Colorado University Athletics
Bockman Named Sprints & Hurdles Coach
September 16, 2015 | Track and Field
BOULDER — University of Colorado head track and field coach Mark Wetmore has announced the hiring of Burke Bockman as CU's sprints and hurdles coach.
“When this position became open, we knew that we had very specific parameters for filling it,” Wetmore said. “This would have to be someone with experience at the highest level, Pac-12 and NCAA, proven success, and a match for our culture. Coach Bockman is a perfect fit.”
“I am really excited to get started at the University of Colorado,” Bockman said. “I'm very grateful to Mark Wetmore for choosing me and to be part of his nationally recognized program. I am also excited to be back in the Pac-12, which I believe is the best conference in the country. The current sprints and hurdles group at Colorado that I'm inheriting is very talented, and I'm excited to take them to the next step on the conference level and to make an impact nationally.”
Bockman comes to CU after one season at Saint Martin's University (2014-15), working with both the men's and women's track and field teams. There he coached the sprinters, hurdlers, middle distance, jumpers and multi-event athletes. In total, five of his hurdlers were conference finalists. Bockman coached SMU's first indoor and outdoor All-American, Mikel Smith, a high jumper. Smith also set Great Northwest Athletic Conference records in the indoor and outdoor high jump. As a freshman, Jaysen Yoro earned All-GNAC honors in the heptathlon and decathlon, setting GNAC multi record in the indoor 60-meter dash and high jump, as well as in the outdoor high jump.
Prior to his time at SMU, Bockman worked with the women's track and field team at the University of Utah for nine seasons. He was an assistant coach from 2005-08 and was the associate head coach from 2008-14. Bockman again worked with the sprinters, hurdlers, middle distance, jumpers and multi-event athletes and was also the recruiting coordinator. During his time at UU, his athletes broke eight indoor and eight outdoor school records. A total of 31 athletes qualified for the NCAA Championships, including 12 400-meter hurdlers and UU's first NCAA sprint relay (4x400 in 2009). Bockman coached the Utes' only two All-Pac-12 athletes (high jump and 800m) and mentored five Mountain West Conference Champions and 49 All-MWC performers.
The Decorah, Iowa, native was a three-time conference champion and a 13-time all-conference honoree at the University of Northern Iowa. He was an NCAA Division I qualifier in the 400-meter hurdles and 4x400 relay his senior year. Bockman also qualified at the USA Championships from 2003-06.
Bockman graduated from UNI in 2003 with a bachelor's degree in business management. He went on to attend graduate school at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse where he earned a master's in exercise and sport science. As a graduate assistant coach at UW-L, Bockman worked with the men's track and field team and mentored Olympian Andrew Rock, who was a gold medalist in the 2004 games after running the semifinals of the 4x400-meter relay. UW-L won the indoor national championship in 2004 and '05, as well as the outdoor championship in '04. His athletes earned three national titles and six All-American awards.
Bockman's first day is September 29.
