Centrowitz Running Camp
Premier Cross Country Training Camp
Training
Meet the Coaches
Campers will learn training and racing techniques from expert coaching staff including: Olympians, high school coaches, college coaches and elite post-collegiate athletes. Meet the senior staff at Centrowitz Running Camp!
Matt Centrowitz
Camp Director, Matt Centrowitz, has unparalleled experience as an Olympic distance athlete and successful collegiate and post-collegiate coach. As a high school athlete at Power Memorial in NYC, Centrowitz set the NY State High School record in the 1500m in 3:43.3 as well as the Mile record in 4:02.7. After competing for a year at Manhattan College, Centrowitz joined the University of Oregon Ducks and Coach Bill Dellinger for the remainder of his collegiate career. Before graduating with a Sociology degree in 1978, Centrowitz set the 1500m school record in 3:36.7 and was a member of the 1977 NCAA Cross Country Championship team. Centrowitz is a two-time Olympian (’76 and ’80), set an American record in the 5,000m (13:12.91), and was 4x U.S. Outdoor Track and Field champion at 5,000m (’79, ’80, ’81, ’82).
In 2018, Centrowitz returned home, being named the Director of Cross Country and Track and Field at Manhattan College. Centrowitz recently retired after 18 years as head coach of cross country and track at American University. As a team, he led the men to 6 consecutive Patriot League Championships (2002-2007) and the women to back-to-back titles (2002-2003). As individuals, he has coached 10 All-Americans. Under the tutelage of Centrowitz, American University track/cross country athletes have won numerous Academic All-American awards, All-Patriot academic awards and Patriot League sportsmanship awards. In addition to coaching collegiately, Centrowitz has coached many successful elite and professional runners including Olympians Julie Culley, David Strang, John Trautman and Jen Rhines.
Pat Tyson
A 1973 graduate of the University of Oregon, Pat Tyson is one of the nation’s most well-known prep distance coaches. The former Duck competed in two NCAA Cross Country Championships for the Ducks (33rd in 1971, 54th in 1972) and helped UO to first and third-place finishes, respectively. On the track, the former walk-on ended his collegiate career in 1973 ranked top-six for the Ducks in the 3-mile (sixth, 13:37.0) and 6-mile (fourth, 28:34.0).
After graduation,Tyson began a 31-year prep coaching career, most notably at Mead High School in Spokane, Wash.
As the Mead cross county head coach since 1986, his harrier squads have compiled an amazing dual record of 132-6, and in the fall and spring campaigns his distance runners have combined for 26 individual state titles and 12 state team titles. He guided teams to top-five national rankings for seven seasons and in 2004, his team took third in the Nike Team Nationals in Portland. Individually, he has guided seven runners to the Footlocker High School Championships - third-most of any high school nationally.
In 2008, Tyson was named by Gonzaga University as the first full time cross country coach in program history, Tyson is well on his way to taking his team to similar success he has had in the past as coach and athlete.
As Co-Camp Director at Centrowitz Running Camp, Tyson continues to motivate and inspire runners of all ages and abilities with his experience, enthusiasm and pure love of cross country.
Jason Vigilante
Jason Vigilante, the former University of Virginia coach who'd recently been coaching Virginia-based pro runners like Robby Andrews and Alan Webb, is the Head men's cross-country coach/track and field coach at Princeton University. His expertise in distance and middle distance is tremendous, as evidenced by the results he has had in the last 10-12 years.
Previously, Vigilante was the director of cross country and track and field for men and women at the University of Virginia from 2008 to 2011; the Cavaliers won the Atlantic Coast Conference Cross Country Championship in 2008, and Virginia's women were NCAA Southeast Region winners three times. In track and field, Vigilante coached 30 ACC champions and 40 NCAA Championships participants and coached the Virginia men to back-to-back Penn Relay Championships in the 4x800.
Previously, Vigilante spent nine years as an assistant coach at the University of Texas, guiding Leo Manzano, who's now a 2012 Olympic 1500-meter silver medalist, to consecutive NCAA runner-up finishes and to a spot on the 2008 U.S. Olympic team.
Vigilante may be best-known for his work with Robby Andrews, who was an NCAA 800-meter champ twice for Virginia.