Springfield, Ohio – Wittenberg University Men’s and Women’s Track & Field will host the first-ever “Coach Rob” Wittenberg Invitational on Friday, April 3, at the Earl F. Morris Track and Edwards-Maurer Field. 

The meet will open with recognition of Dennis Robinson, best known to so many Tiger track & field student-athletes over the last decade as “Coach Rob,” at 10:45 a.m. Robinson, who passed away in December 2014 after a six-year battle with the blood disease Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS), will be represented during a brief ceremony by close friends and family members, including his wife Delores, daughter Denise, and son Aaron. 

A graduate of Central State University, Robinson joined Wittenberg's coaching staff in 2004 after teaching and coaching in the Dayton Public School District for 17 years. During his coaching career at Meadowdale High School, Robinson led dozens of athletes to outstanding individual finishes in the state track meet, with a best team finish of third in 2001. 

At Wittenberg, Robinson worked primarily with sprinters, hurdlers and jumpers. He helped guide numerous student-athletes to All-North Coast Athletic Conference honors, including five student-athletes who went on to qualify for NCAA Division III Championship competitions. 

Competition begins with field events at 11 a.m. Running events will start at 12 p.m. 

Teams scheduled to participate in the “Coach Rob” Wittenberg Invitational include Central State, Mount St. Joseph, Wilmington, Otterbein, Thomas More, Capital, Ohio Christian, Mount Vernon Nazarene, Adrian, Rio Grande, Wittenberg and individuals representing the Ohio Track Club. Results will be available throughout the day via a website operated by Finish Timing: http://finishtiming.trackscoreboard.com/#/results/meet/2015038.

Written By: Ryan Maurer