Colorado College Women's Track

Nichols finished 14th at the NCAA championships with an 8K clocking of 24:57 to cap his collegiate career with the Tigers. He earlier won the SCAC individual crown in '07, leading a 1-2-3 finish for CC with Kiran Moorty and Julian Boggs at the league meet, before claiming third place at the West Regional with a personal-best effort of 24:54 that earned him All-Region accoldades. He shared the team's "Most Valuable Runner" award with classmate Boggs that fall after they became the first Tiger duo ever to earn All-America status in the same season. Nichols claimed a top-three spot in four of eight races he ran during that 2007 campaign.   

Castaneda has served as head coach of the men's cross country team at CC since 1980, when he also started as a volunteer assistant with the track and field program.  He took over as head coach for women's cross country in 1993 and for track and field in 1994. He has coached athletes to a total of 34 outdoor track mens and womens school records during his tenure.  In indoor track, his women athletes reset all 26 records and the men broke 15 before winter competition was discontinued in 2002. During his coaching tenure, 22 cross country and track athletes have earned All-America honors including 1998 NCAA heptathlete champion Heather OBrien, five-time recipient Julian Boggs (three times in cross country and twice in track and field) and  standout Jackson Brainerd 12, who led the Tigers to their third consecutive SCAC cross country team championship in 2011. Castanedas Tigers also get it done academically, with regular academic accolades each year as individuals and teams, including both cross country teams earning academic All-America status for fall 2011. The program's success should be no surprise when you look back at Castaneda's success as a competitor. Castaneda is well-versed not only with the style and technique required in both cross country and track, but with training and theory of conditioning as well. His career as a distance runner started during his prep years at Colorado Springs Palmer High School. From there he went on to the University of Colorado in Boulder, where he earned All-America honors four times in track and once in cross country. His best times include a 3:58.5 mile, an 8:29 two-mile, a 28:30 in the 10 kilometers and a 2-hour, 15-minute marathon.  He also competed in two U.S. Olympic Trials (5,000 and 10,000 in 1976, marathon in 1980).