The athletic department has announced that head athletic trainer Mark Escandon has left the university and Gwen Johnson has been named interim head athletic trainer, effective immediately.
Escandon, the head athletic trainer at since the summer of 1996, has accepted a position with Depuy Mitek, a developer, manufacturer, and marketer of surgical devices for surgery, focusing on sports medicine and reconstruction. During his time at , Escandon worked with three teams that won national championships: the 1997 NAIA champion men’s soccer squad, 2001 NAIA champion men’s swim team, and 2004 NCAA Division II champion men’s soccer team.
An assistant under Escandon since the fall of 2005, Johnson will assume the duties of head athletic trainer while the department conducts a national search. She has worked mostly with the nationally ranked women’s soccer and regionally ranked women’s basketball teams, plus she accompanied the softball team to the 2007 NCAA West Regional, where the team advanced to the regional final, the best postseason showing in program history.
Johnson will continue to be assisted by Kyle Stanley, who has been a part-time athletic trainer at since 2001. has worked with the SU volleyball squad and also filled in for Escandon and Johnson in helping other teams when necessary. Johnson will also use other part-time and contract workers to fill in when needed over the next few months.
The department will begin a national search for Escandon’s permanent replacement later in the winter. For more information on the timeline and process, contact Assistant Athletic Director Erin Engelhardt at (206) 296-2598 or engelhardte@seattleu.edu.