Ron McCown is in his ninth season as the multi events and pole vault coach at SFA. During his time in Nacogdoches, McCown's athletes have posted some impressive numbers. His troops have recorded 11 individual SLC championships, 56 All-SLC performances, 12 school records, 14 NCAA Regional Qualifying marks, and 13 NCAA qualifiers. He has also had three athletes to compete at the NCAA Championships in the past three seasons.

The strength of SFA's youth may have been no more apparent that on its multis squad last season. The SFA multis recorded five All-SLC honors, recorded four NCAA qualifying marks, won an SLC individual title, and sent a decathlete, Aaron Harlan, to the NCAA Outdoor Championships. All of this from a group of athletes that were sophomores or younger during the '08 campaign. Along with his NCAA qualifying performances during the indoor and outdoor seasons, Harlan also recorded SLC runner-up finishes in the heptathlon and decathlon. Almost a shadow of Harlan's performance, classmate Tabitha Riley also recorded conference runner-up finishes during the indoor and outdoor season.

The surprise of the group may have been freshman Ebbonye Johnson. After recording a sixth-place finish in the pentathlon during the indoor season, Johnson set numerous personal bests to win the heptathlon at the SLC Outdoor Championships with a career best score of 4,894 points.

Throw into that mix sophomore Chris Jones who recorded an NCAA provisional mark in the decathlon and just missed all-conference honors with a fourth-place finish during the indoor and outdoor seasons and the SFA mulit-event athletes recorded one of their more successful seasons in school history.

The SFA men and women also proved their depth throughout the 2008 season. Freshmen Jacques Neyrey and Megan Harlan posted top-five finishes during the indoor season to give SFA one of the more dominant one-two-three punches in the league during recent history.

Not to be outdone by the multis squad, the SFA pole vaulters also recorded their share of success last season. Kelsea David and Kristina Windham went one-two at the indoor championships, with David recording her first career conference individual title. Windham followed that up by closing out her career with another conference runner-up finish in the event during the outdoor season.

During the 2007 outdoor campaign, junior Leah Matthews stepped up to become one of the country's top long jumpers. Already the owner of the school's record in the event, Matthews shattered her old mark by jumping 20-8.00 to finish second at the regional meet, earning all-region honors and advancing to the NCAA Championships.

McCown's high jumpers recorded six NCAA regional qualifying marks and posted two individual high jump titles during the indoor season, while adding a third all-conference honor during the '07 outdoor campaign.

Despite their youth, McCown's multi-event athletes also recorded a solid 2007 season. Leah Matthews, the lone veteran of the group, battled through early-season injuries to score 3,319 points and earn all-conference honors in the pentathlon. Right on her heels, was freshman Tabitha Riley who scored 3,286 points just missing All-SLC honors. During the outdoor season, the tandem switched places, with Riley scoring a personal best 4,705 points to finish third and earn All-SLC honors, while Matthews placed fourth overall.

In 2006, then-senior Crystal Chang dominated the SLC by winning the league's heptathlon individual title and advancing to the NCAA Championships in both the indoor and outdoor season. Chang just missed All-America honors by finishing 12th in the pentathlon at the indoor championships. She finished with a personal best of 3,958 points in the pentathlon and 5,266 in the heptathlon.

The SFA high jumpers also posted a great 2006 season. Audrey Azu won the SLC indoor title and followed that up with a runner-up finish at the conference outdoor meet. Azu finished just ahead of teammate Meghan Denman to earn All-SLC honors during the outdoor season. Not to be outdone by the Ladyjack jumpers, Ryder Peacock was the SLC indoor runner-up, clearing a height of 6-6.75. He came right back during the outdoor season to win the league title (6-8.75). Peacock just beat out teammate Justin Reyes, who posted a mark of 6-6.75 to finish second overall.

The SFA high jumpers and multi-event athletes recorded three SLC individual championships, 10 All-SLC performances, four school records and two NCAA qualifying marks. Out of 11 athletes McCown worked with in 2006, his squads recorded 17 top-eight performances at the SLC meets.

McCown has had five female athletes clear 5-8 or higher in the high jump, including school record-holder Teresa Murray, who jumped 5-10.75 under his guidance. Murray finished 2005 ranked 32nd in the nation. He coached Paul Todd to five all-conference performances and three high jump titles. Todd's personal best was 7-1.75.

McCown has coached the current school record holders for the pentathlon, indoor heptathlon, women's indoor and outdoor high jump, women's indoor triple jump and women's outdoor long jump. His work with former Ladyajck pole vaulter Jennifer Schreiner helped her go from never vaulting before to jumping 12-10 with multiple all-conference honors. He was also responsible for turning Tracy Schupp into a conference champion in the women's heptathlon. Schupp ran the 100- and 400-meter hurdles her first two seasons and then picked up the multis. She earned all-conference honors in her first indoor season and won the heptathlon title in 2003.

McCown is a 1996 SFA graduate. He is a two-time NCAA Division I National qualifier in the decathlon with a personal best of 7,564 points. He was selected to participate in the 1995 U.S. Olympic Festival. McCown also competed in the 1995 Team USA vs. Canada Decathlon competition. He placed seventh at the NCAA Championships in 1994 to earn All-American honors, and was an NJCAA All-American for Odessa College in the 1992 season.

McCown received his master's degree in kinesiology from Sam Houston State in 2002. He received his bachelor's degree from SFA in 1996. McCown and his wife, Tracy, have an 11-year-old son, Sheldon.