Walsh University Alum Rob Mizicko (’94) has led the Cavaliers Cross Country and Track & Field programs since 2012. Under his leadership, the Cavaliers have earned national prominence in all six programs.
Since coming to Walsh, Mizicko has earned nineteen Coach of the Year awards. He was named the All-Ohio Men's and/or Women’s Cross Country DII Coach of the Year in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020. He was also selected Coach of the Year in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference after the Cavaliers won the G-MAC Cross Country championships in 2017 (Men), 2018 (Women), 2019 (Men), 2020 (Men & Women), 2021 (Men), 2022 (Men), 2023 (Men), 2024 (Women) . The 2017 Coach of the Year honor came after Walsh's first team conference championship in its NCAA era. That same season he was also named the Midwest Region's Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year. That same school year he led the Cavaliers to a second conference title at the 2018 G-MAC outdoor track & field championship and earned another Midwest Region Coach of the Year award for the Men's Track & Field season.
Mizicko has also led the Cavaliers to national prominence with multiple national rankings and All-Americans. In 2015, he led the Walsh Men’s team to its first ever NCAA DII National Championship Meet. Since then the cross country programs have qualified for the NCAA DII National Cross Country Championships in 2017 (Men & Women), 2018 (Men & Women), 2019 (Men & Women), 2020 (No National Meet), 2021 (Men & Women), 2022 (Men), and 2023 (Men). The women’s cross country team has a best national meet performance of 10th (2019) and the men’s cross country team has a best national meet performance of 18th (2018, 2021, 2022). The success carried over to track & field where Mizicko has led the Walsh men and women to 6 Top 20 performances. The highest coming in 2016 were they had a 9th place finish at the Women's Indoor National Championships.
Through the results at the national championships, All-Americans have become a staple for the cross country and track & field programs (73 as of 2023 Season). Stephanie Foster became the first in the NCAA era after placing in the pole vault during the indoor and outdoor national championships in 2014. Since then, Mizicko and his staff have coached Sarah Berger (x11), Andra Lehotay (x10), Alexa Leppelmeier (x9), Kaitlyn Barber (x5), Marcus Myers (x4), Zach Kreft (x4), Jetaiya Smith (x3), Ndidi Anaraodo (x3), Kelsey Hartsock (x3), Stephanie Foster (x2), Tori Reeves (x2), Bre Bakan (x2), Kya Epps (x2), Micah Gremling (x2), Dominic Nutter (x2), Gabe Miller (x2), Bri Coy (x1), Jacob Kernell (x1), Cassidy Bookless (x1), Josh Conrad (x1) Jesse Houle (x1), Nathan Moore (x1) and Mitchel Dunham (x1) to All-American status. At the 2018 outdoor national championships, both Berger and Myers won national championships, the first for Walsh in its NCAA-era. Berger's national championship is the first for the women's program and just the second in the history of Walsh University women's sports along with women's basketball in 1998. In 2022, Alexa Leppelmeier was a the National Runner-up in the Women’s Steeplechase.
Mizicko earned his bachelor of science in education (K-12) in physical education from Walsh. He lettered four times in each cross country and track and field and was a five-time national qualifier. He earned his health education certification (7-12) from Malone University (’96).
Rob began his coaching career at Lake High School in 1994 and coached the Blue Streaks’ cross country and track and field programs through 1998. In 1998, he took the helm at Perry High School, where he coached through spring of 2012. At Perry, he was a four-time Stark County Coach of the Year and nine-time Federal League Coach of the Year. He led his teams’ to six Stark County Championships and seven Federal League Championships.
Rob taught physical education and health education at Perry from 1998 to 2012. He was named the 2011 State (OAHPERD) Health Teacher of the Year and was selected as a Top 25 Educator nine times. He was the founder and meet director of the Stark County Track and Field Championship Meet from 2003 to 2012 and is a former Executive Board member of the Ohio Association of Track and Cross Country coaches.
Rob and his wife of 21 years, Jennifer, reside in North Canton.
