Coaches

Virginia Special Forces Track Club has experienced and dedicated coaches who have competed, and continue to compete, at the highest levels of track and field, including state, national and Olympic competition. Produced more than 500 Champions and current district, regional, and national champions over the last decade at the AAU, USATF, Hershey and High School levels.

Nick Savage - Co-Founder/Coach
Current Speed & Assistant Coach for nationally acclaimed Flint Hill School. Helped lead the school to their first football championship in their 50 year history. Former Speed & Specialties Coach for Nationally Ranked Bishop O'Connell High School.  Certified Nike SPARQ Trainer and Positive Coaching Alliance Member.  Selected as an Ambassador-Coach for the 2006-2007 Powerbar Elite Team. Member of 2005 Special Forces Unlimited Basketball Loudoun County Champions at the Masters Division.

Maryland High School State Champion and record holder in the Triple, and hurdles in 1978. Competed for University of Wisconsin track & field and football 1978-83. Nominated Academic All-Big Ten 1982.  Received several professional football offers prior to opting to help children achieve success in the world of sports, the arts, technology, and business. First major sports scholarship recipient to graduate with a degree in Artificial Intelligence - Computer Science in Wisconsin's history. 

Founder of The SWEAT Program (Scholastic Workshop for Excellence and Athletic Training) 1989 - 93 in Florida working with the Miami Heat, Dolphins and other professional athletes. Coached thousands of kids over the past twenty years from the pre-school to the high school level in Florida, Maryland and Virginia teams for track, football, basketball and soccer. Executive Director for Special Forces Unlimited Inc. and co-founder of Special Forces Track Club. Inventor of the "The Hill"  speed and multi-purpose training device. President of Mercury Speed Unlimited and the creator of Mercury " Speed Think " methodologies providing performance and speed conditioning services for individuals and teams in the Tri-State area.

Earl Cornish - Co-Founder/Administrator
Northwestern High School (Baltimore, Maryland) Cross Country -Track and Field Hall of Fame/Record Holder and specialized in the 400, 800, 4x400 and 4x800 meter events.  

Co-Founder Northwest Striders Track Club 1990-95. Coached AAU National Record Holder 4x400meter 11-12 boys 1992 relay team (4.02.05). Coached The Catholic High School of Baltimore track and field team 1995-2002. IAAM Coach of the Year 2000. USA Track and Field Certified Athletics Official, SPARQ certified; Co-founder of Special Forces Track Club. Co-founder of Mercury Speed Unlimited providing performance and speed conditioning services for individuals and sports teams; B.S. Business Administration.

Pana De Gooyer - After School Program Director/Distance Coach/Nutritionist

Pana DeGooyer is the creator and owner of Good Sport Fitness LLC and its fitness program tailored for youth - Kids Living Fit ™. Her goal is teach children and athletes all aspects of fitness and thereby help them develop healthy habits. Good Sport Fitness trains communities to stay fit together with 5Ks, Funs Runs, Flexible Strength, Boot Camps and Pure Energy classes. This year Coach DeGooyer will bring her years of experience and accolades to Special Forces performers on the track, the gym and the road.Pana is a nationally certified trainer and runner who started training in 1993 with companies like Peoples Karch International and Mid Atlantic Corporate Health that manage  government gyms. She founded Good Sport Fitness in 1998 as a sole proprietorship and ran a private training gym out of the Waterfront Marriott in Annapolis. She developed community-walking programs and kids sport training programs, as well as created and led all of the fitness classes out of G.E. Medical in Crownsville.

Dana Early - middle-distance - Clinics
Recent graduate of George Mason University, Dana ran track and cross country and achieved the following PRs: 800 (2:15.70), 1000 (2:51.82), 1500 (4:40.65), 5000 XC (19:01.17) Coach to Flint Hill School Track and Field Team 2005 onward.

Consistently one of the top finishers for GMU in cross country. Placed in several CAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships in individual middle distance events and 4x400M and 4x800M.

A multi-sport athlete for Ridley High School PA, competing in cross country, indoor and outdoor track & field, field hockey and basketball. All-state honors in track and field, Nova Care Athlete of the Month. Holds Ridley High records in the 400-1600 meters and in the 4x8, 4x4, distance medley and sprint medley relays. Runner up in 800M in district and conference meets. Set course and school record in cross country. Played club softball. 

CAA Scholar-Athlete, named to the Athletic Director's Honor Roll. A communications major.

Allen Simms - sprints/jumps - Clinics
Allen is currently ranked fourth in the World in 2006 in triple jump (yes ... the World!), with a distance of 17.02m. Former George Mason student/athlete and USC Graduate. In training for 2008 Olympics.  Current personal bests include Triple Jump: 17.26m/56-7.5 and Long Jump: 8.02m/26-3.75. 

Known as a talented long and triple jumper, Simms grabbed his first U.S. title in 2004 with his triple jump win at the 2004 USA Indoor Championships in Boston. As a USC sophomore in 2003, Simms established himself as one of the nation's best triple jumpers with a win at the NCAA Indoor Championships, his third-place finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships and his fifth-place finish at the USA Outdoor Championships. He competed in the World Indoor Championships in Moscow in March 2006. Here is a recent picture of Allen in action.

Tony Markley - sprints
Tony is an outstanding competitor in Men's 50 and over Masters track and field, over a wide range of sprints, hurdles and jumps events. More to follow.