One of the most respected names in the track and field community, Mark Elliston begins his 19th season at Elon University and his 36th year as a head coach at the NCAA Division I and II levels in 2024-25. In the past 18 years under Elliston’s leadership, the Phoenix track and field team has won six Colonial Athletic Association Championships (five outdoor and the inaugural indoor title in 2023) and three other runner-up finishes, had numerous CAA and Southern Conference accomplishments, while beginning to gain both regional and national recognition as well. Virtually every Phoenix indoor and outdoor track and field record has been broken during Elliston’s tenure at Elon. In 2014, Elliston was given the new title of Director of Track and Field and Cross Country at Elon.
Elliston by the numbers at Elon
• 39 NCAA East Preliminary/regional qualifiers
• 250 All-Conference Indoor and Outdoor Performers
• 69 Individual conference champions
• Five CAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
• One CAA Indoor Track and Field Championship
• Nine top-three CAA outdoor team finishes
• Two top-three CAA indoor team finishes
• Two CAA Outdoor Track Athletes of the Year
• One SoCon Outdoor Field Performer of the Year
• One NCAA Championship qualifier
• Three top-three SoCon team finishes
• 50 SoCon All-Freshman Performers
• Five-time CAA Women's Outdoor Coach of the Year (2015, 2016, 2021, 2022, 2023)
• One-time CAA Women's Indoor Coach of the Year (2023)
• Two-time SoCon Women’s Outdoor Coach or the Year (2010, 2011)
• Seven-time USTFCCCA All-Academic Team (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2023)
In 2024-25, Elon won a fifth consecutive CAA women’s cross country championship and was runner-up in both the CAA Indoor Track & Field and CAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. During the indoor campaign, Elon scored 95 points at the conference championship, edging out Campbell by five points for runner-up behind Northeastern. Lauryn Carlton won a league championship in weight throw and the distance medley relay team did the same. Jette Beermann won 5,000 and 10,000 titles during the outdoor championship and Piper Jons did the same in the 400 as Elon scored 111 points. The Phoenix ended six points ahead of Hampton and 17.5 behind Northeastern among the top three.
Elon swept the triple crown in 2022-23, winning the CAA Championship in women’s cross country, women’s indoor track & field and women’s outdoor track & field. Competing in the inaugural CAA Indoor Track & Field Championship, Elon scored 129.833 points to secure the title. While only one student-athlete earned a conference championship (Jette Beermann in the mile), Elon scored points in every event and used its depth to take home the team crown. Elliston was named CAA Women’s Coach of the Year for the first time in indoor track and field.
Elon used the momentum to dominate the field at the 2023 CAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship. Winning five event titles, Elon scored 185 points, 61 more than second place Hampton. That margin of victory was the largest in the CAA since 2003. Elon also became the first team to win three straight CAA outdoor titles since William & Mary from 2008-10. Leandra Lorenz won the conference championship in the 1500 and 5000 for the second straight year, while the 400 relay team set new meet and facility records to win the conference crown.
The Phoenix earned its fourth CAA outdoor championship in the spring of 2022 as the maroon and gold scored 195 points at the league meet, its highest-point total since winning the title in 2016. Elon saw four individuals win five event championships at the league meet along with the 4x400-meter relay team. The Phoenix also had its second athlete be honored as the CAA Track Athlete of the Year in Leandra Lorenz who led 17 members of the receive All-CAA accolades. Elliston was rewarded as the CAA Women's Coach of the Year for the fourth time and the sixth time overall in his career.
During the 2021-22 indoor season, Elliston helped the maroon and gold post its best-ever performance at the ECAC Indoor Championships. The Phoenix finished third overall at the ECAC Indoor meet with 49 points while having his 4x400-meter and distance medley relay teams win their respective races at the meet.
Elliston earned his third CAA outdoor championship in the 2021 outdoor season as the Phoenix won the league title by scoring 191.5 points at the CAA Championships. The maroon and gold had four athletes win CAA event titles and nine individuals earn All-CAA honors along with its 4x400-meter relay team. Elon also had its first-ever athlete receive CAA Track Athlete of the Year accolades in Scolasticah Kemei. For his efforts, Elliston was named the CAA's Women's Coach of the Year for the third time.
In the truncated 2019-20 season, Elliston led the Phoenix to a 12th overall finish at the ECAC Indoor Championships - a 12-spot improvement over the previous season. Elon also saw its first-ever ECAC Indoor champion crowned at the indoor championships with Melissa Anastasakis winning gold in the one-mile run.
In 2018-19, the Phoenix finished third at the 2019 CAA Outdoor Championships while having 12 members earn All-CAA accolades along with the team's 4x100 and 4x400-meter relay teams. Elon also had two league champions at the meet and a pair of athletes qualify for the 2019 NCAA East Preliminaries.
Elliston nearly lead the Phoenix to its third CAA title as the Phoenix was the runner-up for the second straight season by 1.5 points at the 2018 CAA Championships. Elon had five event championships at the CAAs including Emily Dixon becoming the seventh athlete in league history to win a championship four times in the heptathlon. Nine individual athletes and the Phoenix's 4x400-meter relay team also took All-CAA honors. For the seventh straight season, Elon had at least three athletes qualify for the NCAA East Preliminaries. During the 2017-18 indoor season, Elliston helped the Phoenix score the most points at the ECAC Indoor Championships with Elon scoring 27 at the meet and finishing 10th overall.
The 2016-17 season saw Elliston nearly lead the Phoenix to its third straight CAA title, falling just 4.5 points shy of the feat. Elon captured four individual event titles and 10 All-CAA accolades at the meet while also seeing its 4x400-meter relay team also earn medalist honors. For the sixth year in a row, the Phoenix qualified at least three athletes for the NCAA Southeast Preliminaries and had its first athlete, Bryanna Hames in the discus, advance to the NCAA Championships where she finished 21st overall. Elliston also had 11 athletes qualify for the 2017 ECAC Indoor Championships in Boston and helped the maroon and gold to its highest finish ever at the meet.
In 2015-16, Elliston helped the Phoenix defend its CAA Outdoor Track and Field title as Elon racked up a program-record 193 points at the league meet. It was the most that a team had scored at the meet since 2005. Overall, Elon had four individual conference championships and both the 4x100 and 4x400-meter relay teams earn CAA titles. Sydney Griffin was named the CAA Most Outstanding Performer of the Meet as well as one of 15 athletes that received All-CAA honors. Four the third straight year, Elliston guided a program-best five athletes to qualify for the NCAA East Preliminary round in Jacksonville, Fla.
During the 2014-15 season in Elon's first season in the Colonial Athletic Association, Elliston led the maroon and gold to its first-ever conference team title at the CAA Outdoor Championships. The feat was also Elon University's first team title in its new league as the Phoenix posted 150 points to take the title. Elon had 11 athletes earn All-CAA honors and five members of the squad win six individual conference titles with sophomore Kimberly Johansen standing out as the CAA Most Outstanding Track Athlete of the Meet. Elliston and the Phoenix then tied its program-record with five athletes qualifying for the NCAA East Preliminaries. For his efforts, Elliston was named the CAA Women's Coach of the Year by his peers.
In 2013-14, Elliston had 26 athletes earn All-Southern Conference honors between indoor and outdoor competition as well as eight league champions overall. 15 new school-records were also set during the indoor and outdoor seasons. The Phoenix squad tied its highest finish at the SoCon Outdoor Championships and had a program-high six league champions. Elon then had a program-best five athletes advance and compete at the NCAA East Preliminaries.
The 2010-11 season was the most successful to date for Elon, as the track and field team broke 22 school records over the course of the indoor and outdoor seasons. In addition to the school records, Elon student-athletes brought home three SoCon championships, 24 all-conference honors and six all-freshman recognitions. For the first time in the history of the program, a Phoenix athlete (senior Veronica Day) was recognized as the SoCon Women’s Outdoor Field Performer of the Year, wining the triple Jump (41’ 5.75”) and placing second in the long jump (19’4.75”). Elon’s strong showing at both the indoor and outdoor SoCon Championships earned the Phoenix its best finish ever, placing fourth at SoCon Indoors and third in the SoCon Outdoor meet (missing second by a mere seven points). For his efforts, Elliston was named the 2011 Southern Conference Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Coach of the Year for the second-consecutive season.
During the past six seasons (2007-12), the Phoenix has seen 78 athletes earn all-conference accolades, 26 athletes earn the all-freshman honors. Each of those years the entire track and field program has earned USTFCCCA All-Academic Team honors with a team GPA of more than a 3.19 each semester.
Prior to coming to Elon, Elliston served as the indoor and outdoor track and field coach for both the men’s and women’s programs at Lock Haven University in Lock Haven, Pa. Elliston coached seven Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference championship teams and 30 NCAA D-II All-Americans, including three national champions. He also served as the Bald Eagles’ head men’s and women’s cross country coach for 11 years, guiding a pair of athletes to All-America status.
Elliston prior to coming to Elon at Lock Haven
• 30 NCAA D-II Track and Field All-Americans
• Three NCAA D-II National Champions
• Numerous NCAA D-II National Qualifiers
• Seven men’s and women’s Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference team championships (indoor and outdoor)
• Eight men’s and women’s Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference team runners-up (indoor and outdoor)
• Numerous Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Track and Field MVPs
• Three-time NCAA East region National Coach of the Year (1999, 2002, 2003)
• Three-time Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Coach of the Year (1999, 2002, 2003)
• Nine-time USCCA/USTCA All-Academic Team (1997,1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005)
• Athletes broke every indoor and outdoor school record
Elliston’s squads received academic team awards from the United States Track Coaches Association on seven occasions and from the United States Cross Country Coaches Association five times. The USTCA honored 18 Lock Haven athletes with individual academic accolades while the USCCCA recognized 13 Eagles during Elliston’s tenure.
Elliston earned his bachelor’s degree in health and physical education at Oklahoma Baptist University in 1986. The Mcloud, Okla., native became a three-time NAIA track and field All-American while at Oklahoma Baptist, twice in the high jump (1983 and 1986). In 1986, when he won the national championship in the decathlon, while setting a national record in the high jump. Elliston was also inducted into Oklahoma Baptist University’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2000.
Prior to coaching at Lock Haven, Elliston earned his master’s degree at The Citadel where he was the assistant coach for the cross country and track and field programs for two years. Elliston and his wife, Kelly, have two sons, Luke and Logan. Elliston is a USTAF Level II Certified Coach (sprints, jumps, hurdles, relays).
