Longwood University Athletics

Rob Gritzer joined the Longwood track and cross country coaching staff in the summer of 2023, bringing a wealth of experience coaching at a variety of levels collegiately and in high school. He also owns his own company, New Level Sprinting.
 
He helped the Lancer cross country and outdoor track teams post their best seasons in team history in 2023-24.
 
In the fall, the women’s team notched a fifth-place finish, the second-straight year the team had its best ever finish at the tournament. Meanwhile, the top four runners all broke 20 minutes in the 5K, and the team average for scoring runners was under 20 minutes for the first time ever.
 
The Lancer men also posted their best team finish at the conference championship, with a sixth-place effort. All five scoring runners finished within one minute of each other, and multiple runners posted their best efforts of the season, or their career, throughout the fall.
 
In the spring, Gritzer oversaw tremendous growth from a young squad of sprinters. Seemingly meet after meet, the team had multiple runners setting personal high-water marks.
 
At the Big South Championship, 400m sprinter Ayden Stewart became the first Lancer to qualify for a final event that featured multiple heats. Stewart ultimately finished seventh with one of his best efforts of the season. In addition, Matthew Fitzner earned the Longwood men points in the triple jump. In relay events, both the men’s and women’s 4x100m and 4x400m teams scored.

Both the cross country teams and track teams made another jump in 2024-25. The cross country teams each matched their best finishes in team history in the fall with a variety of new records from standouts such as Sophie Farley and Ben Goulet.

In the spring of 2025, Gritzer guided a young group of sprinters and jumpers to a variety of strong performances. Stewart finished one spot off the podium in the men's 400m, and Kris Mickens scored in the long jump after joining the team mid-year. In addition, Nyomi Rhodes advanced to the final and scored in the women's 400m hurdles after shaving multiple seconds off her personal best throughout the spring. The men's and women's 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams both scored in the conference meet as well.
 
Gritzer came to Longwood from North Dakota State where he served as the volunteer coach for sprint/hurdles, pole vault and multis. While at NDSU, he helped the team win the Summit League Outdoor Championship on both the men's and women's side, and he coached multiple all-conference athletes. In addition, he coached athletes to individual titles and the Freshman of the Year.
 
In addition, he has worked as an assistant sprint coach at Eugene Ashley High School and as the track & field liaison and in sprints at IMG Academy. While at IMG, he coached Davonte Howell, who competed at the 2024 Paris Olympics in the 100m dash for the Cayman Islands.

Throughout his career, he has coached athletes that have gone on to compete for USATF, that have gone to New Balance Nationals, Nike Nationals and the AAU National Championships. He has coached multiple All-Americans in every sprint and hurdle race from the 60M to 400M and the 4x100M and 4x400M relays.
 
Gritzer holds his BA in Psychology from Eastern Unviersity and a master's in Sport Psychology from Cardiff Metropolitan University. He also holds certifications in coaching as a USATF Level 2: Sprints, Hurdles, Relays and a USTFCCCA Strength & Conditioning Advanced Endorsement.