SUNY Oneonta Athletics

Kelly Vincent joined the SUNY Oneonta cross country and track & field coaching staff during the summer of 2021 as an Associate Head Coach. Vincent is primarily responsible for coaching cross country, distance, and middle-distance runners. 

During the 2024 Cross Country season, the men’s team, led by Jonthomas Bierman, finished 2nd in the SUNYAC and 7th in the Niagara Region.  Bierman was also the individual conference champion, SUNYAC hall of fame inductee, national qualifier for a second year in a row, and the SUNYAC Cross Country runner of the year.  Bierman, Michael Burns and John Balk Jr all earned SUNYAC all-conference honors, and USTFCCCA Niagara All-Region Honors. Burns was also named a USTFCCCA Academic All-American.  The women’s team, led by Sabrinna Mena, finished 2nd in the Conference and 7th in the Niagara Region. Mena was the SUNYAC individual runner-up, hall of fame inductee, USTFCCCA Niagara All-Region Honoree and SUNYAC Scholar Athlete of the Year. Mena along with Gia Engel were named USTFCCCA Academic All-Americans. The women’s side saw five all conference honorees in Mena, Engel, Anna Kern, Eva Woodworth and Anya Sloth.  Additionally, Kern was named the 2024 SUNYAC Women’s Cross Country Rookie of the Year (she is the first female cross country rookie of the year in program history) 

In the 2025 indoor track season, Jonthomas Bierman was named the SUNYAC Indoor Track and Field Most Outstanding Performer of the meet winning the mile, 3,000 and anchoring the winning distance medley relay (Michael Burns, Justin Berkowitz, Matthew Hayden and Bierman).  Bierman moved up to second all time in school history in the mile with a time of 4:14.19.  Michael Burns was the indoor SUNYAC runner-up in the 3,000 meter run behind Bierman and is now 10th all time in school history with a time of 8:42.00.  Chris Schimkus was crowned the individual 5,000 meter champion at the conference meet.  The women’s distance medley of Sabrinna Mena, Brianna Senatore, Eva Woodworth and Natalia Sweat won the SUNYAC title for the second year in a row. Freshman Natalia Sweat was the individual conference champion in the Mile and sits sixth all time in school history with a time of 5:10.85. Additionally, Sweat finished 3rd in the 800 indoors and sits 7th all time in school history with a time of 2:18.16. Sabrinna Mena finished 3rd in the indoor 3,000 meter run earning 3rd team all-conference honors.  

During the outdoor season, Jonthomas Bierman set two school records in the 3,000 meter steeplechase (9:03.58) as well as the 1500 school record of 3:51.51 (breaking a record that stood for 17 years).  Bierman was a two time SUNYAC champion winning both the 3,000 steeplechase and the 5,000 meter run (sits 7th all time in school history with a time of 15:00.00).  Michael Burns was the individual conference champion in the 10,000 meter run and sits 5th all time in school history with a time of 31:12.15.  Additionally, Burns also sits 6th all time in school history for the 5,000 meter run with a time of 14:57.77.  Chris Schimkus earned second team all conference honors in the 3,000 meter steeplechase and moved up to 4th all time with a time of 9:29.38.  Gia Engel earned her first individual conference title winning the 10,000-meter run.  Natalia Sweat earned second team all conference honors in the 800 and moved up to 8th all time in school history with a time of 2:17.58.  Sweat also moved up to 7th all time in school history for the 1500 with a time of 4:46.91.  Sabrinna Mena earned third team all conference honors in the 5,000 meter run and moved up to 7th all time with a time of 18:05.05.  Olivia Holland also earned 3rd team all conference honors in the 10,000 meter run. Anna Kern moved up to 10th all time in school history in the 3,000 meter steeplechase with a time of 12:18.50.   

The cross country season saw 10 Top-25 All-Time in School History performances including Jonthomas Bierman who broke the men’s 8K school record with a time of 24:37.5. The men’s team finished 4th at the SUNYAC Conference Championships and 7th at the Niagara Regional Championships.  Jonthomas Bierman earned two SUNYAC Athlete of the week honors, Niagara All Region Honors, and competed at the 2023 National Championships. Michael Burns earned all-region honors and he along with Chris Schimkus earned USTFCCCA Academic All-America Honors.  

Vincent was named to the 2023 SUNYAC Women’s Cross Country Coaching Staff of the Year.  For the first time since 2016, the women’s program finished second at SUNYACs and then finished 6th at the Niagara Regional Championships. Megan Francoeur moved up to 4th All-Time in School History with a time of 21:31.9, earned All-Region honors with the highest individual finish in program history at the regional championships, and competed for a second time at the National Championships finishing in the Top-50 in the country. Ella DePhillips was inducted into the fall of Fame, moved up to 10th All-Time in School History with a time of 21:52.2 and competed at the 2023 National Championships.  Francoeur, DePhillips and Sabrinna Mena earned USTFCCCA Academic All-America Honors. 

In the 2024 Season, the Women’s Distance Medley (Sabrinna Mena, Danielle Jackson, Eva Woodworth, Olivia O’Donnell) and the Men’s Distance Medley (Jonthomas Bierman, Alec Weiss, Luke Jarski, Michael Burns), both were named conference champions, and it was first sweep of the DMR in program history. Jonthomas Bierman was named 3rd team All-Conference in the 800. Bierman and Burns moved up to 4th and 5th all time in school history for the mile with times of 4:16.78 and 4:17.65.  Megan Francoeur moved up to 9th all time in school history for the mile with a time of 5:14.90 and 6th all time in school history for the 3,000 meter run with a time of 10:16.70. Michael Burns moved up to 9th all time in school history for the 1500 with a time of 3:59.81 and Chris Schimkus moved up to 7th all time in school history for the 3,000 Steeplechase with a time of 9:44.89. Megan Francoeur and Sabrinna Mena both moved up to 5th and 10th all time in school history for the outdoor 5K with times of 17:52.36 and 18:18.63. Olivia O’Donnell moved up to 10th all time in the 3,000 meter steeplechase with a time of 12:21.96 

Megan Francoeur was the SUNYAC Conference Champion (first program champion in the programs history), a SUNYAC Hall of Fame Inductee, three times selected as SUNYAC athlete of the week, an NCAA Individual Qualifier, moved up to 10th all time in school history for the 6K, earned USTFCCCA All-Region Honors and Academic All-America Honors to cap a historic season. Ella DePhillips was named to SUNYAC 3rd Team All-Conference for the second year in a row and earned USTFCCCA Niagara Region Honors. On the men’s side, Jonthomas Bierman, Eion McClain, and Owen Sullivan earned USTFCCCA All-Region Honors.  In addition, Sullivan was also named the SUNYAC men’s cross country rookie of the year. 

On the track, Jonthomas Bierman broke the indoor 3,000 record earning 3rd team all-conference honors and was the SUNYAC Conference Champion in the 3,000-steeplechase breaking the SUNYAC Meet Record and School Record with a time of 9:03.87. Bierman also moved up to 3rd all time in school history for the 1500 with a time of 3:56.97.  Luke Jarski broke the outdoor school record in the 800 with a time of 1:51.91 and moved up to 2nd all time in school history for the indoor 800 with a time of 1:53.17.   

In her first year with the Red Dragons, Vincent mentored a group of runners that earned All-SUNYAC and All-Region honors in both sports including Megan Francoeur who was the Conference Champion in the 10,000-meter run and earned 1st team All-Conference Honors.  In the 2021 cross country season, Francoeur was twice selected as the SUNYAC Athlete of the Week and earned Third Team All-Conference and All-Region honors. Ella DePhillips earned SUNYAC Third Team All-Conference and All Region honors. John Balk Jr. earned All-Region honors.  

On the track, Luke Jarski earned Third Team All-Conference honors indoors in the 800-meter run while placing eighth at both the indoor and outdoor AARTFC championships in the event.  During the outdoor season, Jarski moved into the No. 3 spot all-time in the 800 with a time of 1:53.17. Eion McClain finished fifth at the AARTFC championships in the 5K and moved up to 4th all time for the outdoor 5K with a time of 14:54.88.  Jonthomas Bierman finished sixth in the 3K at the AARTFC championships.  John Balk Jr finished 5th in the 10,000-meter run at the Outdoor AARTFC championships. 

Prior to coming to Oneonta, Vincent was the assistant cross country and track & field coach and recruiting coordinator at SUNY Fredonia. She helped coach Collin Barmore (‘23) to All-Region honors at the 2020 Indoor AARTFC Championships in the 800-meter run.  During that same year, Barmore was also named Fredonia State’s Most Outstanding Freshman.  In the 2019 cross country season, Vincent aided in coaching the Fredonia men’s cross-country team to a top twenty team finish at the Atlantic Regional Championship. 

A May 2017 graduate from SUNY Fredonia, Vincent earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Science, with a minor in Athletic Coaching, a Master of Science in Exercise Physiology with a concentration in Human Performance from Gannon University in May of 2018, and a Master of Science in Applied Sport Psychology from Adams State in December of 2020.  

At Fredonia, Vincent was a member of the Blue Devil women’s cross country and track & field teams, specializing in distance and middle-distance events.  She was a four-time SUNYAC Championship qualifier in cross country and a two-time SUNYAC Championship qualifier in the 10,000-meter run, placing sixth at the 2017 SUNYAC Championship.  Currently, Vincent sits ninth on the SUNY Fredonia Women’s Top-10 list for the 10,000-meter run. 

A native of Randolph, N.Y. Vincent has previously served as a distance counselor for the U.S. Sports Camps at Oberlin College, and as an assistant men’s and women’s cross country and track & field coach and assistant recruiting coordinator at St. John Fisher College where she was a member of the 2019 Empire 8 Men’s Track and Field Coaching Staff of the Year.  Vincent is a certified strength and conditioning specialist and certified endurance specialist through the USTFCCCA.