March 3, 2010
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IOWA CITY, IA – The strength and conditioning internship program at the University of Iowa offers our department the chance to acquire and utilize coaches from around the country in order to better serve our student-athletes. The internship also provides a wonderful hands on and practical experience for the interns. We depend greatly on our interns to assist in the facilitation of our workouts and overall weight room management.
In our search we look for applicants who have a passion for strength and conditioning and for teaching and motivating athletes from all of our 23 varsity Olympic sports. This semester we brought in two interns to assist in our day to day operations, both of whom have done extremely well since their arrival in January. This segment is a chance for others to get to know our interns outside the weight room.
Jhon Haehn grew up in Kansas and graduated from Hugoton High School. Upon graduation he attended Coffeyville Community College before heading to the University of Saint Mary in Leavenworth KA. During this time period he participated in football, playing linebacker, defensive line, and special teams. While attending Saint Mary he also met his wife Leesa and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in history/secondary education in 2006.
After graduation he taught eighth grade history and coached football and baseball at Woodlawn Middle School. In 2007, he was activated under operation Iraqi Freedom and helped train Iraqi police in the Anbar province. In 2008, he returned to Saint Mary as a graduate assistant coaching defensive line and running the in-season strength and conditioning program. Coach Haehn works primarily with volleyball, track and field, baseball and softball. While here he hopes to learn as much as possible and contribute to the staff in any way that he can.
“Coach Haehn has provided us with quality help and an extra set of eyes on the training floor,” said assistant strength and conditioning coach Rusty Burney. “He has previous experience with strength and conditioning as an athlete and coach and has been eager to help out and learn our system. He has made a huge commitment to our program this semester.”
Christina Meister is from West Des Moines, IA. She is currently a senior at the U of I. She chose Iowa because it was a great fit for her to play volleyball and academically suited all her needs.
After finishing her senior season this past fall she wanted to stay involved with the athletics program. The strength and conditioning program has been a huge part of her success as an athlete so she felt the weight room would be a great place to stay involved. She has been using her knowledge as an athlete to help other athletes, as well as continuing to learn more about this ever evolving field. Coach Meister works primarily with the women’s golf, soccer, field hockey, and track and field teams. Christina spends a significant amount of time assisting assistant strength and conditioning coach Gabby Quiggle.
“Coach Meister has been a terrific addition in the weight room,” said Quiggle. “Her personal experiences and accomplishments in the realm of strength and conditioning give her credibility and she is able to see things from the student-athlete’s perspective.”