Tara Zapata enters her first season as an assistant coach for track and field.  Zapata will be in charge of the sprints and hurdles for the Trojans.
 
Prior to her stint at UALR, Zapata was an assistant coach at Essex County College in Newark, N.J.  She assisted and assessed in training and conditioning for sprints, hurdles, and jumps as well as planned and conducted practices.
 
In her career, Zapata has coached NJCAA National Champions and All-Americans including Lorain McKenzie from the University of Florida, Justin McKenzie from Seton Hall University, Trish Bartholomew from the University of Alabama, Allison George from Texas A&M, and Bianca Strachan from the University of Maryland. 
 
A NAIA, NJCAA, and NCAA All-American and honorable mention All-American, Zapata was a member of the 1996 NAIA Outdoor Championships team at Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio.
 
Zapata received her B.S. in Business Administration in 1999 and her M.B.A. in Business Administration in 2002 from Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Mo.