COACH PROFILES League championship and school record in 2010. Recent graduate Megan Hathaway also won three individual Patriot League titles in both the indoor 500 and outdoor 800 and was an ECAC and NCAA regional qualifier and school record-holder in the 500 under Hobson-Lynch’s tutelage. Hobson-Lynch made her coaching debut at The United States Military Academy at West Point where she worked with the men and women sprinters and hurdlers for two seasons. While on the staff for the Black Knights, she helped the men’s team win two Patriot League outdoor titles as well as an IC4A outdoor title. Hobson-Lynch has attained USATF Level I and II Certifications in Sprints, Hurdles & Relays, Combined Events and Endurance Running and is also a Women’s Coaching Academy graduate and a member of the Black Coaches Association. A graduate of Rutgers, Hobson-Lynch competed in the sprints, hurdles and multi events and was elected co-captain and MVP as a senior. She clocked a 400 hurdle time of 58.28 and competed at the NCAA Championships, USATF National Championships and in the 2004 US Olympic Trials. While at Rutgers, Hobson-Lynch double majored in anthropology and geography. In her spare time, Hobson is the basileus of the local alumnae chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Incorporated.. She helps to organize community service projects such as Diaper Drives, campaigns to support victims of domestic violence and women’s health and civil treatment education. Hobson-Lynch completed her master’s degree in education at Bucknell in 2010. She resides in Harrisburg, Pa., with her husband, Tony Lynch, and daughter, Olivia.
Richard Alexander Assistant Coach Second Season Bucknell ’03
Now in his second season, Richard Alexander returned to Bucknell as an assistant coach in 2010 after completing his own successful student-athlete career as a Bison from 1999-2003. In his current position, Alexander works with Bucknell’s jumpers and the multi events. As a member of the Bucknell track and field team, Alexander was a four-year letterwinner and served as a two-year captain. In 2002, he earned All-Patriot League recognition after finishing runner-up in the 110 hurdles at the league championships. As a senior in 2003, Alexander broke the program record in the 60 hurdles (8.42). Away from the track, he was a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee in addition to acting as president of the Bucknell Chapter of the NAACP and secretary of the university’s chapter of Brothers and Sisters Empowered. After graduating from Bucknell with his degree in accounting, Alexander moved to Wagner College where he served as a graduate assistant coach and earned his MBA in 2005. He then took a position as an assistant with Fairleigh Dickinson, where he coached the Knights to conference titles in the outdoor long jump and 400 hurdles in addition to ECAC/IC4A qualifying marks in five events. Most recently, Alexander completed a turn as an assistant and recruiting coordinator at the University of Detroit Mercy where he continued his success with league champions, helping his team to titles in the 60, 100, 400 and 400m hurdles. A total of 14 school records also fell under Alexander’s watch. Alexander is married to a fellow Bucknellian and former All-Patriot League sprinter Monique Boley ’05.
Bob Schanbacher Assistant Coach 21st Season East Stroudsburg ’73
Bob Schanbacher enters his 21st season working with the Bison throwers. This is his 13th season back with the Bucknell coaching staff after taking a three-year sabbatical from the program. His first stint with the Bison lasted eight seasons, from 1988-1996. During that time, his athletes captured most of the school records in the men’s and women’s throwing events. Schanbacher is responsible for shaping the reputation and tradition of success in the throwing events at Bucknell. He has coached 68 individual conference champions, athletes who have set 41 school records, a number of ECAC/IC4A scorers as well as NCAA All-Americans in the hammer throw (James Heizman) and javelin (Ted Heitzman). He also coached two female athletes to the NCAA outdoor championships – Maria Garcia in the hammer in 2004 and Laura Rycek in the javelin in 2011. In the last five seasons, Schanbacher’s athletes have posted 18 NCAA Regional qualifying performances, including all five of Bucknell’s quali-
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fiers last season. In his 20 years as a member of the Bison coaching staff, Schanbacher has helped coach Bucknell to 33 East Coast Conference and Patriot League Championships. A 1973 graduate of East Stroudsburg University and the recipient of a master’s degree from Wisconsin-La Crosse, Schanbacher has been the head coach of track and field at Lewisburg High School since 1973 and was the head coach of cross country from 1980-1987. He led teams to 14 conference championships and two District 4 AA titles. Schanbacher is also a USATF Level II certified coach. Schanbacher resides in Cogan Station with his wife Kathleen. They have two children, a daughter and a son, Amy and Chris.
Rob Guissanie
Volunteer Asst. Coach 10th Season Penn State ’90
Rob Guissanie is back with the Bison team for his 11th year as volunteer assistant coach. He works primarily with the distance runners throughout the season and serves as the head timer for the FinishLynx system at all home meets. Guissanie coordinates the women’s cross country team’s strength program and is instrumental in the development of the Bison women’s long distance runners. Guissanie is a 1990 Naval ROTC graduate of Penn State University where he competed in cross country. He coached track and cross country at Penns Valley Area High School from 1998-2001, including four individual state qualifiers in the distance events. Guissanie is currently a Senior Technology Support Specialist at Bucknell and resides in Lewisburg with his spouse, Karen, and two sons, Kyle and Derek.
Kip Hoffman
Volunteer Asst. Coach Sixth Season Bloomsburg ’99 Kip Hoffman enters his sixth season with the Bison as a volunteer assistant coach and mainly works with the distance runners and coordinates the men’s cross country team’s strength program. Recently, Hoffman was the head coach of the Warrior Run High School boys and girls cross country and track and field teams in nearby Turbotville, Pa., and was in charge of the distance and middistance runners from 2000-06. In cross country, Hoffman coached six individual state qualifiers, a girl’s division team championship and a two-time state qualifier, while also leading the Defenders to a 14-1 record, which was the most victories in school history. In track and field, Hoffman’s girl’s team produced eight records in mid-distance and distance, while the boys added one. He helped coach six state qualifiers and three state medalists on the boys’ side. Hoffman is a 1999 graduate of Bloomsburg University, where he was a member of the cross country and track teams. He was a three-time All-PSAC honoree in the 1,500 and placed second in the ECAC in the 3,000. Hoffman teaches science at Warrior Run and resides in Watsontown with his wife, Tam, two daughters, Alyssa and Kara, and son, Aiden.
Jeffrey Kiss
Volunteer Asst. Coach Fourth Season Pittsburgh ’06 Jeffrey Kiss joined Bucknell in December 2007 as a graduate assistant coach and is in his fourth year, now serving as a volunteer assistant with the Bison. Kiss works primarily with sprinters, hurdlers and jumpers, helping to develop workout and lifting programs. Kiss also monitors student-athletes’ academic progress, officiates home meets and coordinates fundraising and community service opportunities for the team. Kiss is a 2006 graduate from the University of Pittsburgh where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in biology and was a four-year member of the Panthers’ track and field squad. A member of the BIG EAST All-Academic Team, he also qualified for the conference championships in the 60 hurdles, 110 hurdles, long jump, triple jump and 4x400 relay. While at Pittsburgh, Kiss volunteered with the UPMC Children’s Hospital and Pitt Athletes Working with Students (PAWS). Kiss graduated from Bucknell in 2009 with a master’s in education.
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