The Program and Staff
Over the course of a few short years, the DVC Cross-Country and Track & Field program has come to life, back to where it once was just 16 years ago (Costa)! By building an exceptional staff comprised of youth and experience and recruiting excellent student-athletes, Head Coach Daniel Cruz has generated the men’s and women’s teams’ toward superior levels of success on the field and in the classroom.
Numerous Diablo Valley College track & field and cross-country members have moved on to reputable 4-year schools like UC-Davis, Cal-Berkeley, UCLA, UC-San Diego, Azusa-Pacific, UCSB, USF, CSU-Stanislaus, Humboldt State, Sonoma State, Sacramento State, Fresno State, San Diego State, North Carolina State and Southern Mississippi State after gaining valuable experience and success while a Viking. By providing a strong program comprised of solid coaching, high classroom expectations and character building themes, Diablo Valley College Cross-Country and Track & Field teams have done remarkably well in both sports.
The women’s teams have done exceptionally well, placing 3rd in the NorCal Track & Field Championships in 2003 and 2004, 9th in 2005 (6th in 2002) with a well-balanced team of jumpers, hurdlers, distance runners and heptathletes as well as fielding consistent NorCal contending and state-finalist cross-country teams. The Women won back-to-back-to-back Bay Valley Conference Cross-Country Championships in 2002-2003-2004 since Coach Cruz transformed the team’s goals and philosophy. In 2005 the Women’s team placed 5th in the California State Cross Country Championships.
The men’s squad continues to have NorCal contending and state meet-bound teams in cross-country and in track. The Men have been 7th, 6th and 5th, 7th the past four years at the NorCal Cross-Country Championships and the Vikings were 2nd in the Bay Valley Conference the past three years. The Women were 5th in the State in 2005.
In 2005 the Viking men and women evolved to another level during the 2005 cross-country campaign and arrived at being state contenders. The Men won their 1st Big 7 Championship this season, whereas the women won their first Big 7 Championship and 4th straight conference title. Both teams went on to place 1st (Women) and 2nd (Men) in the Norcal, the highest dual-placing in the college’s history. Two weeks later the Viking Men were 2nd at the State Championships and the Women were 5th, yet again a best-ever placing by any DVC squad in their 43 year history of the state meet!
In addition, there have been excellent individuals in numerous events during the track & field campaign at the Conference, NorCal and State levels. In his nine year tenure at DVC, Coach Cruz and staff have coached numerous NorCal and Sate Meet Finalists and Champions. Jake Enemark made DVC history by winning both NorCal 1500 and 800 meter titles in 2009! Chris Espinoza’s sterling 5th place 800 meter effort at the 2002 State T&F Championships, NorCal Champion’s Cassandra Goodson’s 2003 10,000 meters, Whitney Jacobsmeyer’s 2004 Steeplechase-10,000 Norcal Championship double (2nd in the State 3000 Steeplechase) and Danielle Sinclair’s State Meet 800 meter victory in 2006 are just five obvious examples of how dedicated and successful DVC student-athletes have become under Cruz’s tutelage, a program grounded in tradition, loyalty and hard work.
Head Coach-Daniel Cruz
Associate Coach-John Burns
Assistant Coach-Randy Wilson
Assistant Coach-Lisa Marchini
Assistant Coach-Jose Lorenzana
Assistant Coach-Tony Roberts
