Jenna Bird – Hurdles {jbird4@mtsac.edu}
Coach Bird has helped to develop the Mt. SAC Hurdling Corps into one of the finest in the state. Prior to arriving at Mt. SAC, Bird spent three seasons at Covina High School as an assistant coach and one season at Katella High School as the head coach. At Katella, she was named League Coach of the Year. A native of Grass Valley, Oregon, Bird competed at Sherman High School, before transferring to Clackamas Community College, and then to Cal State Fullerton, where she competed in both relays and hurdles.
Brian FitzGerald – Sprints {itzbfitz@me.com}
In his 36 years at Rio Mesa, Brian coached his boys’ and girls’ teams to 53 league titles, 7 CIF Southern Section divisional runner-up awards, 5 CIF-SS Championships, and the girls’ State Championship in 1988. Brian has played a major role in the development of the sprints and relays in Southern California. On the female side, he has coached a State 100 Meter Champion in each of the past 4 decades—Angela Burnham in the 80’s (11.28, 5 state titles total, twice TFN’s Female Athlete of the Year,); Marion Jones in the 90’s (4 State titles while at Rio Mesa, TFN’s 1991 AOY, 11.17 / 22.76 as a 15 year-old), Valexsia Droughn in the 00’s (11.47); and most recently, Zaria Francis in 2015 (11.28/23.09). Francis was also the National Indoor 60-meter Champion (7.30) in 2016. On the boys’ side, Brian’s relay teams have been among the Nation’s best, running 40.69 in the 4×100 Relay, 1:25.10 in the 4×200, and 3:14.89 in the 4×400. His teams won the boys 4×400 won the State title in 2012, and they have twice been runner-up in the State 4×100. Additionally, Brian coached Long Jumper Greg Vann (24’10.5”) to the State title in 2015. He is currently a member of the CIF-SS and California State Advisory Committees for Track & Field, and has been an instructor in the LA84 coaching education program for 25 years. Brian was honored as the Southern Section Girls’ High School Coach of the Year in 1994, the California State Boys’ Coach of the Year in 2011, and the USA Today National Girls’ Coach of the Year in 2016.
Nick Garcia – Throws {garcia@ndhs.org}
M.S., C.S.C.S, USAW, USATF Level II: Coach Garcia is a graduate of St. Francis High School in Mountain View, CA, where he won ALL-WCAL honors as an offensive guard and shot putter in track and field. Coach Garcia continued his football and track career at San Jose City College where he started at linebacker and was a state finalist in the shot put. He then accepted a track scholarship to California State University, Northridge (CSUN). While at CSUN, Coach Garcia earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Kinesiology and was a two-time Big Sky champion in the shot put. Coach Garcia teaches Physical Education, coaches the throwing events for track and field, and is the Strength and Conditioning coach for Notre Dame High School. He resides in North Hills. He has achieved IAAF level 5 and USATF level three certification in the throws—the highest certifications available in the track world.
Cameron Gary – Jumps {jump_coach@cox.net}
Cameron is a San Diego based jumps, sprints, and strength coach. He has coached athletes at the Youth, high school, D-1 collegiate and elite levels. Cameron is now the Head Track & Field Coach at El Cajon Valley High School. As a competitor, Cameron was a high school and collegiate conference champion, school record holder, national championship and 1984 United States Olympic Trials qualifier in the Triple Jump.
Cameron holds a USA Track & Field (USATF) Level III coaching certification in the jumps, and a Level II certification in the sprints, hurdles, and relays. Cameron also holds a USA Weightlifting Level 1 Performance Coach certification and is a member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association.
Bruce Jackson – Distances {bjackson@powayusd.com}
Bruce enters his sixth season as Head Coach of the Boys & Girls Cross Country/Track & Field team at Poway High School. Additionally, Jackson serves as the Head Coach of the Pomerado Falcons youth track club. Jackson’s Poway teams have won three Palomar League track titles (2 boys and 1 girls), two boys CIF San Diego Section Division 1 Championships, and have placed in the top-10 for boys at the State Meet. Jackson, a Seattle native, graduated from Nathan Hale High School in 2001. While at Nathan Hale, Jackson was a state track champion at 400m and 800m in the same season. Jackson was a 3-time NCAA All-American in track during his time at the University of Washington. He also was the 2007 USATF Club National 800m Champion; furthermore, he was a USATF National Indoor Championship qualifier in 2007 and 2008.Jackson is a USATF Level 2 certified coach in endurance, and is a USTFCCCA certified endurance specialist. He received the USATF Podium Education Project grant in 2014. In 2016, he was selected as a USATF/USOC Emerging Elite Coach.
Sara Macey – Horizontal Jumps {smacey88@gmail.com}
Sara competed for Long Beach State 2008-2013. After graduating with a degree in Human Development, she continued competing at the elite level in the heptathlon while also coaching at Cerritos College. In December 2016, was given the opportunity to become an assistant coach at Cal Poly Pomona working with the Jumps and Multi-events.
Estelle Naito – Pole Vault {enaito@fullerton.edu}
Estelle Naito is serving on the Cal State Fullerton track and field staff for her sixth season (2017-18) as the pole vault coach. Since 2009, Naito has coached for the Ultimate AC under the supervision of Tetsuo Hirota, the former Japanese national team coach and Coach Brian Yokoyama, the United States men’s and women’s pole vault national chairperson. Coach Naito also is a part of the National Pole Vault Summit staff and the World Record Camp/International Pole Vault Camp staff.
Tim O’Rourke – LA84 Foundation Cross Country & Track Clinic Coordinator {tim.orourke@emuhsd.org}
In his 22 years at the helm of both the Arroyo High School track and cross country programs, O’Rourke’s teams won one national championship, two state championships, six southern section titles and 52 varsity league championships. He was named the Gatorade National Coach of the Year in 1995, the California Track Coach of the Year in 1997, and he has been inducted into the California Cross Country Coaches, Mt. Sac Invitational, City of El Monte, Mt Sac Relays, and Footlocker Halls of Fame.
He currently is the director of the cross country and track and field coaching education programs for the LA84 Foundation, and he is the meet director of the Mt. SAC XC Inv. and the Mt. SAC Relays.
Ramona Pagel – Throws {ramonapagel@aol.com}
Ramona Pagel has been a member of four Olympic Teams in two throwing events, broken the American Record 13 times over her 20-year career, was the first World-Ranked American in her event in over 30 years, threw 12 straight years over 60’ in the shot, and is coach of the American Record Holder in a third throwing event. In 1985, Pagel threw 62-9.25, to break the American Record for the first time, For four more years Pagel dominated the shot in the United States. In 1987, she popped a monster throw indoors, 65-0.75; it remains the American Indoor Record. The next year, she showed her readiness for the Olympic Trials the following month by pushing the iron ball out to 66-2.5 at San Diego. She followed with a win in the Olympic Trials.
In 1995, Ramona placed 7th in the World Championships in Goteborg, Sweden and was ranked in the top ten in the World, the first American Shot putters since 1960 to achieve such an honor. In 1996, Pagel made her fourth Olympic Team and finished 9th in the Atlanta Olympics. Pagel has ranked as high as No. 2 in the U.S in discus, in 1986 and in 1988, the year she finished 15th in qualifying at the Olympics. Her best of 203-2 came in 1987.
Ken Reeves – Distances {kenreeves@venturamail.net}
While head track and field coach at Nordhoff High School, coached 16 individual CIF champions and 3 Masters’ Meet Champions. Dual meet record for on the varsity level was 222-14 over the course of his career. During his tenure as head cross country coach, the Nordhoff teams won 11 state team title–that is more state championships than any other coach in any other sport in California State history. The Rangers also won 14 CIF-SS titles. Ken has also been selected as the Ojai Valley educator of the year and is a two time national coach of the year. Ken is presently the head girls’ and boys’ cross country coach at Foothill Technology High School in Ventura. In only its third year with a cross country program, the Dragons captured the state championship for both boys and girls.
Brittney Reese – Jumps {breesejumps@yahoo.com}
Brittney won the gold medal in the long jump in the 2012 Olympic Games. Three times she has won the World Outdoor gold medal (2009, 2011, and 2013), and twice has won the World Indoor gold medal (2010 and 2012). She has been the USA Outdoor champion six times. Reese recorded the farthest jump in the world outdoors in 2009 and 2011. In 2012, Reese added two of the only honors missing from her resume: an American record and an Olympic gold medal. At Gulfport High School Reese was Mississippi’s 2004 Gatorade Player of the Year for track.
Chris Richardson – Jumps {crichardson@cerritos.edu}
Chris Richardson holds the position of Director of Track and Field/Cross-Country at Cerritos College where in his last four years has won 6 South Coast Conference Titles, 5 Southern California Regional Championships, and 4 State Championships. Other then the direct management and leadership of the Cerritos College Track and Field/Cross-Country program Richardson has personally developed 25 All-Americans, 15 State Champions, and aided the matriculation to four year universities of 148 student athletes. Chris has taught USATF level 1 coaches education since 2011 and has Directed numerous coaches’ education schools and clinics. Professionally being a product of the USATF Coaching Education system by obtaining Level 1, 2, and 3 certifications, while staying involved in IAAF, NACAC, and Podium Education opportunities.
Gregg Simmons – Sprints {tracstarzz@yahoo.com}
Gregg has over 20 years of experience coaching track & field and cross country at the collegiate and high school levels. He holds a Level II USATF Sprints & Hurdles Certification and has coached Olympic Trials Qualifiers from several countries, has extensive experience in Speed Development and Speed Performance. He currently is the Sprints and Hurdles Coach and Speed Coach for the World Record Camps and San Diego Sports Institute. Coach Simmons is the Executive Director for Hire Ethics Pro where he manages the career transition program for elite & professional athletes transitioning from their sport and into their next career. He also holds a Master’s degree in Education with emphasis in Counseling and Bachelor’s degree in Business Management.
Micheal Wellington – Hurdles {mwellington@alemany.org}
Micheal Wellington is a USATF Level 2 certified coach specializing in Sprints, Hurdles, and Relays, as well as a Certified Personal Trainer. He is in his 6th year as the Alemany Warrior Head Coach. His girl’s team won its first ever team championship in school history in 2013, and his boys and girls team finished as runner ups in 2014. He has been able to send 15 athletes to college including 6 hurdles on athletic scholarships in his 5 years. Some of the hurdler include Skylin Harbin (14.1/41.79) who had the 9th fast 300 hurdle time in the nation, Mason Guzman-Sanchez (14.15), and Brisa-Guzman-Sanchez (14.22/43.78). Micheal holds a bachelor’s degree from CSUN, and a Master’s in Education from the University of La Verne.