LEWISTON, Maine -- A familiar name has returned to the track & field coaching ranks at Bates College as
Sophia Slovenski has been named an assistant coach on the staff of head coach
Curtis Johnson.
Slovenski becomes a third-generation track & field coach for the garnet and white, following in the footsteps of her father,
Paul '85, who was also an All-America pole vaulter as an undergraduate at Bates College, and her grandfather, the late
Walter Slovenski, who for 43 years led the Bates track and cross country teams to 726 victories, five undefeated seasons, more than 20 State of Maine championships and four New England regional championships.
Sophia's uncle,
Peter Slovenski, enjoyed a stellar 34-year career as the Director of Track & Field and head coach of men's and women's cross country at Bowdoin College and was a two-time All-Ivy League selection in the pole vault as an undergrad at Dartmouth College.
"We are thrilled to have Sophia as a part of our coaching staff and Bobcat community," said Coach Johnson. "Sophia comes to us following a standout academic and athletic career at the University of Southern Maine. Despite competing for a rival Maine Division III institution over the last few years, it has been so much fun watching her in action. Sophia brings a lot of passion in working with student-athletes and her energy is contagious. There is so much to be said about the immense Slovenski family history with Bates College Track and Field. It makes this new era with Coach Slovenski that much more exciting and intentional."
The 2021 NCAA Division III Women's Outdoor Track and Field champion in the javelin, Slovenski is a three-time U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-American, earning first-team recognitions for javelin in 2019 and 2021. The six-time Little East individual champion also contributed to six team championship titles. The two-year team captain holds the USM indoor school record in the pole vault (3.82 meters) and the outdoor school record in the javelin (48.21 meters).
"Joining the Bates Track and Field program is a profound honor, one that feels more like a homecoming," said Slovenski. "In 1952 my grandfather,
Walter Slovenski, became the head track & field and assistant football coach for the college. Since then he and my grandmother, Ruth, built our family with the love and support of the Bates Community. Although I never had the privilege of meeting my grandpa in person, I feel connected to him every time I step on the track. I am incredibly grateful to have been offered this position and to be a part of this remarkable team. Go Bobcats!"
Slovenski was named the 2023 Division III Commissioners Association Women's Sport Student-Athlete of the Year. She earned College Sports Communicators first-team Academic All-America honors in 2021 and 2023. The three-time USTFCCCA All-Academic team member and five-time All-Little East Academic team member was recognized by Southern Maine as a two-time William B. Wise Scholar-Athlete. Slovenski was Southern Maine's Most Outstanding Student Leader of the Year for 2021-22 and the 2022 and 2023 recipient of the school's Paula D. Hodgdon Leadership Award for female student-athletes. Slovenski served on her campus Student-Athlete Advisory Committee for four years and created mental health initiatives as president in 2022-23. She was a member of the Student-Athlete Diversity, Inclusion and Equity Committee and was a founding member of her university's Strong Girls United chapter, mentoring young girls and raising $2,000 for a multi-sport event focused on increasing sport opportunities for girls.
For her outstanding achievements in academics, athletics, community service and leadership, Slovenski has been named a Top-9 finalist for the prestigious
NCAA Woman of the Year award.
