Athletics > Paul Souza
Paul Souza
Co-Head Coach, Men's and Women's Track & Field
Email: psouza@wheatonma.edu
Office: Haas Athletic Center
Phone: 508-286-3982
Fax: 508-286-8249
Profile
Entering his 16th year at the helm of Wheaton's men's and women's indoor and outdoor track & field programs and second as co-head coach, Paul Souza's teams have established reputations as leading national powers in NCAA Division III track & field.
Souza, whose expertise is with jumps, oversees all field events. Over a 12-year span, the women's squad has won eight national championships, finished second four times and placed third twice. On the men's side, Souza has helped lead the indoor team to five national finishes of tied for 10th or higher in the last 10 years and the outdoor squad to a trio of top-eight placements since 2000.
In his 15 years at Wheaton, Souza has witnessed his athletes record 76 national event titles and 267 All-America honors. He was voted United States Track Coaches Association (USTCA) National Indoor Coach of the Year in 2002 and the top coach in the conference and region nine and six times, respectively. A USA Track & Field (USATF) Level I and II certified coach and the national vertical jumps chair for men's development, Souza has attracted some of the nation's most talented athletes to Wheaton, including several U.S. Olympic trials qualifiers and two trials finalists.
Highly involved with the USATF, Souza was selected as an assistant coach for the 2005 World University Games in Izmir, Turkey, and was one of three assistants for the 2004 U.S. World Indoor Track & Field Championship team that competed in Budapest, Hungary. In 2001, he was an assistant coach of the U.S. World Junior team and assisted the 1995 U.S. Olympic Sports Festival East team. Souza has also previously been nominated to coach on the Olympic team.
In 1987, Souza founded the Elite Track & Field Series, which has become one of the premier clinics in the country, attracting such high-profile clinicians as Kevin O'Donnell, Loren Seagrave, Dwight Stones and Norm Tate. He is the former personal coach of 1999 USATF national indoor high jump champion Henry Patterson (7' 7 3/4") and 1998 champion Isaac Hill (7' 6 1/2"). Souza's expertise in the jumps has made him one of the most sought-after clinicians in the track & field world.
An Olympic trials qualifier as well as an NCAA and USA-TFA All-American, Souza earned a bachelor's degree in communications from Pennsylvania State University in 1983 and a master's degree from Eastern Nazarene College in 1985. A native of nearby Mansfield, he still holds Penn State's indoor high jump record at 7' 4 1/2" and Mansfield High School's mark at 6' 10".
The Souza File
Men's Team
| Year | League | NCAA Indoor | NCAA Outdoor |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| 1996 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| 1997 | n/a | T-7th (16 Points) | T-40th (6 Points) |
| 1998 | n/a | No Team Score | T-32nd (8 Points) |
| 1999 | 2nd | T-21st (6 Points) | 14th (17 Points) |
| 2000 | 5th | 6th (18 Points) | 8th (30 Points) |
| 2001 | 4th | 5th (25 Points) | T-7th (24 Points) |
| 2002 | 4th | 4th (27 Points) | 5th (29 Points) |
| 2003 | 5th | T-10th (12 Points) | T-30th (10 Points) |
| 2004 | 4th | T-8th (16 Points) | T-27th (10 Points) |
| 2005 | 5th | n/a | n/a |
| 2006 | 4th | T-22nd (8 Points) | n/a |
| 2007 | 5th | 22nd (7 Points) | No Team Score |
| 2008 | 5th | T-61st (1 Point) | n/a |
| 2009 | 5th | T-66th (1 Point) | No Team Score |
Women's Team
| Year | League | NCAA Indoor | NCAA Outdoor |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 3rd | n/a | n/a |
| 1996 | 1st | n/a | n/a |
| 1997 | 2nd | No Team Score | No Team Score |
| 1998 | 1st | 2nd (28 Points) | 2nd (50 Points) |
| 1999 | 1st | 1st (43 Points) | 2nd (48 Points) |
| 2000 | 1st | 1st (47 Points) | 3rd (48.5 Points) |
| 2001 | 1st | 1st (63 Points) | 1st (83.5 Points) |
| 2002 | 1st | 1st (65.5 Points) | 1st (67 Points) |
| 2003 | 1st | 1st (54 Points) | 1st (72 Points) |
| 2004 | 1st | 2nd (28 Points) | 3rd (37.8 Points) |
| 2005 | 1st | 39th (4.5 Points) | T-44th (5 Points) |
| 2006 | 1st | 14th (14 Points) | 41st (7 Points) |
| 2007 | 2nd | 9th (19 Points) | T-28th (9 Points) |
| 2008 | 1st | T-25th (8 Points) | T-38th (7 Points) |
| 2009 | 3rd | T-12th (12 Points) | 23rd (11.5 Points) |
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