Army West Point Athletics
Women's Track and Field
- Title:
- Assistant Track and Field Coach
- Email:
- vijay.saxena@westpoint.edu
- Phone:
- 2425
Vijay Saxena joins the Army West Point track program as an assistant coach in August 2022 and will work with the sprints, jumps and hurdles groups at West Point.
Saxena joins Army after spending the past seven seasons at McNeese State University. In 2022, McNeese State won its first ever Southland Conference Women's Indoor & Outdoor Track & Field Championship in school history which saw Saxena nominated by the conference as the USTFCCCA South Central Region Assistant Women's Indoor Track & Field Coach of the Year. He oversaw school records broken for the indoor women's 60m, men's & women's 200m, men's 400m, men's 60mH, men's DMR, men's & women's 4x400m Relay, women's triple jump, women's high jump, and outdoor men's & women's triple jump. In addition, Saxena coached 20 NCAA East Preliminary Round Qualifiers (eight in 2022) including John Lemke who ranked as high as 6th in the NCAA. Â
"Vijay Saxena was at the top of my list of candidates to fill our assistant coach position this summer." said Director of Track and Field Mike Smith. "I value complete track and field coaches that can coach multiple disciplines and have a work ethic that matches the demands of the Academy. Vijay fits that mold. He has experience with all of the speed and power events and is a hustler on the recruiting trail. He has done well at all of his stops and was most recently a valued member of the McNeese State coaching staff prior to coming to Army. He raises the level of our coaching depth and has made a great impression on the cadets in a short period of time. We are fortunate to have him on our staff."Â
Prior to his time with McNeese State, Saxena spent three seasons as the track and field jumps coach at Westfield State University. There he helped lead the men's team to the MASCAC Conference indoor championships in 2014 as well as back-to-back outdoor titles in 2014 and in 2015. He also helped coach the women's team to the 2013 indoor conference title. In 2015, he coached the men's team to a top-10 finish at the Division III New England meet and top 25 finish at NCAA Division III Nationals. His long and triple jump coaching skills helped WSU freshman Dereck Stone win the title at the All New England meet (Divisions 1-3) in the long jump and to a ninth-place finish at the Division III Nationals. At WSU, he also coached running backs and wide receivers in football.Â
"I am very excited to join the amazing staff here at Army West Point. I feel very lucky to be selected by such an accomplished and hardworking staff. I hope to contribute in any way that has led to success within the program, as well as help transition anything we think we need to improve in areas we have lacked in the past." said Saxena. "West Point is one of the top academic institutions in the country with so much upside athletically knowing that every cadet gets paid to come to school and graduates with guaranteed job placement. Not many institutions can promise the financial security that West Point offers. What really set Army West Point apart was that it has been and still is ranked the number 1 leadership school worldwide. There isn't a better opportunity to set up a student athlete's future than here. I am excited to recruit and coach at a high level and set high expectations. Our goals will be to beat Navy, win the Patriot League, and be a top 25 team in the NCAA Championships. We expect to up the standard each year. In my first few weeks of practice, I noticed I don't have to coach effort. This is a hard-working group that is eager to win and improve. My cousin graduated from here in 2020 so I know a little bit about what he had to go through but I am learning something new everyday. It is an honor to coach here and coach individuals here looking pursue the challenges that come with the benefits of attending West Point. I'm looking forward to spending a long time here and building relationships within the school, athletic department, administration, and alumni."Â
He received his B.S. in 2010 in Movement and Sports Studies with a minor in Athletic Coaching along with his M.Ed. in Athletic Administration in 2012, both from Springfield College. As a student-athlete at Springfield he earned NEWMAC All-Academic honors while competing in the long jump and triple jump. He holds a certification in USA Track & Field Level 1 along with USTFCCCA certifications in Strength & Conditioning, Jumps Specialist, Sprint, Hurdle, & Relay Event Specialist and Combined Events Specialist.
