valley Conference Outdoor shot put record and UNI school record with an outstanding performance of 62-4.5 at the West Preliminaries of the NCAA Championships in Austin, Texas. His performance earned him a spot at the final round of the NCAA Championship in Des Moines, Iowa, where he ended up earning honorable mention All-American.
Under O'Mara, Williams, then a junior, won his second consecutive discus title at the 2012 Outdoor Missouri Valley Conference Championships with a toss of 182-10. Williams went on to surpass that mark with a 192-5 effort at the first round of the NCAA Championships and earn a spot to the final round of the NCAA Championships in Des Moines, Iowa. There he turned in a second-team All-American performance of 183-10 to finish 14th. O'Mara also guided Williams past the 60-foot barrier for the first time at the 2012 Mark Messersmith Invitational, making him the second thrower in UNI history to ever to throw the steel ball over that distance.
Under the guidance of O'Mara, the UNI throws program experienced its best season in school history in 2011. Two UNI throwers claimed Missouri Valley Conference individual titles and four Panthers qualified for the NCAA West Preliminary Rounds in Eugene, Oregon.
At the 2011 MVC Outdoor Championships, the UNI men's throwers totaled 54 team points and had an All-MVC finisher in each of the four throwing events. The 54 points in the throwing events were the most scored by UNI at the MVC Championships in UNI history. Jordan Williams won his first Valley title in the discus, uncorking a personal-best throw by 11-feet and claiming fourth on the UNI all-time list with his mark of 182-06 (55.63m).
At the MVC Indoor Championships in 2011, UNI racked up 29 points between the two men's throwing events and rallied the Panthers into the team lead late in the meet. With O'Mara's tutelage, Justin Romero won his first Valley title in the shot put with a throw of 58-07.50 (17.87m).
In 2011, Panther throwers posted 10 performances that broke into the school's all-time top-five lists. Tanner Hurt set a new school record in the hammer throw, and Justin Romero (indoor shot put), Kelsey Sukovaty (indoor shot put) and Traci Harms (weight throw, hammer throw) all claimed the No. 2 spot on the UNI all-time lists.
O'Mara made an immediate impact on the UNI program in his first season in 2010 by implementing his nationally renowned system. In all, O'Mara's athletes set an amazing 37 personal bests in 2010.
"It is my goal to help develop one of the finest throws programs in the nation," O'Mara said upon his hiring. "I also want to help my athletes earn a degree while preparing them for the real world. I want to show athletes what it takes to be the best and challenge athletes to go beyond their comfort zone. I am willing to put forth the effort needed to bring this program to the next level."
Prior to UNI, O'Mara served as an assistant track and field coach at Iowa State from 1992-2007. At ISU, O'Mara guided 22 Big 12 Conference Champions in addition to coaching 21 All-Americans and eight Olympic Trials qualifiers. His student-athletes also set seven ISU school records under his guidance. O'Mara also produced and developed a shot put technique video.
Prior to his services at Iowa State, O'Mara assisted at South Carolina and his alma mater, Kansas State. O'Mara obtained four letters while attending Kansas State from 1986-89, where he earned All-America honors in the discus with a toss of 193-0.
As a senior and team captain, O'Mara won both the Big Eight shot put and discus titles and finished second in the javelin. O'Mara was voted into Kansas State's Hall of Honor for having two of the best throws in the history of Kansas State track and field with distances of 62-5 in the shot and 193-2 in the discus.
His prep career at Hayden High School in Topeka, Kan., is just as impressive. O'Mara broke the Kansas Class 4A discus record his junior year and won the shot put (59-8), discus (192-3) and 100 meters (10.8) his senior year. He has spoken at several clinics and produced an instructional video. O'Mara earned his bachelor's degree from Kansas State in 1990 and a master's degree from Iowa State in 1997.
He and his wife, Denise, and daughters, Maggie and Ruby, reside in Ames, Iowa, with their dog (Lucky).
