ROLLA, Mo. -- Trenton Finley, a standout competitor at Southwest Baptist University and a graduate assistant coach for the Bearcats during the 2022 season, has been selected as the new assistant coach for the Missouri S&T track & field program with his responsibilities centered around the jumpers.

Finley was a three-time All-America competitor in the pole vault at SBU, earning the honor most recently when he placed fifth in the competition at the 2021 NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships.  He is SBU's school record holder in the pole vault, with top career marks of 17-3 outdoors and 16-10 ¾ indoors, while also qualifying for five national meets and earning multiple all-region honors.

Finley was the pole vault champion at the 2021 Great Lakes Valley Conference Outdoor Championships held at S&T, while also finishing second in the event at the 2020 GLVC Indoor Championships.

"We're excited to announce the hiring of Coach Finley as the newest member of our coaching staff," said S&T head coach Shaun Meinecke. "Trent brings invaluable experience in a few of the more technical events.  His familiarity with our program and my familiarity with his work ethic and coach-athlete interactions in our meets together assured me that Trent would be a great fit for S&T Track and Field and our athletic department. 

"He has a passion for track and field and the jumping events and we are looking forward to his first season at S&T," Meinecke added.

Finley, a native of Gruver, Texas, earned his Master's degree in athletic administration from SBU in May after earning his bachelor's degree in exercise science in May 2020.  At the conclusion of his career at SBU in 2021, when he competed as a graduate student with the extra year provided to student-athletes that missed the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he was awarded the Rex Brown Award that was awarded to student-athletes that excelled on the athletic field and in the classroom.