Phone: (773) 702-1528
E-mail: dsvoboda@uchicago.edu

David Svoboda begins his second season as the University of Chicago associate head coach for men's and women's cross country and track & field in 2007-08.

Svoboda has four years of college coaching experience to his credit. In 2005-06, he served as an assistant track & field coach at Millikin University working primarily with hurdlers, jumpers, and middle distance runners.

Prior to his arrival at Millikin, Svoboda spent two years on the staff at the University of Nebraska. He was a volunteer assistant in 2003-04 concentrating on sprints and hurdles before accepting a position as a graduate assistant the following year.

Svoboda began his coaching career at Fairview (Colo.) High School in 2000. After a three-year tenure as a cross country assistant and one-year stint as a track & field aide, he assumed the head track & field coaching duties for two seasons.

A four-year letter winner in cross country and track & field at Nebraska Wesleyan University, Svoboda earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics in 2000. He is scheduled to complete a master's degree in leadership development from the University of Nebraska later this year.

Assistant Coach Zeb Sion

Phone: (773) 834-9124
E-mail: zrsion@uchicago.edu

Zeb Sion begins his first season as assistant coach for men's and women's track & field in 2007-08.

Sion, who will concentrate on throwing events, came to Chicago after a one-year stint as a graduate assistant coach at Idaho State University in 2006-07.

While at Idaho State, he tutored one Big Sky Conference champion, two NCAA West Regional qualifiers, and one All-NCAA West Regional athlete. In addition, 10 athletes -- including his brother Jed -- earned All-Big Sky Conference accolades.

Sion also led his athletes to three school records including John Danielson’s indoor shot put record of 60' 5." Danielson then went on to break Sion’s own school record in the outdoor shot put with a new distance of 61' 7 3/4" -- the 14th-farthest throw in the nation in 2007. Jessica Hillam also set an outdoor school record with a throw of 49' 1/4"inches in the shot put.

A native of Pocatello, Idaho, Sion threw the shot put and discus for the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) from 2001-05. Upon his graduation, he attended graduate school at Idaho State, where he completed his eligibility.

During his athletic career, Sion was a two-time NCAA qualifier and two-time All-Region shot putter, once at Georgia Tech and once at Idaho State. He earned All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors four times and All-Big Sky Conference recognition one year. In 2004, Sion was the ACC shot put champion.

At one point, Sion held the Georgia Tech indoor (59' 3/4"), Georgia Tech outdoor (59' 5"), and Idaho State outdoor (60' 2") records in the shot put. He is currently the Idaho high school state record holder in the shot put (64' 3").

Sion earned a bachelor's degree in management from Georgia Tech in 2005 and a master's degree in physical education and athletic administration from Idaho State in 2007.