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Mike Bartolina joined the Nebraska track and field coaching staff as the pole vault coach in August of 2023.
Bartolina brings 33 years of coaching experience and a proven record of developing athletes to the highest levels of collegiate and international competition.
Throughout his career, Bartolina has coached 14 All-Americans, more than 50 national qualifiers, and three Olympians, with athletes qualifying for the U.S. Olympic Trials in the pole vault, long jump, javelin, and decathlon.
Bartolina is one of only three coaches in NCAA history to coach both a male and female NCAA champion in the pole vault.
Bartolina joined the University of Nebraska track and field staff in 2023 and immediately began transforming the Huskers' pole vault program. Since 2024, Nebraska's pole vaulters have scored at every Big Ten Championship, establishing a consistent presence at the conference's highest level.
The 2026 season marked a historic year for Nebraska's men's pole vault program. Dyson Wicker finished as the Big Ten indoor runner-up in 2025 before taking the next step in 2026, winning Big Ten indoor and outdoor championships while breaking the Big Ten indoor and outdoor records. Wicker went on to finish fourth at the 2026 NCAA Indoor Championships before capturing the 2026 NCAA Outdoor National Championship.
During the 2026 season, Wicker also became the youngest American ever to clear 19 feet in the pole vault. He went on to establish a current personal best and Nebraska school record of 19-2.
Nebraska's men's program also saw continued depth and development from Louis Martinez, who recorded a 17-9 clearance in 2026, placing seventh at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships and establishing a top-10 mark on Nebraska's all-time performance list.
Bartolina's impact has been equally significant on the women's side. In just the past two seasons, three of the top five pole vaulters in Nebraska program history have emerged under his guidance. Arina Razina ranks third all-time at 14-2½, Jacelyn Neighbors ranks fourth at 14-2, and Kylie Clark ranks fifth at 14-1½.
Coach Bartolina and his wife Janna have three children: Ethan, Molly, and Max.