Don Tabar, Head Coach
Seventh Year

Alma Mater: Shippensburg '98
Office Phone: 717-477-1280
E-mail: djtaba@ship.edu

Donald Tabar, II is in his seventh year as head coach of the Shippensburg University wrestling team.

In the last three seasons, Shippensburg has had 11 All-Americans and the 2005 national champion at 197-pounds in Corey Jacoby. In six previous seasons at the helm, Tabar has boasted a total of 15 All-Americans, 20 national qualifiers, six region champions and one national champion.

Last season, Shippensburg finished 5-8 en route to third place showing at the NCAA Division II East Region Championships. Steve Fittery advanced the national championship match at 141 pounds, becoming the second Red Raider in the last three years to do so, joining Corey Jacoby. In addition, Mark Murphy and Jason Groller each finished sixth to earn All-America honors. All three wrestlers earned East Region titles.

During the 2005-06 season, Tabar guided the Red Raiders to a third-place finish at the NCAA Championships, which was the highest-ever finish by a Red Raider team. Three of Tabar's wrestlers were also champions at the NCAA East Regionals. He was awarded for the success by being named National Wrestling Coaches Association (NCWA) Coach of the Year.

In 2003-05, Tabar instrumented a significant turnaround for Shippensburg, leading them to an 11-5 record. After two rebuilding seasons, Tabar guided Shippensburg to an eight-match improvement in its win total from the previous season, helped in large part to wins in their final six matches.

Tabar has wrestled for 21 years from junior high to senior high, college, and open amateur levels. He had approximately 1,000 wins and 200 losses. Don has finished in the top 12 at the U.S. Open Freestyle Championships twice and was an Eastern National placewinner in 2000 and 2001. In high school, from 1984 to 1988, he was a two-year varsity starter at St. Edward High School, Lakewood, Ohio, the number one nationally rated team those years.

Tabar was a starter at Kent State for one season before joining the U.S. Air Force. He was on active duty for four years. Following his tour of duty he joined the West Virginia Air National Guard.

While in the Air Force, he earned an Associate of Arts degree in secondary education at Okaloosa-Walton Community College in Niceville, Florida. He also has an Associate of Applied Sciences-Fuel Technology from the U.S. Air Force Community College.

Tabar graduated from Shippensburg University in May of 1998 with a bachelor of science degree in education. While a student he was active as a counselor with the Cornell-Abraxas Leadership Development Program in South Mountain where his responsibilities included counseling and direct service work in the rehabilitation of delinquent youth. He also was active with the Renfrew Institute for Environmental Studies.

Following graduation Tabar taught in the Big Spring School District until January 2001 and is currently an earth science/astronomy teacher in the Greencastle-Antrim School District.

Tabar has been involved in coaching since 1991. He was a volunteer assistant wrestling coach at Niceville High School in Florida from 1991 to 1994 and a volunteer assistant at North Hagerstown High School in 1995. He also served as an assistant at Big Spring High School during the 1998-1999 academic year and was head coach of Big Spring Junior High School from 1999 to 2001. From 1995 to 2001 he volunteered some of his time to help with the Shippensburg University wrestlers.

Tabar and his wife Ellen live in Shippensburg.

Seth Bloomquist, Assistant Coach
Fourth Year

Alma Mater: Clarion '92
Office Phone: 717-477-1704
E-mail: swbloomquist@ship.edu

Seth Bloomquist was named as the assistant wrestling coach at Shippensburg in 2004 and since his appointment, he has been instrumental in the success of the Red Raiders as they have had 11 All-Americans and a national champion in 2005. During the 2005-06 season, Shippensburg finished third at the NCAA Championships which was the highest-ever finish by a Red Raider team.

Bloomquist came to Shippensburg after various terms of service as a head wrestling coach. He was the head wrestling coach at Bradford High School from 1998-2001, and at Kane High School from 1993-1996. Under his tutelage these high schools accumulated numerous district champions and produced several Pennsylvania state qualifiers.

His career as a wrestler was prestigious at the high-school ranks, as Bloomquist accumulated a record of 74-14-1. He was a Pennsylvania state place winner in 1984, and he was a member of the Pennsylvania-New York Big 30 team that competed in Europe in 1986. At Clarion University he was a member of the wrestling team in 1987 until a knee injury ended his competitive career.

Bloomquist holds a bachelor of science degree in education from Clarion University in 1992. In 1996, he received a master's degree in administration of justice from Shippensburg University.

Bloomquist and his wife, Jennifer, currently live in Chambersburg.