Jim Stintzi joined the Charleston Southern coaching staff as the Director of Track & Field and Cross Country in the summer of 2016 and is entering his tenth season leading the programs. Since then, both the cross country and track & field teams have been steadily taken to new heights and become one of the premier teams in the league. Currently, he primarily works with the men's cross country team and mid-distance and distance runners on the track team.
Stintzi's work during his tenure led to his recognition as the Cross Country Coach of the Year in the Big South five times, including three consecutive seasons of claiming the award. His first time winning it came in 2018 and he has claimed it in spring 2021, fall 2021, 2022 and 2024. He is just the second Buccaneer head coach to earn the award and was the first since 1990 to claim it, the first year the league gave the award.
Since his arrival, there have been 40 total school records that have fallen including 14 of 18 distance events competed at the championship level. Within the school’s Top 10 for men’s indoor track, 39 of the possible 40 spots for the four events are occupied by current and former athletes of Stintzi’s.
The 2024-25 academic year continued to mark continued success as Men's Cross Country claimed their fifth consecutive Big South Championship title. The meet was hosted by CSU and they defended their home course with a team score of 36, edging out High Point by five points to claim the top spot on the podium. There were five finishers for the Buccaneers within the top 14 to each earn All-Conference distinction with them going 4-5-6-7-14.
Across the remaining championships, Charleston Southern continue to place themselves as one of the premier programs in the league with Championship or Runner-Up finishes in five or the six conference championships. The women finished as the runner-ups at the cross country, indoor and outdoor conference meets with these all tying their best in program history. On the men's side, they finished as the runner-up in the indoor meet and were the third-place squad at the outdoor championships.
The 2024 indoor and outdoor track and field seasons continued the upward trend of Charleston Southern among the other institutions in the conference. The Bucs slotted themselves as a team in the top three at all conference championships. The women finished as the runner-ups at the indoor and outdoor Big South Championship with the outdoor finish matching their best in program history while the indoor finish was the highest they ever have. On the men's side, they finished as the runner-up in the indoor meet and were the third-place squad at the outdoor championships.
The 2023 fall saw the continued success of Charleston Southern cross country as they extended their dominant stretch of success winning their fourth consecutive title. Micah Gilpatric became the first Big South athlete to repeat as the individual champion at the Conference Championship meet with his time of 23:34.5. They finished with a total of 21 points as the Buccaneers had the top three finishers at the meet and placed their top five all within the top nine and top seven within the first 12 finishers. Conan Harper was selected as the Freshman of the Year as the top freshman finisher on the meet. At the NCAA Regionals that year, Jaden Kingsley was named as the Big South Runner of the Year for being the top finisher of the conference at a NCAA Regional. He also earned USTFCCCA All-Region statis as he crossed the line in 20th overall in the star-studded field at the NCAA Southeast Regionals.
During the 2023 track seasons, he helped both teams claim third-place finishes in the indoor and outdoor season within the conference. He helped in the men’s indoor conference champions DMR squad and runners winning seven of the nine events competed at 800 meters and more at the indoor and outdoor championships including a 1-2-3 sweep of the indoor mile. The winter season saw all school records for men’s distance events broken.
During the fall of 2022, Charleston Southern clinched their third consecutive cross country title with five runners placing in the top nine of the field, with eight in the top 14. They finished with 25 points, 20 clear of the second-place squad. Micah Gilpatric won the individual title at the event and was selected the Cross Country Runner of the Year, becoming the second CSU runner to win it in the past three seasons. Zach Wedding earned Freshman of the Year from the league with his ninth-placed finish. CSU finished the year with an 11th place finish at the NCAA Southeast Regionals with a pair of runners turning in top-50 finishes at the event.
There have been 30 runners since Stintzi’s arrival to earn All-Conference status. In just seven seasons, he has had more runners claim this recognition than the 30 years prior to his arrival at the school (25). In 2022, there were eight runners to be on the lists.
With the women’s cross country team, he has brought the team to levels they have never been to in program history. This past fall, the team claimed a second-place finish at the Big South Championships, the best finish they have had in their 38 seasons. Their previous best had been third, finishing there on five occasions, with three of them under Stintzi (2018, 2019, 2021). Also, since his arrival, the Bucs have claimed annual awards from the league for the first time. In 2021, Taylor Barnes won Scholar-Athlete of the Year while Maddie Wheatly won Freshman of the Year.
He has had 14 female runners earn All-Conference recognition for their placements at the Big South Championships in his seven seasons. The most honorees came in 2021 when four athletes finish high enough for the titles. Georgina Russell was the first to earn this status since Stintzi arrived and snapped a 14-year season streak with no CSU runners to be part of the list. Barnes (’19, ’20, ’21) and Caroline Inman (’18, ’19, ’21) were All-Conference three times in their careers, becoming just the second and third CSU runners to earn that honor that many times.
The teams have also been very successful inside the classroom, with both cross country teams being named USTFCCCA All-Academic for each of the past four seasons. In addition to this, the track and field squads have earned the honor for each of the past two years. There have also been eight athletes to earn All-Academic honors under his watch with five in 2023.
Stintzi coached two individual champions at the 2022 Big South Indoor Championships. Alan Deogracias took the crown in the 5K with a school record time of 14:37.50. Similarly, Rob Howorth won the 800m event with the second-best time in school history. Additionally, Jewel Ash finished second in the 400m and as part of the 4x400m relay giving her a pair of all-conference accolades. The Bucs also took places 2, 3, and 4 in the men's mile. Finally, Holden Gerth achieved the fourth-best heptathlon score in program history.
The Buccaneer men won their second straight Big South Championship in the fall of 2021 with just 24 points and six runners in the top ten. On the women's side, four runners finished as all-conference including Caroline Inman, who finished as the Bucs' top runner at sixth overall, and Maddie Wheatly, who was named the conference freshman of the year.
The 2020-21 season saw the men's cross country team dominate the Big South Championships taking the title with 21 points - the league's lowest mark since the 1999 season - and Trevor Dominy winning the individual title. The Bucs' team title is the second in program history and Dominy's individual title was the third for Charleston Southern. His win also qualified Dominy for the NCAA Championships, the first individual runner to take the national stage in program history. The men's cross country team placed five runners on the All-Conference Team with all five finishing among the field's top-seven.Â
The 2021 Track & Field season saw the Bucs set 31 new top-10 marks in distance events between Indoor and Outdoor season along with 7 All-Conference finishes at the 2021 Big South Outdoor Championships headlined by Shawn Langley Jr. taking the gold in the 400m event.
Over the course of the 2018-19 season, both the men's and women's cross country programs collected top-three at the Big South Championships tying previous program records for a team finish - the men placing second and women grabbing a third-place finish. The track & field programs also saw heightened success with rising senior Caroline Edmondson highlighting the Bucs' efforts taking home both Indoor and Outdoor Big South Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors as well as CoSIDA/Google Cloud Academic All-District and All-American honors. The men's team placed third in the Big South Outdoor honors while the women placed fourth in the spring season as well as top-four finishes in the Indoor Championships - each team bringing home numerous individual podium finishes across multiple events.
CSU's programs have made strides throughout his tenure with the Buccaneers including men's cross country's first appearance in the NCAA Regionals since the 1994 season, as well as athletes advancing to the NCAA Regionals in Outdoor Track.
The 2018 Outdoor Championships showcased the advancement of both programs in the second year of Stintzi's leadership. Both teams were in contention for a spot in the top-two throughout the three-day event in High Point highlighted by Vincent Johnson's 110m championship, while senior sprinter Jasmine Pilgrim was on the podium four separate times to highlight the teams' third-place finishes. Freshman distance runner Fearghal Curtin advanced to the NCAA Regionals in the 5000m race.
The 2018 Indoor Championships once again showcased the increased depth in the CSU lineup as the women's team finished fifth in the Championships after being paced by four podium finishes from the squad. Caroline Edmondson (2nd - Pentathlon), Diamond Rush (2nd, 60m), Milan Williams (2nd - Weight Throw), Tamara Damjanovic (2nd, Triple Jump) all were among the top finishers in the conference in their respective events. The men's team placed nine athletes on the podium on their way to placing third overall at the Indoor Championships. CSU had athletes finish in the top three in the high jump, 60m hurdles, weight throw, triple jump, 3000m, 4x400m relay, shot put, and 5000m race to pace CSU to the top three team finish in the conference.
Paced by fresh youth and enthusiasm, the Buccaneers' men's cross country team reached new heights in 2017 that culminated in CSU advancing to the NCAA Regionals. CSU finished third in the Big South men's cross country championships paced by All-Conference performers Jeryck Wilson and Fearghal Curtin. It was the highest finish for the team since the 1994 season and led to a 21st place result at the NCAA Southeast Regional meet. The women's program also saw two athletes advance to the NCAA Regionals with Georgina Russell and Taylor Barnes both representing the CSU Blue and Gold after finishing seventh in the conference championships.
The Charleston Southern track program also made a major resurgence over his first season with the program as the women's team placed fourth in both the Big South Indoor and Outdoor Championships. The women's team captured seven combined podium finishes in the indoor and outdoor seasons paced by Caroline Edmondson's second-place finish in the heptathlon, as well as the 4x100m relay team winning the Big South Outdoor Championship. The men finished fourth in both the indoor and the outdoor championships with CSU claiming top honors in the long jump (Niegel Simmons - Indoor) and 100m dash (Joshua Paramore - Outdoor). The Bucs also hosted two meets at the Bagwell-Settle Track Complex for the first time, including the 2017 Big South Outdoor Championships.
The young Buccaneers' men's cross country team made strides in the 2016 season that culminated in a 10th place result at the Big South Championships. The women's side also battled through youth in the first season with CSU finishing ninth at the conference championships.
Stintzi came to CSU with an extensive resume that includes 30 years worth of head coaching experience at Michigan State University and the University of Wisconsin from 2004-2014. He piloted the men's cross country program at Michigan State from 1984-2004 and also led the women's cross country team for his final five years with the Spartans. Stintzi assisted the men's track and field program for all 20 years of his tenure at Michigan State and held the same title with the women's team from 1999-2004.
Highlights of Stintzi's career include a 2001 Big Ten Conference Women's Cross Country title, a 1999 Big Ten Men's Track championship and a 1998 men's NCAA Regional crown – all achieved at Michigan State. Stintzi has directed 14 teams to the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships and has mentored student-athletes to 76 NCAA Division I All-American honors and 37 Big Ten individual championships. Fourteen times, Stintzi's programs have finished inside the final NCAA Top-25 rankings.
At Wisconsin, Stintzi guided women's cross country to four top-three finishes at the NCAA Regional and two runner-up finishes at the Big Ten Championships. Stintzi directed the Badgers to a fourth-place finish at the 2006 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships. While at his alma mater, he coached student-athletes that totaled 20 individual Big Ten titles and 43 All-American honors.
Stintzi enjoyed a long run of success at Michigan State, collecting eight top-20 NCAA finishes. The men's cross country program had five top-three finishes at the NCAA Regional and eight times earned top-three standings at the Big Ten Championships. In five years at the helm of the women's program, Stintzi's teams finished top-three at the NCAA Regional all but one time.
A well-respected figure in the sport, Stintzi served as president of the United States Cross Country Coaches Association from 2001-2004. He was also involved in the community during his time in East Lansing, working as chairman of the Lansing Michigan Young Life Board.
Stintzi is a 1981 graduate of the University of Wisconsin – Madison, where he was a six- time Big Ten Champion and a seven-time NCAA All-American in track and cross country. He completed a bachelor's degree in Fine Arts at the College of Education. He and his wife, Gail, reside in Summerville.
