During his tenure as a member of head coach Willy Wood’s staff, Jon Clemens has experienced a large amount of success while working with the Columbia track & field and cross country programs. Clemens has recruited some of the best and brightest young runners to Morningside Heights, including the core of the 2009 Ivy League Championship cross country team.
Clemens led a men’s cross country squad that, after finishing second in 2008 by just three points, came back to win the Ivy League title in 2009. Three members of the team, Brendan Martin ‘11CC, Kyle Merber ‘12CC and Terence Prial ‘11CC earned All-Ivy League recognition for their performances at the meet.
A dedicated runner himself, Clemens brings a unique background to the coaching staff. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, he was a member of the last Navy team to win a Heptagonal team championship in cross country; Clemens won the individual title at that meet in Van Cortlandt Park in 1996. He went on that season to qualify individually for the NCAA Cross Country Championships in Tucson, Arizona, finishing 33rd and earning All-America honors.
During the 1997 outdoor season, he repeated that feat, winning the Heptagonal Championship title in the 3000m Steeplechase, and finishing tenth at the Outdoor NCAA’s, earning All-America honors once again. In all, Clemens qualified four times for the NCAA’s (in cross country, the indoor 3000m, and twice in the Steeplechase) and was a five-time IC4A All-East athlete.
After earning his commission as a naval officer, Clemens continued his training for the prestigious Reebok Enclave in Washington, DC. He qualified four times for the USATF National Championships in the steeplechase. Twice, he represented the US military at the World Military Championships, with a best finish of 45th overall.
In addition to his running, Clemens distinguished himself as a Navy pilot and earned the rank of Lieutenant. While flying the SH-60B Seahawk, he completed two deployments and accumulated over 700 hours in the air in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
After serving overseas, Clemens returned to his passion for running and assumed the position of assistant coach at the University of San Diego. During his tenure there, he helped coach a West Coast Conference champion and improved the conference standing for both the men and women’s programs. Relentless in his desire to coach dedicated athletes, he created SOCAL United, a post-collegiate running club. While coaching this thirty-member club, Clemens helped two member-runners qualify for the 2008 US Olympic marathon trials, and two qualify for the USATF national championships.
