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Hamline’s Chris Hartman honored with MIAC Distinguished Service Award

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) is proud to recognize Hamline University assistant athletic director and head strength & conditioning coach Chris Hartman with the conference’s Distinguished Service Award.
 
The award is presented annually to an individual or individuals who have made a significant contribution to their institution and the conference. It is the highest honor bestowed upon an individual in the MIAC.
 
Hartman, who announced his retirement earlier this week, has served Hamline’s 20 NCAA Division III teams for more than a quarter-century as the institution’s head strength & conditioning coach. He also spent a portion of the 2007-08 academic year as the school’s interim athletics director, and has since taken on oversight of game and event management.
 
“Chris’s impact has extended far beyond the weight room,” Hamline athletics director Alex Focke said. “Over the years, he has built meaningful relationships, shaped the experiences of countless student-athletes, and positively influenced so many lives across our department. He has been a model of consistency, led with integrity, and represented Hamline in a way that has made us all proud.”
 
Hartman’s contributions have been felt far beyond Hamline as well. Cited by numerous coaches as a critical supporter and mentor in their own career development, Hartman’s example and leadership have helped to create opportunities for strength & conditioning coaches across the MIAC. Hartman was pivotal in guiding the MIAC to become the first NCAA Division III athletic conference to develop a structure for strength & conditioning coaches to not only meet annually for the sharing of insights and best practices, but also to provide opportunities to earn Continuing Education Units that would help coaches remain updated with industry advancements and protocols to best train and support their student-athletes.
 
“Student-athlete safety and development was very important to Chris, and one of the reasons why he helped with the legislation that required strength & conditioning coaches to have a national certification when working with student athletes out of season,” Macalester Associate Director of Athletics Steve Murray said. “Chris has been a huge resource to coaches and has impacted how strength & conditioning is utilized throughout all of Division III.”
 
The first individual from Hamline to be recognized with the MIAC Distinguished Service Award since its inception in 2001, Hartman was presented with the honor at Hamline’s annual athletics awards celebration on Sunday, May 3.

| All-Time MIAC Distinguished Service Award Honorees |