TRACKTrack & Field
BJC-facilities-aerial
Mike Ashton

Mike Ashton

TitleAssistant Coach - Pole Vault/ High Jump
Emailmma7529@psu.edu
Mike Ashton

MIKE ASHTON

Mike Ashton enters his second year with the Nittany Lions in 2026-27. He joined Penn State in 2025-26 after being announced as an assistant coach in September 2025, serving as the pole vault and men's high jump coach.

2025-26

  • In Ashton's first season, he helped guide first-year high jumper Trip Campbell to a bronze medal at the Outdoor Big Ten Championships with a clearance of 2.12m. Campbell also recorded a personal-best 2.15m to win the Nittany Lion Challenge on Jan. 17.
  • Campbell added victories at both the PSU Sykes & Sabock Challenge on Feb. 7 and the Penn State Tune-Up on Feb. 20, clearing 2.11m at each meet. He also claimed first place at the Virginia Challenge with a 2.14m clearance.
  • Robert Allen recorded a personal-best clearance of 2.12m (6' 11.5") at the UCF Knights Invite (Mar. 27–28, 2026). He opened the indoor season with a victory at the Bison Opener (Dec. 5–6, 2025), clearing 2.05m (6' 8.75"), and later won the Penn State National Open (Jan. 30–31, 2026) with a jump of 2.06m (6' 9"). Allen also earned runner-up finishes at the Nittany Lion Challenge (Jan. 17, 2026) and the Penn State Tune-Up (Feb. 20, 2026), clearing 2.06m (6' 9") and 2.08m (6' 9.75"), respectively.
  • In the pole vault, Tristan McGarrah was named the recipient of the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award during the outdoor season. He also posted a personal-best clearance of 5.20m (17-0.75) to win the PSU Sykes & Sabock Challenge on Feb. 7, 2026, moving into second place on Penn State's indoor all-time performance list. McGarrah matched that mark at the Westminster Invitational (Apr. 10–11, 2026), earning another victory and moving into fourth place on the program's outdoor all-time list.
  • McGarrah opened the season with a victory at the Bison Opener (Dec. 5–6, 2025), clearing 5.00m (16' 4.75"). He followed with wins at the Nittany Lion Challenge (Jan. 17, 2026) at 5.05m (16' 6.75"), the Penn State National Open (Jan. 30–31, 2026) at 5.10m (16' 8.75"), and the Penn State Tune-Up (Feb. 20, 2026) at 5.15m (16' 10.75"). He also placed second at the Penn Elite (Jan. 24, 2026) with a clearance of 5.04m (16' 6.5").
  • On the women's side, Amelia McBain recorded her season-best mark of 3.90m in the pole vault at the PSU Sykes & Sabock Challenge on Feb. 7. She also won the Nittany Lion Challenge on Jan. 17 with a clearance of 3.75m and placed second at the Westminster Invitational with a mark of 3.81m.

BEFORE PENN STATE

Ashton came to Penn State after spending two years at Army West Point, where he coached the pole vault, high jump, and multis. During his time at West Point, he coached six Patriot League champions in the pole vault and high jump across the men's and women's programs. He also mentored two NCAA East Region qualifiers in the high jump and pole vault.

A 2015 graduate of Utah Valley University (UVU), Ashton returned to his alma mater in 2021 as the pole vault, high jump, and multis coach. During his time at UVU, he coached four NCAA West Region qualifiers, including three men's high jumpers and one men's pole vaulter. Several of his student-athletes also broke program records in the pole vault and high jump.

Prior to coaching at UVU, Ashton began his coaching career at the high school level, first at Judge Memorial Catholic High School in Salt Lake City, Utah, and later at Cyprus High School in Magna, Utah. He began coaching at Judge Memorial Catholic after earning his bachelor's degree in public relations from UVU.

Ashton was offered a walk-on opportunity at UVU and accepted, beginning his collegiate career in 2009. During his time as a student-athlete, he competed in pole vault, high jump, heptathlon, and decathlon. Ashton won three individual conference championships, including two in the pole vault and one in the high jump. As a senior, he set the UVU outdoor pole vault record.

Born in San Jose, California, Ashton grew up in Vancouver, Washington. He began participating in track and field during elementary school and competed in a variety of events before discovering a passion for pole vault during his freshman year of high school. From that point forward, it became his primary event.

Outside of track and field, Ashton enjoys golfing, participating in the same fantasy football league for the past eight years, and spending time with his son both indoors and outdoors.