Men's Track & Field
Coaching Staff
Dennis Floyd, Head Coach
 Coach Dennis Floyd is in his 5th year of coaching the Vikings. He has worked diligently to develop SSC's Cross-Country, Indoor Track and Outdoor Track Programs for men and women. A 2000 SSC graduate, he oversees team operations as well as coaching distance runners and throwers. As a USA Track & Field Level 1 coach, he's developed many school record holders, New England qualifiers, ECAC qualifiers, and X-Country All-MASCAC and All-Alliance athletes.
One of his premier athletes, Fabian Mejia, was a 3-time MASCAC X-Country Champion as well as ECAC X-Country Champion. Floyd also coached Mejia to Gold medals at ECAC in the 1000m run and Mile. The 2006 and 2007 Indoor Track Program's most recent star is Salem's first Indoor Track All-American, Eddie Bynum in the 55m Dash. In 2007, Bynum became the DIII Indoor track National Champion. The Men's Indoor Track Team also placed 12th at the 2006 DIII NE Championships and took 8th place at the 2006 ECAC Championships.
The women's X-Country team has also been the benefactor of Floyd's distance running knowledge with his women Vikings posting numerous all-MASCAC performances in the last 5 years as well as Sasha Mackey's MASCAC Rookie of the Year performance in 2006.
In winter, Coach Floyd brings the squad to the Reggie Lewis Track to train on one of the best tracks in New England. His well-rounded program has produced some of SSC's and MASCAC's top student-athletes. In the past 4 years, an athlete from the X-Country or Track has won one of SSC's top awards: the Presidents Cup or Galaris Award have been given to Jess Horne (2003), Lisa McKay (2004), Graham Eaton (2005), and Fabian Mejia (2006). Mejia has also won the MASCAC Howard C. Smith Cup. Floyd encourages his team to let nothing get in the way of family, academics, and training. His goal is to "pass along the message that training is not just something an athlete does without thought, an athlete needs to study their sport and understand how to train and perform intelligently as well as effectively.". Coach Floyd's influences are Lydiard, Bowerman, Wetmore, Dederian, and Czarnicki (SSC Hall of Fame Coach).
As an SSC student-athlete, Floyd was a distance runner competing in X-Country, Indoor and Outdoor Track. He was team captain for all three sports for three years. Floyd was MASCAC's 5000m Champion his sophomore year in outdoor track and a multiple time All-MASCAC, All-Alliance performer as well as All-ECAC in cross-country. Floyd graduated with a BS in Criminal Justice and ran for the Greater Boston Track Club where he became one of GBTC's top 10 all-time 1500m runners. He also competed for GBTC in the Cross-Country Nationals 10k in 2000 (Boston), 2001 (Alabama), 2002 (California) as one of their top athletes. Floyd reached his peak placing 23rd for GBTC in the USATF New England Championships in 2003. He is still active in the local post collegiate running community. Floyd is a native and resident of Lynn, Mass.
Jeff Rockwood, Sprint & Jumps Coach
 Jeff Rockwood is entering his sixth year coaching the Salem State College track program. A USA Track and Field Level I certified coach, Jeff works with the sprints, jumps and hurdles.
Rockwood's sprinters have fast become some of the best in the region and have burst onto the national scene as well. During the 2006-2007 season he coached Eddie Bynum III to an undefeated indoor campaign ending with an NCAA Div III National Title in the 55 meter dash. Bynum then received his 3rd All-American honor by placing 5th in the 100 meter dash at the Div III Outdoor National Championships in Oshkosh, WI. Eddie won four Div III New England Titles in 2007 (55m, 100m, 200m, 4 x 100m relay). His total now stands at six.
Relays are a big focus for Rockwood and his athletes. The sprint group proved that last year by breaking five of the nine existing school relay records in sprint events. Relay highlights from the 2007 year came from a 2nd place finish from the women's 4 x 400m relay indoors at the Alliance Championships, All ECAC performances from two men's relays (4 x 200m indoors, 4 x 100m outdoors) and a 1st place finish at the Div III New England Championships from the Men's 4 x 100m relay outdoors.
A 2004 graduate of SSC with a B.S. in Sport, Fitness and Leisure Studies, Rockwood was a force on the track. Holding school records in eight events while at Salem, his highlights came in 2002 with a New England Alliance Conference win at 600 meters and All New England honors for a 6th place finish (600 Meters) at the Div III New England Indoor Championships. Jeff still holds MASCAC conference meet records indoors in the 600m (2002) and 800m (1999) events.
Before coming to Salem State, Rockwood was an assistant coach at his alma mater Haverhill High School from 1996-1998. While at HHS the boys' team had an undefeated season in 1998 culminating with a Massachusetts State Outdoor Championship. The boys' team was also State Class A Runner-Up in 1997.
Rockwood currently works as a Medical Technologist in Clinical Chemistry and Toxicology at Massachusetts General Hospital and resides in Salem.
Contact Info
Dennis Floyd, Head Coach
Phone: 978-542-6233
Email: dennis.floyd@salemstate.edu
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