OREM, Utah — Utah Valley track and field head coach Scott Houle has announced the promotion of volunteer assistant Jaimee Paletta Hatch to assistant coach over throws. 

"I am excited to officially welcome Jaimee Paletta to our track and field coaching staff at Utah Valley University," said Houle. "Over the past few years, Jaimee has had the opportunity to learn under our former coach, Jill Williams, gaining valuable experience and developing as a coach. I believe she is well prepared for this role and is ready to make a positive impact on our student-athletes and our program. As a former Wolverine, Jaimee understands what it means to represent UVU. She is passionate about this program and is committed to helping it continue the success and upward momentum we have built over the years. I look forward to watching Jaimee put her own stamp on our program and am excited to see the positive influence she will have on our athletes."

"I'm incredibly honored and excited to join the Utah Valley Track & Field staff as an assistant coach," said Paletta. "I'm grateful for the opportunity to give back to a program that has given so much to me, and I want to thank Coach Houle for entrusting me with this role, Coach Williams for her guidance and mentorship, and our student-athletes for trusting me to be part of their journey. I'm excited to continue helping our athletes grow as competitors and as people while contributing to the continued success of this program."

A former Utah Valley athlete, Paletta has been on Houle's staff for the last three seasons assisting departing throws coach Jill Williams. In that time, Wolverine throwers have seen unprecedented success, with Kelsi Oldroyd becoming Utah Valley's first-ever thrower to earn All-America status when she placed eighth in the javelin in 2025. 

Along with Oldroyd, numerous other Wolverine throwers have had highly successful careers during Paletta's tenure. That list includes Nick Forsyth, who became Utah Valley's first-ever thrower to compete at three regionals, and Grace Degarimore, who became the first Wolverine to compete in multiple events at a single regional. 

A native of Mapleton, Utah, Paletta is married to former Utah Valley thrower Sterling Hatch, and the couple have been married since 2022. Paletta earned both her bachelor's and master's degrees in psychology from UVU.