Guest Speakers

Becca Mallon

Becca Mallon is a Clinical Sports Dietitian at the University of Iowa Sports Medicine Clinic. She is a former track and field athlete for the University of Northern Iowa and remains competitive in local road races. With an undergraduate degree in Movement and Exercise Science, and a graduate degree in Human Nutritional Science, Becca focuses her clinical practice on the relationship between fueling and athletic performance. In her current professional role, she provides nutrition education and counseling to high school, collegiate, and post-collegiate athletes across the state of Iowa. Her sustainable, realistic approach to nutrition helps athletes develop fueling strategies that support life-long health and athletic performance.

Andrea Toppin

Andrea Toppin is a board-certified Doctor of Chiropractic specializing in Women’s Health and running gait analysis. Andrea is also an elite marathoner for Oiselle. She earned her graduate degree with a Sports Medicine Emphasis at Northwestern Health Sciences University in Minneapolis, Minnesota. ​Andrea has a decorated running career as a long-distance runner. She competed in the 2020 US Olympic Marathon Trials. Andrea also ran Division I Cross Country and Track at Iowa State University where she contributed to many Big 12 Cross Country team titles as well as NCAA meet berths.

Running remains a lifelong passion. She uses her own experience to help those competing, as well as those looking to improve their casual running practice. Much of her inspiration to become a chiropractor came from her own personal experience as a Division 1 collegiate distance runner at Iowa State. Like a lot of female collegiate athletes, she dealt with disordered eating, never got her period, had numerous injuries – one being almost career ending - and had depression and anxiety.

The chiropractor and physical therapist she saw for her injuries both brought her back to who she is today. The best part was they not only helped to heal her physically, but they healed her emotionally and mentally. They are the very reason she decided to become a Doctor of Chiropractic - to help patients grow to become their ultimate selves.

Andrea hopes to provide you with some tips and insight on how to manage injuries more effectively as well as to live a healthy stress free and injury free lifestyle.

Joel Toppin

Joel Toppin is currently a chiropractic student and a soon to be licensed chiropractor this coming fall in 2021. Throughout his education he has been able to treat athletic populations with different forms of rehab, extremity care, and pain education. He has gained invaluable experience working in a collegiate athletic training room as well as working at a human performance center where he is involved in training and treating athletes in preparation for their upcoming seasons. He hopes to provide you with some insight as to how to manage injuries more effectively and how a positive outlook on an injury may make all the difference. Formly, a distance athlete in college he understands the time commitment and the journey that training for this sport is as well as how special the sport of running can be.

Mitch Black

Mitch Black has had success coaching every level of runner from middle school to his post-collegiate group, the MB Elite. Most recently, Mitch was the head girls middle school coach at ADM, where he led the Tigers to a conference title and multiple school records. Before his time at ADM, Mitch was an assistant coach at Madrid high school, where he helped lead the team to a state title. Mitch also spent two years coaching at Division III UW-Stevens Point where he coached multiple All-Americans and was nominated as UWSP Coach of the Year.

Mitch graduated from Wartburg College in 2018 with a business degree and a 2017 National Cross Country Meet appearance. Mitch recently completed his Master’s in Health & Wellness Management from UW-Stevens Point and is making plans to pursue a PhD in Sport Psychology.
 

Clifton Trebil-Smith & Jim Dwyer

Jim and Clifton, owners of Iowa Running Company, opened their doors in the spring of 2017.  Since day one, building community through running has been the vision for Jim and Clifton. With over 25 years combined in the run specialty industry, Iowa Running Company offers an abundance of knowledge and experience like no other. Beyond their passion for running, you will find Jim and Clifton spending quality time with their respective families.

Mike Jay

Mike Jay is a retired long time high school cross country and track and field coach at his alma mater, Columbus Community in Columbus Junction. He has been announcing track and field competition for over 30 years, starting at the high school level and now his resume includes all levels.  He has announced over 20 NCAA track and field or cross country championships, over 20 USA indoor or outdoor track and field championships including 3 Olympic Trials. He has been the Drake Relays announcer since 2006 and the Iowa state track and field championships PA guy since 2005.

In 2018 Mike and sons Joe and Jon started Track Guy USA which has grown to be the Track Guy Foundation.  In less than 3 years of existence they have gifted over 350 pairs of shoes to Iowa youth in need, gifted 19 $500 scholarships to Iowa high school seniors, sold over 2,000 Track Guy special design t-shirts and paid camp entry fees for a number of Iowa youth as well.  Mike is the chairman of the Iowa Association of Track Coaches Hall of Fame as well as a voter for the Bowerman Award.

Mike and Renea, his wife of 40 years, live in Tiffin and have 3 sons, Sam in Denver, Joe in Iowa City and Jon in North Liberty, plus 2 daughters in law and 4 granddaughters.