Jakob W. Hester joined the Transylvania Cross Country and Trackand Field coaching staff prior to the 2012-13 season. He is coachof the sprinters, hurdlers and jumpers, and assists with crosscountry as well.
In just his second year, Hester helped take the track and fieldteam to unprecedented heights. The 2014 season saw its first HCACoutdoor running event champions in school history with victories inthe women's 4x100m relay, women's 4x400m relay, and women's 400mdash. Other honors in the 2014 season for the Pioneer sprinters andhurdlers included an HCAC Male Indoor Track and Field Freshman ofthe Year award and two HCAC Outdoor Track Athlete of the Weekhonors, each of which were also program firsts for both the men'sand the women's teams, respectively. The women's team also earnedtheir highest point total and team ranking in program history atthe 2014 HCAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
Prior to arriving at Transylvania, Hester spent four seasons asan assistant coach at Lexington's Paul L. Dunbar High School, wherehe coached the jumping events, co-coached the sprinting events, andassisted with cross country. During that time he helped coach thegirls' track team to four straight Top 5 finishes at the KHSAA 3AState Championships, including a runner-up performance in 2009.Also over those four seasons, he had 12 jumpers place at the StateMeet, six of which were Top 3 performances.
Hester graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Kentuckyin 2011 with degrees in Kinesiology and Health Promotion. He hasbeen a USA Track and Field (USATF) Certified Official since 2008and in 2013 received his USATF Level 1 Coach certification. Hesteralso earned a Track and Field Technical Certification in 2012 and aTrack and Field Program Management certificate in 2013 from theU.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association(USTFCCCA).
