Jay Shuman is in his third year on the Colorado Mesa University track and field coaching staff, serving full-time as the Mavericks’ throws and pole vault coach. He initially joined the program as a graduate assistant and recruiting coordinator in the 2023–24 season and quickly made a lasting impact on the program.
In 2025, Shuman guided Izaak Siefken to the RMAC Javelin Championship and coached an impressive 16 performances that now rank among the top 10 in CMU program history for the throwing events. He currently coaches two school record holders in the throws and has seen his athletes break seven school records broken, building on a foundation and philosophy of technical precision and athlete development.
In his first outdoor season as the throws coach in 2024, Shuman led six athletes to all-conference honors, including NCAA Championship hammer throw qualifier Augustine Hancock, who also became the first Maverick woman to win an RMAC title in the throws. Under his leadership, the women’s team set new school records in all four throwing events that season.
The Maverick throwers were instrumental in the team’s historic performances at the 2024 RMAC Championships, contributing 28 women’s points and 20 men’s points. Those efforts helped CMU secure program-best runner-up finishes for both the men's and women’s teams, along with record-breaking point totals (166.5 for men, 123 for women).
A former Maverick himself, Shuman competed in the multi-events from 2019–23 after beginning his collegiate career at the University of Wyoming. He earned All-RMAC honors in the hurdles in 2019 and regularly assisted with meet management when not competing. A proud Palisade, Colorado native, Shuman holds a double bachelor’s degree in applied mathematics and statistics (2023) and a master’s in sport management (2024) from CMU.
When he's not at the track, Shuman enjoys playing pickleball and golf, spending time with his dog Mabel, and being with family — including his parents, Heather and Robert Shuman, who still reside in Palisade, and his sisters Kate and Aly, who also live in the Grand Valley.
