Germantown Academy Names Dion Lehman Head Coach of Track & Field
Lehman will take over for Pete Jennings ’99, who has led the Patriots for the last 14 seasons.

Germantown Academy Director of Athletics Josh MacArthur has announced that Pete Jennings ’99 will be stepping down as head coach of both the Upper School boys and girls track and field teams.

“Pete has established an incredible legacy here at GA,” said MacArthur. “The program has grown remarkably during his tenure as our head coach. Leading the boys team to two Inter-Academic Athletic League championships in the past three years is just one example of Pete’s leadership of the program. This was an incredibly difficult decision for Pete, but I am pleased that he will continue in his roles as Boys Cross Country coach and Assistant Athletics Director for Middle School.”

Jennings, who spent 14 years as a head coach, took over the reins of the boys program in 2005 and the girls program in 2010. Under his guidance, the Patriots (boys and girls combined) have won 68 individual Inter-Ac League titles and 37 individual Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association (aka state) titles. Overall, he helped mold 33 Division I student-athletes and five Division III student-athletes. He also coached 52 other student-athletes who went on to play a different sport in college.

“I’ve always been proud that our program has been able to strengthen other teams and help all student-athletes develop,” said Jennings.

In the last three years, the boys team has impressively won two league titles (2016, 2018) and a state championship (2018). The 2016 title was GA’s first since 1985.

“I am so proud of how this program has grown over the last 15 years, and I’m so excited about what this coaching staff will accomplish in the coming years with the student-athletes we have coming up in the program,” said Jennings, who noted that he is particularly proud that the GA girls team has won the 1,600 and the 3,200 events at the Inter-Ac League Championships for the last six seasons with five different girls. “I’ve always had a firm belief that finding the joy in the sport should be at the core of what we do, and I’m proud that all of the success we’ve had as a team has grown out of our student-athletes really understanding and respecting the sport, and from a team culture that recognizes the value of pushing personal limits. It is so gratifying to see so many alums continuing to run half-marathons and marathons and using this same principle of striving for ‘better’ in all aspects of their adult lives.

“It has been a great honor to be a part of the GA track and field program – as a student-athlete and as a coach – and I have been so fortunate to work with such admirable colleagues and such remarkable young men and women,” added Jennings.

Replacing Jennings will be Dion Lehman, a familiar face to everyone in the GA track & field community.

“Thanks to Pete’s direction, we have a tremendous coaching staff and I am thrilled that Dion Lehman will be taking on the role of head coach of both the boys and girls track and field teams,” said MacArthur. “Over the last eight years, Dion has established himself as a knowledgeable, thoughtful and talented coach who cares deeply about the overall development of his student-athletes. I am truly excited about the future of our program with Dion’s leadership.”

Lehman is no stranger to being a head coach. He’s entering his seventh year as the head coach of GA’s coed indoor track & field program and has served as an assistant coach on the spring track and field teams for the last seven years. Lehman is a member of the Middle School math department.

“During my time with the program I have seen GA track and field support so many student-athletes athletically, socially, emotionally, and academically,” said Lehman. “We have a wonderful community of coaches, students, parents, and alumni, and Pete deserves all the credit in fostering such a supportive and positive program. GA track and field has never been stronger, as both the girls and boys teams have the opportunity to make a lot of noise in the Inter-Ac, and also at the state and national levels. I am grateful to have this opportunity to oversee the program, and I am excited for the future of GA track and field.”

As a student-athlete, Lehman excelled in both track and field at James Buchanan High School (Mercersburg, PA) and later on at Princeton University.

In high school, Lehman was a two-time Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) state medalist in the long jump and the school record holder in the long jump (22-10.5). He also anchored his team’s 4x100-meter relay, which qualified for states, and the 4x400-meter relay.

At Princeton, where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics, Lehman served as a captain of the Princeton Track and Field team his senior year and helped lead the Tigers to an undefeated season. Lehman earned second place finishes at both the indoor and outdoor 2011 Ivy League Heptagonal Track and Field Championships. For his efforts, he qualified for the NCAA Regionals, earned All-Ivy League Second Team honors, and Division I All-Academic Track & Field Team honors. Lehman was also presented with the Irwin W. Weiss Award as a senior. The Weiss Award is bestowed upon a member of the team who best exemplifies the qualities of spirit, sportsmanship and gentlemanliness.

Here at GA, Lehman has been incredibly instrumental in the success of the Patriots. He played a key role in the 2016 and 2018 boys championship seasons and helped grow the indoor program, not only in numbers, but also approach and attitude.

“The winter program has grown in size and seriousness,” said Lehman. “At one point, winter track was a club sport, with only a handful of students choosing to train and compete. It has since grown to be a serious winter sport at GA, with student-athletes competing at elite levels. Each year, numerous student-athletes are qualifying for the prestigious Pennsylvania Track and Field Coaches Association Indoor State Championship meet, and in many cases, earning medals. The coaching staff for the winter and spring is second to none, with coaches with a wide range of expertise and competition experiences.”

This spring, 24 varsity letterwinners will return to both teams. The boys will be looking to defend their league and state titles while the girls will look to improve upon their third place finish at the league championship and second place finish at states.