In track and field, individual effort is paramount, but the team provides momentum.
At Ohio Northern University, this sentiment plays out at every meet, and more recently on a grander scale, when committed alumni banded together to fully endow the University’s track and field fund and rename it after a beloved coach.
Bolstering the fund provided a way to not only honor the contributions of Jason Maus, but to support future generations of Polar Bear track and field athletes, said Brett Neff, BSCE ’93. He and his spouse, Jodi (Feasel) Neff, BSPh ’93, generously gave the lead gift to fully endow the fund, requesting its renaming to the Jason Maus Track and Field Endowment Fund.
Track and field director Maus has built a powerhouse program in the Ohio Athletic Conference and mentored hundreds of talented student-athletes during his 17 years at ONU. He is ONU’s all-time winningest coach in men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track and field, achieving an impressive 2,595-723-7 record for a winning percentage of .782.
“His successes with the program, and specifically the successes of the athletes he has helped mold into working professionals, are the reason we felt strongly about naming the endowment after him,” said Brett.
The Neffs met and fell in love while participating in track and field at ONU. Their two children then followed in their footsteps. While at ONU and participating in track and field, Kyle Neff, BSBA ’20, met his spouse, softball player Taylor (Gaerke) Neff, PharmD ’22. Additionally, Lexi (Neff) Hann, BSN ’23, met her spouse Breydan Hann, BS ’23, through track and field.
So for the Neffs, ONU’s track and field program has yielded the best things in life: love, friendship, and family, says Brett. “The program holds a very special place in our family, and Jason Maus has been a big part of that.”
Brett, who is president of the Gorman-Lavelle Corporation in Cleveland, is also a licensed OHSAA and USATF track and field official. He and Jodi have stayed closely involved in ONU Athletics since graduation. While they weren’t coached by Maus, they’ve watched him competently lead and build the program since 2008.
“We see the passion he has for the sport and he has a genuine understanding of what it means to be a Division III student-athlete,” says Brett.
During his tenure, Maus has achieved 16 individual National Championship titles, 91 NCAA All-Americans, and 381 OAC Champions. His staff has received OAC Men’s Track and Field Coaching Staff of the Year honors eight times, and Women’s Track and Field Coaching Staff of the Year honors 11 times. Maus has been named the USTFCCCA Great Lakes Women’s Track and Field Head Coach of the Year four times and the USTFCCCA Great Lakes Men’s Track and Field Assistant Coach of the Year two times.
The Neffs encourage others to generously support the Jason Maus Track and Field Endowment Fund. Every gift contributes to the program’s momentum and growth, ensuring future student-athletes have a chance to learn important life skills, like perseverance, time management, teamwork, and discipline, that will carry over into their future professional lives.
“Everybody’s motivation for giving is going to be different,” said Brett. “We chose to give back because of what ONU and the track and field program have given us—each other, our kids, their spouses. It’s given us a great deal of joy.”
“We are so grateful for the Neffs for leading this effort and generously providing the defining gift to fully endow the track and field fund,” said Shannon Spencer, vice president for University Advancement. “They along with many other donors exemplify what it means to pay it forward.”