July 25, 2008

Bellar named Cross Country Head Coach
NDC taps into talented Track pool for new leader

SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio, July 24 -- The Notre Dame College Department of Athletics announced today the hiring of David Bellar as Cross Country Head Coach. Bellar takes the helm of both NDC’s Men’s and Women’s programs, coming over from the Falcons’ highly successful Track & Field program, where he has served as an Assistant Coach each of the last two seasons (2007-08).

“David is a talented coach with an excellent pedigree,” said Notre Dame Director of Athletics Sue Hlavacek.  “We’re excited to have him aboard with our Men’s and Women’s Cross Country programs.”

With the Blue & Gold’s Track & Field program, Bellar has specialized in field events as well as strength and conditioning for the program’s 50-plus athletes. The Falcon Track & Field program has taken off the last two seasons, with multiple All-American honorees, National qualifiers, and in 2008, a Men’s-Women’s sweep of the Greater Cleveland Championships.

With his appointment to the position of Head Cross Country Coach, Bellar will continue in his role as Assistant Track & Field Coach.

“This is a great opportunity to coach here with a lot of Notre Dame’s athletic programs on the rise,” said Bellar. “I’m eager to get started with training the athletes we have and with bringing on new talent.”

Before coming to NDC as an assistant, Bellar served as the head track coach for St. Peter Chanel High School (Bedford, Ohio) from 2001-2006. The Pontiac, Mich. native was also the Firebirds’ head cross country coach from 2001-2005. Prior to his stint with Chanel, Bellar was an assistant track coach at Beachwood (Ohio) High School during the 2000-01 academic year.

Bellar was a four-year varsity member of the John Carroll University Track and Field squad, where he was team captain his senior year. He earned his B.S. in Biology and Chemisty in 1999 as well as his Master’s in Education in 2001.

In addition to his coaching capabilities, Bellar is a National Strength and Conditioning Association Certified (NSCA) Strength and Conditioning Specialist and a United States Track and Field Certified Level II Throws Coach.

Bellar currently resides in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. He takes over for former head coach, Jim Schweickert, who resigned the position in June.

In 2007, both Notre Dame’s Men’s and Women’s teams placed eighth (of 12) in the American Mideast Conference (AMC) Championships. The NDC Women’s Cross Country program was instituted in 1989, while the Men’s squad began competition in 2002.

For more information, contact Notre Dame Sports Information Director Skip Snow at 216-373-5319 or SSnow@ndc.edu.

Notre Dame College is a co-educational liberal arts institution in South Euclid, Ohio. The Notre Dame Athletics Department sponsors the Falcons’ participation in 18 men’s and women’s intercollegiate sports. The College is affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and the American Mideast Conference (AMC).

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