The TCU track and field program has two new coaches this fall: Jeff Petersmeyer and Eric Heins. The two were once former coaches together at Northern Arizona University, and now they are helping guide TCU’s track and field teams. Petersmeyer, 32 and Heins, 29, both bring collegiate competition and coaching experience to the table.

Petersmeyer, assistant coach in charge of the horizontal jumpers, used to run for Baldwin-Wallace College in Ohio,

Petersmeyer, who will also work with sprinters and hurdlers, said he is coming to TCU after working as assistant track and cross country coach at Baldwin-Wallace College.

The smaller size of the TCU track program differs from the size of some of the teams Petersmeyer has worked with.

“I had almost 20 jumpers in my event groups before,” Petersmeyer said. “The smaller size lets me focus more on the individual athletes.”

The other new addition to the staff is former Southeast Missouri State University assistant coach Eric Heins, who joined the TCU program as the head cross country coach and assistant coach for the track program.

Heins, who used to run for the University of Cincinatti, said he has been running competitively since he was 12.

As head coach of the cross country teams, Heins has some hopes for both the men’s and women’s programs.

“If we can get all the upperclassmen healthy at the same time, we should be able to compete,” Heins said.

Some runners on the men’s team, such as Michael Garcia and Cody Cook, have noticed differences between Heins’ coaching style and former coach Patrick Cunniff’s approach.

“There is a lot higher mileage this year,” Garcia said.

The workout styles with the team are based on getting as much running in as possible, Heins said.

“We are logging about 70 miles a week right now,” Cook said. “We are eventually working to run in the 80s (miles).