WESTFIELD – Former NCAA Division III women’s high jump national champion Marlee Berg has joined the Westfield State University athletic department staff as assistant to the athletic director and as an assistant coach for the Owls track and field program.
Berg graduated from Westfield State in 2009 with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication, Public & Corporate Relations, and won the NCAA Division III women’s indoor high jump title that year.
She earned a Master of Science in Exercise & Sports Studies from Smith College, where she served as a graduate assistant coach from 2010-12, and has served as an assistant track and field coach at UMass Lowell (2012-13) and at Brandeis University (2013-16).
MARLEE BERG
“I’m thrilled to return to my alma mater and work with a department that has already given me so many valuable opportunities as a student athlete,” said Berg. “I feel blessed to be awarded the grant position as it will give me the opportunities to learn under the guidance of athletic director Dick Lenfest, and participate in the NCAA’s career development program.”
In her role at Westfield, Berg will handle a variety of duties including working with Owls NCAA Compliance program with assistant athletic director Andrea Bertini, will aid in the administration of the James Earley Memorial Cross Country meet and with the NCAA Regional Cross Country Championship that Westfield State will host in November.
The funding for the position is made possible by an NCAA Division III Ethnic Minority and Women’s Internship Grant, a two-year grant program that provides funding for entry-level administrative positions at NCAA Division III schools and conference offices to encourage access, recruitment, selection and the long-term success of ethnic minorities and women.
Westfield State previously had succeeded in obtaining a similar NCAA grant funded position, which was staffed by Vijay Saxena who served as Assistant to the Director of Athletics and part of the Owls football and track and field staff for 2013-2015, before obtaining a coaching position at NCAA Division I McNeese State in Louisiana.
“It’s rare for an institution to be successful in obtaining the grant funding in two years as close together as we did,” said Nancy Bals, associate athletic director and senior women’s administrator at Westfield State, who led the grant-application effort. “We were told that our application was very close to being accepted and when a situation arose where another institution was unable to complete the grant requirements, Westfield State was asked if we would be able to hire in the short time frame that was available.”
“It will be great to work with Marlee after her being in the field for ten years, added Bals. “She interned in my office as a student ten years ago and she knows our program really well. She is coming to us ready to share her ideas and experience to make our program better administratively as well as have a strong presence with our track and field teams.”
Berg and Bals attended an NCAA orientation program in Indianapolis on July 28 & 29 and officially began her duties at Westfield on Monday.
As part of the program, Berg is afforded a stipend for additional professional development activities including several NCAA programs.
“We were really fortunate that someone with Marlee’s experience and coaching pedigree was available to us in the short time frame we had to hire for the position,” said Dick Lenfest, Westfield State University Director of Athletics. “We had a strong pool of candidates and Marlee’s resume came to the top. With her success and work ethic as a student-athlete herself, multiple years of coaching experience and her familiarity with our programs we think we have an outstanding hire who can fit right into our administrative team.” – Courtesy of Westfield State Sports
