About the coach....

brian_locher@cuesta.edu
    BRIAN LOCHER- MEN'S & WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY/MEN'S AND WOMEN'S TRACK AND FIELD

Brian succeeded Jani Johnson in becoming Cuesta Colleges' sixth cross-country coach in 2007 and took over the track and field program when she stepped down from that post in 2011. Bringing a wealth of experience and leadership to his position after having served as a coach both nationally and internationally Locher has made an immediate impact as director of the cross-country programs. In his first two years at the helm Brian guided the Cougar men and women to their best combined finishes in the programs 30-year history and set the pace for the program’s resurgence.

During his initial campaign in 2007, the Cougars pushed for conference prominence and both harrier squads made improvements from the prior season finishing 6th and 9th, respectively, while 3 women qualified to the cross country state meet. In his sophomore year at the helm, Locher led both the men and women to a level of conference and state success that had been rarely reached in past decades. The teams’ success was keyed by strong individual finishes, a trade mark of past Cuesta women’s harrier squads. The women captured 2nd in conference, their best finish in more then 10 years, and qualified for the State Championships for the third time in eight years. The men’s squad, affectionately known as the ‘Big Cats’, landed in 4th place in conference, which marked its finest finish in 25 years. The men also qualified a full squad to the state championships for the first time in 27 years. Brian has since led all his harrier men’s and women’s teams to the California State Cross Country Championships including the women’s 8th place finish in 2009 and the men’s 11th place finish in 2010.

Prior to his head coaching and teaching duties at Cuesta College, Brian was employed as an assistant track & field coach at nearby Cal Poly State University, where he also completed his Master of Science degree in Kinesiology. Locher has also served as an assistant track coach at his alma mater, Chico State University, after graduating in 2002 with a Bachelors of Science degree in Recreation Administration. In addition to his most recent coaching duties Brian also gained international coaching experience under the guidance of the Olympic Sports Corps, joining the United States Olympic Committee as an assistant track coach for the Guatemalan National Team.

Brian began his intercollegiate cross-country and track career at the community college level competing for Yuba College in Northern California. He burst onto the scene his freshman year qualifying for the California Community College State Meet as a harrier and reaching the State Track and Field finals in the 1,500 meters during the spring. Brian finished his collegiate career at Chico State, where he completed his four-years of eligibility in both cross country and track. He specialized in the 800 meters for the Wildcat track team and also served as the Team Captain. After a six-year hiatus from competitive running Locher, inspired by the success of his teams, recently joined the Asics Aggies Running Club in hopes of state wide running success and national level qualification.

Brian continues to reside in nearby San Luis Obispo after earning his Master’s Degree at Cal Poly before taking over the head coaching duties at Cuesta.

 

Schedule

2012 Schedule/Results

Meet Notes

Coming soon...

 

Women's Roster

 

Men's Roster

Cuesta College Track and Field (Men) 2012 click on name for image (no photo for Clive Kelsey, Kevin Klimczak and Vince Schaffer
Name	Ht	Wt	Event	Yr	High School/ Hometown
Jacob Becerra	5-6	129	Distance	Fr	Canyon/ Santa Clarita
Justin Borba	5-8	150	Pole Vault/Jumps	Fr	North Monterey/ Salinas
Cullen Cali	5-7	142	Distance	Fr	Arroyo Grande/ Pismo Beach
Michael Chitwood			Sprints	So	Aurora/ Aurora, NE
Patrick Clemons	5-9	155	Throws	Fr	Ferndale/ Ferndale, WA
Jackson Day	6-2	160	Hurdles/Sprints	So	Redondo/ Redondo Beach
Nico Delkeskamp	6-2	185	Throws	Fr	SLO HS/ San Luis Obispo
Paul Denlinger	5-10	165	Distance	So	Templeton/ Templeton
Steven Driedger	5-8	131	Mid-Distance	Fr	Canyon/ Canyon Country
Jake Evans	6-1	172	Sprints	So	MVHS/ Mountain View
Tyler Gates	5-11	150	Distance	So	De La Salle/ Antioch
Max Gill	6-0	150	Pole Vault	Fr	Garces/ Bakersfield
Chris Gobell	6-0	150	Mid-Distance	So	Salinas/ Salinas
Adam Gong	6-0	162	Jumps	Fr	Davis/ Modesto
Chris Handel	5-10	143	Mid-Distance	Fr	Shafter/ Shafter
Nathaniel Hargitt	6-4	190	Decathlon	So	SVHS / Sonoma Valley
Clive Kelsey	6-0	175	Pole Vault	So	Atascadero/ Atascadero
Kevin Klimczak	5-10	170	Sprints	Fr	SLO HS/ San Luis Obispo
Brian Lang		179	Sprints	Fr	SLO HS/ San Luis Obispo
Max League	6-7	200	Jumps/Hurdles	Fr	SLO HS/ San Luis Obispo
Christopher Pavlakovich	5-8	149	Distance	Fr	Righetti/ Santa Maria
Chris Robles	5-6	145	Sprints	Fr	AGHS/ Arroyo Grande
Matthew Ryan	5-9	155	Sprints	Fr	Holly Springs/ Fuquay-Varina, NC
Jacob Schwarm	6-0	170	Mid-Distance	Fr	Atascadero/ Atascadero Vince Shaffer
Vince Shaffer		178	Mid-Distance	So	Truckee/Truckee
Gordon Sturgess	5-11	145	Distance	So	Paso Robles/ Paso Robles
Ryan Wheat	5-7	131	Jumps	Fr	Morro Bay/ Morro Bay
Matthew Wiseman	5-8	175	Throws	Fr	Mt Whitney/ Visalia
Head Coach: Brian Locher Year: 2nd Assistant (Throws/Jumps): Dave Pomfret (10th) Assistant (Vault/Sprints): Paul Schmitt (2nd) Assistant (Distance): Mike Kinter (2nd) Assistant (Hurdles/Sprints): Julia Pickslay (2nd) Office Phone: (805) 546-3100 x2507 2011 WSC Record, men: 3rd 2011 State Meet, men: 23rd

 

Season Preview

Year Two for Locher and the Cougars Are Ready to Move Up

SAN LUIS OBISPO (Feb. 16, 2012)— The Cuesta Men and Women’s Track and Field teams enter the 2012 season with high expectations. Coach Brian Locher added the track and field team to his list of duties last season, when he became the program’s third coach since 1971. He has led the cross country program for five years and he turned a sporadically decent woman’s team and a floundering men’s team into consistent state meet qualifiers. The hope for Cuesta is that he can make the same turn around with the track program. The men have sent, at least, one athlete to the state meet in 13 of the past 15 seasons, but have not cracked the State’s Top 15 or done better than “show” at the Western State Conference Championships during that span. In fact the men have never finished higher than third place in the loop. The women have had more success at both the state conference level. They have placed in the Top 10 in the state twice in the past decade, 2004 (7th) and 2006 (8th) and won a conference title in 1988, while also finishing third in the state that year. Locher says, “Our goal is to take 2nd (in conference) and focus on the distance points.” Locher has assembled a top-flight staff to help him build his program and works closely with Assistant Dave Pomfret, who enters his 10th season with the program. Last season Locher brought in his cross country assistant and Cuesta mathematics instructor Mike Kinter, PE instructor Paul Schmitt and former Cal Poly Assistant Julia Pickslay to complete his staff and the trio is back this year. Pomfret continues his work with athletes in the jumps, javelin and multi-sport events and Kinter’s cross country experience allows him to continue mentoring his harriers in the distance and middle distance events. Schmitt, a former three-time NCAA DII All American, mentors the Cougars vaunted vaulting program, which has spawned 32 state qualifiers in the past dozen seasons, as well as seven individual state titles since 1993. Schmitt’s expertise allows Cuesta to maintain its reputation as the state’s elite vaulting program. Pickslay will work with the sprinters and hurdlers. She is a former assistant with Cal Poly with two decades of coaching experience to Locher’s staff.

Locher and his staff began this Friday with SLO Town Track Classic on February 17, 2012. The event begins at 1 PM and is open to the public.

WOMEN’S TEAM

The Cuesta Women’s Track and Field team will be dominant in the distance events and pole vault. The Cougars have three returning state qualifiers and are loaded with talented veterans and newcomers ready to take the next step. Coach Brian Locher says, “We look good. We are excited about the team this year.”

Distance- The long distance events from the 800 meters to the 10,000 meters are the Cougars strongest events and the bulk of their scoring will come from these events. Coach Locher says, “This is our deepest event on the track.” The Cougars have a pair of legitimate state title contenders in their former cross country MVPs Kasey Urman (Templeton HS) and Devon Kelsey (Atascadero HS). Urman holds the Cuesta record for the steeplechase (11:26.97) and finished 6th in 1,500 meters (4:47.32) at the 2011 CCCAA State Track and Field Championships. She also ranks 8th on Cuesta’s all time leader board in the 800 meters (2:20.33). Locher expects her to break her school steeplechase record and contend for a state title in that event and the 800, however she could also make her way in the mile. Kelsey is coming off a huge cross country season, where she finished 2nd at the 2011 CCCAA State Cross Country Championships. She redshirted last track season, but built up her strength and speed during cross country. Kelsey finished 6th in the mile (5:00.85) at the 2010 CCCAA State Track and Field Meet and will focus on the event this season. She ranks 4th all time at Cuesta in the mile (4:46.50) and 9th in the 800 meters (2:21.76) and could reach the state meet in both events. However, after her strong cross country season, Coach Locher believes she can be extended and could be the state favorite in the 5K. He is also hoping to see Corinne Evans (Hollister) join Urman and Kelsey at the state meet. Evans enjoyed a late surge during cross country and is expected to build on that finish to compete in the 800 and 1,500 meters. Locher says, “She has SoCal potential (in a couple events), but we will have her focus on the 1,500. She is a workaholic.” 2010 SoCal Regional Qualifiers Annick Ospital-Cone (Alamo) and Lizzie Uscanga (Riverbank HS) are return stronger as sophomores. Ospital-Cone qualified for the SoCal Regional Meet in both the 800 and 1,500 and may be ready to move on to the next meet- the state championships. Locher says of Uscanga, “She is looking fantastic and will do really well.” Uscanga specializes in the very long distances. She ranks 8th all time at Cuesta in the 5K (19:45.72) and 3rd in the 10K (41:26.77). Freshman Loryn Bedell (Paso Robles HS) will join Uscanga in the 10 K and Locher thinks they both could break the school record this season. Locher will also have Megan Cugini (Los Osos: Morro Bay HS) and Nikita Kinsell (Paso Robles HS) join Urman in the steeplechase, while Katie Lewis (Montclair: SLO HS) should come back from some early injuries and score points in the 5K.

Jumps- 2011 State Qualifier Grace Mann (Arroyo Grande HS) will continue Cuesta’s dominance in the pole vault. Locher says of Mann, “She could challenge for the state title and a school record.” Mann steadily improved last season and ended the year with a 9th place finish at the 2011 CCCAA State Track and Field Championships with a jump of 10’ 0.75”. She will need to climb more than three-feet to challenge two-time State Champion Kate Almond’s school mark of 13-1 and compete for Cuesta’s 4th women’s state pole vault title since 2004. Freshman Sarah Delzio (Redwood City) also has state potential and should reach the 10-foot mark this season. Hurdlers Jessica Belingheri (SLO HS), a former all SLO County pick, and Lindsee Handel (Shafter HS) will join freshman Adria deStefano (Orinda) to score in the non-pole vault jumps. Belingheri and Handel should both score at, at least, the conference level and post Top 10 all time Cuesta marks in the long jump. Belingheri also has a chance to move on in her best event, the triple jump. Locher thinks that DeStefano is one of the team’s best athletes on the squad and that she will score consistently in the high jump.

Sprints/Hurdles- Coach Locher says, “It is tough to score in the sprints (in the Western State Conference).” The Cougars will use Jessica Belingheri (SLO HS) and Lindsee Handel (Shafter HS) in the 100 and 400 hurdles, respectively. Locher says of Belingheri, “She is a fantastic hurdler, but not a true sprinter. She has good technique.” The Cougars do not have anyone slated for the 100 meters, but will use a combination of Mikaylah Williams (SLO HS), a 400 and 800 meter champion in high school, 4x CIF Qualifier Jessica Armes (Mission Viejo HS) and All-Ventura County pick Savanna Carlton (Ventura HS) in the 200 and 400 meters. Locher believes that both Armes and Williams can be under a minute in the 400, which would be among the Top 3 times in Cuesta history, and compete for points at the conference meet in the 200. Carlton also has a lot of talent and should come on late in the season as she improves her base. Belingheri will join Williams, Armes and Carlton for the 4x 100 and the Cougars will drop one of the 800 runners into her spot for the 4x 400.

Throws- Freshman Jessica Belingheri (SLO HS) will be the Cougars’ entrant into the multi-event competition. The Cougars do not have any true throwers and will not compete in the hammer, discus or shot put, however they will use Belingheri, Lindsee Handel (Shafter HS) and former Cuesta Volleyball player Kristin Urias (SLO HS) in the javelin.

MEN’S TRACK AND FIELD

In 2011, the Cougars finished 3rd in the Western State Conference for the third consecutive season. The run establishes a high-water mark for the program, which has never finished in first or second place in the conference and only picked up the team “bronze” four other times in the past 30 years. The Cougars will again be strong in the pole vault, but could be spectacular in the distance events this season and are counting on the cross over from cross-country to carry them this season. The Cougars retained several members of their cross-country team and that depth and talent could translate into a dominant spring on the track.

Jumps- Since 1989, eighteen members of the men’s track and field team have earned All State honors. Eleven of those athletes were pole vaulters and the list includes four state champions. The Cougars have three vaulters on this year’s team and they all have All State potential. Local product Clive Kelsey (Atascadero HS) has been improving quickly and could be over 15’ by the end of the year. The Cougars are hoping he will join his sister, Devon Kelsey, at the 2012 CCCAA State Track and Field Championships. Freshmen Max Gill (Bakersfield) and Justin Borba (Salinas) will also be consistent scorers and have the potential to take big strides this season. They are already over 13’ in the pre-season. Borba will also be one of four high jumpers on the Cuesta team, where the gravity-defying freshman is already easily clearing 6-feet. 2011 SoCal Regional Qualifier Nathaniel Hargitt (Sonoma) ranks 9th all time at Cuesta in the high jump at nearly 6-3 and should go higher this year, although he is also the Cougars only potential decathlete. Freshman Adam Gong (Modesto) will be on Hargitt’s heals in the high jump, but the Cougars most complete leaper is Freshman Ryan Wheat (Morro Bay HS). They have big expectations for Wheat, who will also be the Cougars top long jumper and challenge the school record in the triple jump. The Cougars also expect Hurdler Max Leage (Morro Bay: SLO HS) to be in the mid-40s in the triple jump.

Distance- The Cougars will also, as has been the recent trend, be loaded in the distance events. 2011 State Qualifier Tyler Gates (Anitoch) teams with Cuesta Record Holder Paul Denlinger (Templeton HS) and Sophomore Gordon Sturgess (Paso Robles HS) to give Cuesta one of the state’s top trios of distance runners. Gates reached the 2011 State Meet in the 10K, but is also a threat in the 5,000 meters. Locher says, “He will be great.” Denlinger is Cuesta’s reigning track MVP and has twice been named the cross country team’s MVP. He will try and complete the sweep this spring. He holds the Cuesta steeplechase record (9:26.45) and ranks in the Top 6 all time at Cuesta in the Mile, 5K and 10K. Locher says, “He has a shot at the state title in the 15 (1,500 meters), he needs to have confidence. He should also be at state in the steeple.” Sturgess has been with the program for the past two years and shown signs of breaking out, but hasn’t reached his potential, yet. Locher thinks this will be his season, “The 5,000 is his best event. He runs with guts, but you never know what is going to happen.” In the lower end events the Cougars plan to use sophomores Chris Gobel (Salinas HS) and Vince Shaffer (Truckee HS) and freshmen Jacob Schwarm (Atascadero HS) and Chris Handel (Shafter HS) in the 800 and 1,500 meters. Locher expects all four to be under two minutes in the 800 and is impressed with the freshmen. He says, “Jacob is very fit after building his base in cross country. He is a smart runner and getting more speed,” and of Handel, “He can really surprise. He has some natural talent.” Handel and Gobel will run with Denlinger in the mile, which will be the prime event for all three. Locher says of Gobel, who is feeling great, “He is in great shape and should run in the low four minutes.” Denlinger, of course, will also be in the steeplechase and will chase both a state title and his own school record. Freshman Jacob Becerra (Santa Clarita) will be chasing him and should join him at State.

Sprints/Hurdles- The Cougars do not have a sprint record that is younger than two decades old and Charles Hatch’s 110 hurdles record still stands from 1974, however the Cougars expect to be solid enough to score at the WSC Championships in the hurdles and short distances. The Cougars should be strong in both hurdles with Nathaniel Hargitt (Sonoma), who ranks #6 all time in the 110 hurdles (:15.87), and Jackson Day (Redondo Beach), who ranks #9 all time in the 400 hurdles (:59.10), back for another round and bolstered by a strong freshman class. Hargitt is solid, but will compete in multiple events and be entered where the Cougars need him most. The Cougars will use All PAC 7 Hurdler Max Leage (Morro Bay: SLO HS) in both hurdle events. Locher says of the 6’ 7” freshman, “He is very tall and has some talent.” Locher also says of his sophomore, Day, “He is very improved. He is putting in the work and could reach SoCals.” Day will also join All PAC 7 pick Chris Robles (Arroyo Grande HS) in the 400 meters, the one without hurdles. Robles is the Cougars top 200 and 400-meter runner and could crack the Cougars all time Top 10 in the 400. Freshman Matthew Ryan (Fuquay-Varina, NC) is the Cougars best pure sprinter and will run the 100 meters. In the 4x 100 Relay, Sophomores Jake Evans (Mountain View) and Michael Chitwood (Aurora, NE) will join Robles and Ryan. Chitwood was Nebraska’s State Champion in the 400 meters, but has not enjoyed a full track season since 2007. Robles and Evans will team with Day and Shaffer for the 4x 400.

Throws- The Cougars throwing team is down in numbers this season after several recent boom seasons after the program added new throwing venues. This year the Cougars will count on Matthew Wiseman (Visalia) to score in all four throwing events- shot put, discus, hammer and, javelin. Wiseman will get some help from Patrick Clemons (Ferndale, WA), who finished 6th at the Washington State Meet in the javelin.

 

 

Track and Field Bests

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Quick Facts

 

The Locher record
	Men's		Women's
	Conf. Finish	State Place	Conf. Finish	State Place
2008*	11th	----	8th	12th
2009*	3rd	27th	4th	15th
2010*	3rd	21st	6th	13th
2011	3rd	23rd	9th	27th
Titles	0	0	0	0

 

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