Tweet

Paul Zalewski is in his fifth year as assistant coach and technical director for the Hokies after a successful eight-year tenure at East Carolina University. He is responsible for coaching the long jump, triple jump, high jump, and combined events for the Hokies, as well as handling numerous administrative duties within the Virginia Tech track and field and cross country programs.

Zalewski played an instrumental role in the development of Ezster Bajnok, who made her collegiate debut thrived as a freshman in 2017. Bajnok tied the school record in the triple jump during the indoor season with a leap of 12.60 meters (41 feet, 4.25 inches) on her way to a fourth-place finish at the ACC Indoor Track and Field Championships.

During the outdoor season, Bajnok earned first-team All-ACC honors after claiming a bronze medal in the triple jump at the league’s outdoor meet, breaking the school record (13.05 meters; 42 feet, 9.75 inches) – a record that had stood since 2000. Her mark enabled her to qualify for the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds, but more importantly, contributed points that the Tech women used to win the ACC team title – the first for the women’s program since 2008.

Bajnok also made strides in the long jump, as she holds the fourth-longest long jump in school history – both indoor and outdoor. Her outdoor jump of 5.98 meters (19 feet, 7.5 inches) is just four inches from the school record.

The 2017 season also saw William Kendall and James Carver record personal bests in the high jump and Mackenzie Muldoon score points in the multi-events at both ACC Championships under Zalewski’s watch. Kendall’s 2.06-meter jump (6 feet, 9 inches) and Carver’s 2.03-meter jump (6 feet, 8 inches) stand fifth and tied for seventh, respectively, on the school’s all-time list (indoor season).

Muldoon finished seventh in the men’s heptathlon at the ACC Indoor Championships with 5,166 points. He also came in sixth in the men’s decathlon at the ACC Outdoor Championships.

In 2016, Zalewski helped with the development of Manuel Ziegler, who qualified for the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds in the triple jump. He finished fifth at the ACC Outdoor Track and Field Championships with a season-best mark of 15.72 meters (51 feet, 7 inches). His points were part of an overall team performance that ultimately led to an ACC team title.

Zalewski also coached David Prince, a long jumper who finished eighth at the ACC Indoor Track and Field Championships. Prince’s jump of 23 feet, 9.5 inches enabled him to a score a point for a Tech men’s team that came in fifth.

During his second season guiding Tech’s jumpers, Zalewski coached his first ACC champion and NCAA All-American as a Tech coach. Ziegler won the ACC crown in the men’s triple jump at the indoor championships, setting a school and ACC record with a mark of 16.61 meters (54 feet, 6 inches). Ziegler also earned second-team All-ACC honors in the long jump and his performance earned him ACC Field Athlete of the Year honors. Ziegler capped the season with a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships in the triple jump. On the women’s side, Johnna Dominick garnered second-team All-ACC honors with a fourth-place finish in the high jump finish to round out the successful season.

In his first year in charge of jumps and women’s sprints and hurdles, Zalewski sent two athletes to the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds meet and the USTFA Junior Nationals. Jasmine Mitchell qualified for both meets in the 400-meter dash, while Christine London qualified in the 400-meter hurdles.

During his tenure at East Carolina, Zalewski coached sprints, hurdles, jumps, and multi-events. He mentored two NCAA All-Americans and seven Conference USA champions. He was a member of the Pirate staff when the women’s team won its first ever Conference USA championship (2012).

After earning his master’s degree in biomechanics from East Carolina, Zalewski joined the university’s Department of Kinesiology, where he served as degree director for a bachelor’s degree in sports studies. He also taught classes in sport management, sport sociology, and coaching theories, while continuing to coach track and field.

Prior to his time at East Carolina, Zalewski was a standout athlete for the Cortland Red Dragons. While there, Zalewski was a member of three SUNY Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) championship teams and two Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) championship teams, and he won four SUNYAC individual titles. Also, he was a seven-time All-ECAC selection.