CLARION, Pa. --- Mike Chesterfield, a former Clarion student-athlete and longtime athletic trainer for the Golden Eagles, has transitioned into the role of head athletic trainer for the Clarion athletic department. Chesterfield takes over leadership of the department after the retirement of Jim "Thunder" Thornton earlier this year.
 
"Mike is a Golden Eagle through and through, and a proud member of our Clarion community in so many ways," Snodgrass said. "For many years he has been an advocate for the safety and well-being of our student-athletes, and his professionalism is beyond question. We are proud that he is stepping into this new role in the department.
 
"I would like to thank 'Thunder' for so many years of dedication and service to our student-athletes, and wish him the very best in his well-deserved retirement," Snodgrass said of Thornton. "His role in our department, and what he has meant to us for more than 30 years, is beyond description."
 
"I am honored to accept the position of head athletic trainer and carry on the proud tradition of excellence here at Clarion," Chesterfield said. "This place has long been my home, and I am excited for the opportunity to lead and grow somewhere that has meant so much to me and my family. I am grateful for the leadership and mentorship 'Thunder' has shown me over the years, and I know that I will continue to learn and grow in this position."
 
A 2006 graduate of Clarion University and California University of Pennsylvania, Chesterfield began working with the Golden Eagles during the 2010-11 school year, after spending two years with Geisinger Health System in Wilkes-Barre as an outreach athletic trainer for the Dallas Area School District.
 
Most recently, Chesterfield was honored as Training and Conditioning's 2022 Most Valuable Collegiate Athletic Trainer of the Year. He is the magazine's first-ever recipient of the award.
 
Chesterfield earned his master's degree from North Carolina State in 2009 after serving as a graduate assistant athletic trainer for the Wolfpack from 2006-08. He worked primarily with the swimming & diving and volleyball programs in Raleigh.
 
A native of Kingston, Pa., and a 2002 graduate of Wyoming Valley West High School, Chesterfield was a four-year letterwinner on the Clarion University swimming and diving team and was the captain of the team his senior season.
 
Active in his community, Chesterfield is the Assistant Chief and President of the Clarion Fire and Hose Co. No. 1, and the Chairman of the Clarion Borough Civil Service Commission.