Staff Directory
AJ Eckmann
- Title:
- Assistant Coach/Distance
AJ Eckmann is in his third season as an assistant coach for the Montana track and field program. Eckmann is in charge of Montana’s distance runners.
Eckmann made great progress with the Grizzly distance runners in 2024, leading several younger athletes to impressive times in a very loaded conference. On the men’s side, Montana had three of its four best runners in the men’s 1,5000m since the year 2000 all competing at the same time.
Lane Cole (adj: 3:45.15), Henry Ballinger (adj: 3:45.38), and Truman Thompson (adj: 3:48.29) all had impressive years in the event, and all are either sophomores or freshmen, giving Montana a bright future in the event.
He helped put together the 2023 Big Sky Cross Country Championships in Missoula, where Montana finished sixth in the men’s competition and eighth in the women’s.
Prior to coaching, Eckmann competed for two seasons at Montana after a four-year career at Duke. Eckman was a one-time ACC Academic Honor Roll selection with the Blue Devils.
He competed at the 2021 Cross Country Mountain Regionals for Montana and finished 108th in the event. He also ran the steeplechase, 3,000m, and 5,000m for Montana at Big Sky Championships.
He is a 2016 graduate of Jefferson High and received his MBA from Montana.
Eckmann made great progress with the Grizzly distance runners in 2024, leading several younger athletes to impressive times in a very loaded conference. On the men’s side, Montana had three of its four best runners in the men’s 1,5000m since the year 2000 all competing at the same time.
Lane Cole (adj: 3:45.15), Henry Ballinger (adj: 3:45.38), and Truman Thompson (adj: 3:48.29) all had impressive years in the event, and all are either sophomores or freshmen, giving Montana a bright future in the event.
He helped put together the 2023 Big Sky Cross Country Championships in Missoula, where Montana finished sixth in the men’s competition and eighth in the women’s.
Prior to coaching, Eckmann competed for two seasons at Montana after a four-year career at Duke. Eckman was a one-time ACC Academic Honor Roll selection with the Blue Devils.
He competed at the 2021 Cross Country Mountain Regionals for Montana and finished 108th in the event. He also ran the steeplechase, 3,000m, and 5,000m for Montana at Big Sky Championships.
He is a 2016 graduate of Jefferson High and received his MBA from Montana.
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