California State University - Long Beach Men's Track

Sythe is now in his 27th season at the helm of the cross country and indoor/outdoor track & field teams at the Beach. He has developed a combined program that is among the best in the Big West Conference as well as at the regional and national level. Sythe has guided his student-athletes to 49 All-America honors and 13 conference athlete of the year awards. He has also had four Big West Freshman of the Year award winners. In 2015, the 49er men's team successfully defended their Big West team title to secure the first three-peat in school history. With the win, the Beach also became just the third men's program in conference history, and the only current member of the Big West, to claim three championships in a row. In addition, LBSU pushed its total to nine Big West titles, marking the most among the league's active members and one shy of tying the conference record set by Fresno State in 1992. The Long Beach State men finished with eight individual Big West titles and 18 all-conference performances. The 49ers thrived in the field events where they scored 116 of their 185 points. They had five conference champions in Kody Robison (Hammer), Jacob Fraser (Discus), Willie Alexander (Long Jump), Ryan Sanders (Triple Jump) and Michael Montgomery (Pole Vault). Alexander was also the runner-up in the triple jump as he was named the 2015 Big West Men's Field Athlete of the Year. Cameron Glasgow, who was tabbed the Big West Men's Track Athlete of the Year, led the Beach in the running events as he won the 400m, while also joining forces with Dylan McCloskey, Michael Perez-Rogers and Jahmani Lockett to defend their title in the 4x400 relay. Chris Low was also a back-to-back champion in the 800m. LBSU continued to lead the conference in the postseason where it sent 17 athletes to the NCAA West Preliminary Round and a school-record seven to the NCAA Championships. Glasgow finished his career as a two-time All-American (400m, 4x400), while Perez-Rogers (4x400), McCloskey (4x400), Lockett (4x400), Alexander (Triple Jump), Low (800m) and Montgomery (Pole Vault) also garnered honorable mention All-America honors. Adding to an award-filled season, the Beach was ranked 15th in the final Dual Meet Rankings. In 2014, the men cruised to the Big West title with nine individual champions and a school-record 218.5 points. Sythe's pole vaulters gave the Beach a huge boost with a 26.5-point outburst as all five of the team's entrants finished in scoring position (1st-2nd-4th-6th-8th). The women's squad also took fourth overall with Fatima Vergara claiming top honors in the hammer throw. The men and women had 22 athletes qualify for the NCAA West Preliminary Round, including a program-record 16 individuals on the men's side. Willie Alexander, Chris Low and Chris Enriquez also advanced to the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, where they combined to post a 24th-place team finish. Alexander was the national runner-up in the long jump, while Low took seventh in the 800m. Low was the 49ers' first-ever first-team All-American in the 800m. In addition, the Beach men went undefeated in dual meets as they were 37-0 in scoring opportunities. The 2014 squad closed out the year ranked ninth in the dual meet rankings, while the women came in at No. 21. The men were also ranked as high as No. 5 in the USTFCCCA West Region Rankings. In 2013, the Long Beach State men won their fourth Big West championship in eight years. They had 15 athletes produce 21 all-conference honors, including four individual Big West titles. The women added eight all-conference awards. The LBSU men and women also had 16 athletes advance to the NCAA West Preliminaries. Willie Alexander, who was named the Big West Men's Freshman of the Year, punched his ticket to the NCAA Championships where he garnered All-America honorable mention recognition in the long jump. In 2012, the 49ers posted 28 All-Big West performances, with five individual conference titles. Long Beach State also had a Big West-leading 17 entries in the NCAA West Preliminary Round. Two athletes, Katrina Graves-Johnson (High Jump) and Ben Woodruff (Javelin) qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championships, where they both earned honorable mention All-America distinction. Graves-Johnson and Matt Maldonado (Mile) were also second-team All-Americans during the indoor season. In addition, Woodruff was tabbed the Big West Men's Field Athlete of the Year, while Jahmani Lockett was named the Co-Big West Men's Freshman of the Year. In 2011, the men claimed their third Big West title behind 23 all-conference performances, including seven individual championships. Three athletes also advanced to the NCAA Outdoor Championships where they earned All-America honors. Randi Hicks was a first-team performer in the women's javelin, while Colin Dunbar garnered second-team honors in the hammer and honorable mention in the discus. Nicholas Armstrong was also an honorable mention All-American in the decathlon. In addition to earning All-America status, Dunbar was tabbed the 2011 USTFCCCA West Region Men's Field Athlete of the Year and the 2011 Big West Men's Field Athlete of the Year. He personally accounted for 29 points at the conference championships as he became just the second individual in league history to score in all four throwing events. In 2010, Kenneth Medwood (400 Hurdles) and Randi Hicks (Javelin) won the individual conference title in their respective events. Seventeen 49ers also qualified for the NCAAWestPreliminary meet, with three athletes moving on to the national championships. Hicks highlighted the group, earning All-America honors in the javelin. Medwood went on to compete in the 2012 London Olympic Games, representing his native country of Belize. He was selected by his nation as the flag bearer at the opening ceremonies and would advance to the semifinals of the 400m hurdles. Sythe also had four of his athletes compete at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials. The men's squad won their second Big West title in 2008, compiling 185 total team points. The Beach had 21 individuals qualify for the NCAARegionals, with six advancing to the national championship meet where Sythe saw two of his athletes, Brent Gray and Chris Richardson, earn All-America honors for the second time in their careers. The men's team also finished ahead of the pack at the Big West Championships in 2006, while placing 16th at the NCAA Championships, their highest team finish since 1998 when the Sythe-led team took 17th. Since the inception of NCAA track and field regional qualifying in 2003, Long Beach State has sent over 200 qualifiers to the postseason meet. Over the last three years, Sythe sent more qualifiers to the NCAA Regionals than any other combined program in the Big West Conference. While under his direction, the LBSU track and field program has also been consistently ranked among the top 20 percent of over 320 NCAA Division I schools. Sythe has also directed the cross country squad to a number of top performances. In the fall of 2013, Chris Enriquez earned an individual berth to the NCAA Cross Country Championships. He was the first 49er to qualify for the event in the modern era of NCAA cross country (since 1980). Enriquez advanced to the national meet after placing 10th at the NCAA West Regional, the highest finish in school history. In 2011, Rosa Del Toro won the individual conference title and was the first 49er in school history to be tabbed the Big West Women's Cross Country Athlete of the Year. Since Sythe's arrival, the Beach has rewritten the record books. In his 26 seasons at the helm,85 indoor and47 outdoor school records have been established by Sythe-coached athletes. In 2011-12, LBSU established 13 school records in a single season. Strong academic performance has also been a common theme in Sythe's career as a coach and athlete. Sythe was an outstanding student-athlete at San Diego State where he graduated in 1987 with honors and a bachelor's degree in physical education. As a coach, Sythe's student-athletes have achieved perfect 4.0 semester grade-point averages 156 times. Through his guidance 431 athletes have also been named to the academic all-conference team. On the national level, Sythe's athletes have produced 44 USTFCCCA All-Academic Teams in cross country and track & field. The women's track and cross country squads have earned the honor every year since 1997, while the men's track & field team has received the recognition three seasons in a row. Individually, Sythe has also helped his student-athletes to attain the highest level of academic achievement with seven CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, two Phi Beta Kappas and one Rhodes Scholar. Sythe was hired in the fall of 1989 as the head coach at Long Beach State. At age 23, he was the youngest NCAA Division I coach in the United States. Sythe has had the very best mentors in the sport throughout his high school and college career. As an athlete under Dixon Farmer at San Diego State (1984-87), Sythe captained his team that ranked among the top-10 in the nation. As an assistant for Ralph Lindeman at LBSU (1988-89), Sythe furthered his skills under the tutelage of another of the nation's most respected coaches. In 1989, his mentor Lindeman was tabbed the Big West Coach of the Year. Both Farmer and Lindeman also served on Olympic staffs for the United States. Track & field and cross country are a passion for Sythe, and his dedication to the sport is reflected by his involvement beyond the scope of the University. Sythe has served on national committees with USA Track & Field and the U.S. Track Coaches Association. He has served on the Executive Committee for Men's Development with USATF, been co-meet director for the 1999 USATF Senior Cross Country National Championships, and has completed over 10 years of service as Men's Track & Field Chair and board member for the Southern California Association of USA Track & Field. Sythe also completed four years of service with the Executive Committee and Rules Committee for the USTFCCCA. Sythe has coached at clinics throughout the U.S. and worked with the Amateur Athletic Foundation of Los Angeles in its coaching instructional program. Recognized for his success and his dedicated work on the national level, Sythe was selected by his peers to be the head coach for the men's West team at the 1995 United States Olympic Festival, held in Colorado Springs, Colo. Prior to that, he was an assistant coach for the champion West team at the 1993 Olympic Festival in San Antonio, Texas. A native of Los Gatos, Calif., Sythe and his wife, Maribeth, reside in Long Beach with their two daughters, Sierra and Callie June. Long Beach State had three individuals earn honorable mention All-America honors the U.S. Track &... Junior Riley Cooks finished 20th overall with 5,372 points in the heptathlon to wrap up the NCAA ... Junior Riley Cooks set three lifetime bests in four events and sits in eighth place after day one... Senior Fatima Vergara wrapped up an outstanding career at Long Beach State with a 23rd-place... Junior Robert Marlow kicked off the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships for Long Beach State... Long Beach State will send three individuals to Eugene, Ore., for the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field ...

Magee mentored Willie Alexander and Ryan Sanders, who combined to score 34 points en route to LBSU's third-straight Big West championship. Alexander won the long jump and claimed runner-up honors in the triple jump, while Sanders took first in the triple jump and third in the long jump. On the women's side, freshman Jasmine Bass earned All-Big West honors with a second-place showing in the triple jump. She notched a personal-best 40-11.5. All three athletes qualified for the NCAA West Preliminary Round, with Alexander advancing to the NCAA Championships where he earned All-America honors for the third-straight year. In 2014, Magee made an immediate impact, guiding Alexander to a runner-up finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Alexander garnered first-team All-America honors, while he was also an All-Big West performer in the long jump and triple jump. He reached 25-feet in the long jump four times. In addition, Magee tutored Camren Woods and mid-year transfer Cameron Pizzica, who placed third and sixth, respectively, in the Big West long jump. Pizzica improved his lifetime best by nearly two feet with just four months of training. Magee returned to his alma mater after serving as an assistant coach at San Bernardino Valley College (2012-13) and Riverside Community College (2007-12). During his tenure as an assistant, he saw nine of his athletes qualify for the National Junior College Athletic Association championships, and guided two of them to national titles. Magee also tutored 23 NJCAA All-Americans. While at RCC, Magee helped lead the men's team to four state titles. Under his guidance, the Tigers also had five individual state champions in the horizontal jumps (4 long jump, 1 triple jump). As an athlete, Magee was a five-time All-American at Long Beach State. He earned indoor All-America honors in the long jump and outdoor All-America honors in the triple jump in 1976 and 1977. Magee was also a member of the 49ers' 1977 4x400 relay team that garnered All-America distinction. In addition, Magee was the Pacific Coast Athletic Association long jump champion in 1977. In his two years with the 49ers, Magee established a then school record in the indoor triple jump (currently No. 3). He also registered a pair of top-10 outdoor marks in the triple jump and long jump, which still rank third and ninth, respectively. Magee transferred to LBSU from Los Angeles Trade Tech College. Upon completing his education at Long Beach State, Magee joined the Army where he continued his athletic career. Junior Riley Cooks finished 20th overall with 5,372 points in the heptathlon to wrap up the NCAA ... Junior Riley Cooks set three lifetime bests in four events and sits in eighth place after day one... Senior Fatima Vergara wrapped up an outstanding career at Long Beach State with a 23rd-place... Junior Robert Marlow kicked off the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships for Long Beach State... Long Beach State will send three individuals to Eugene, Ore., for the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field ... The Long Beach State track and field team wrapped up a long weekend at the University of Kansas' ...

Sheffield has made an immediate impact at the Beach as the men's team has won a Big West championship in each of her first three seasons. During that stretch, she has mentored five All-Americans, 21 NCAA West Preliminary qualifiers, 35 all-conference performers and one Big West Men's Track Athlete of the Year. Last year, Sheffield's sprinters broke onto the national stage, earning multiple All-America honors. Cameron Glasgow, who was the 2015 Big West Men's Track Athlete of the Year, advanced to the NCAA Championships in the 400m and the 4x400 relay. He was joined by Michael Perez-Rogers, Dylan McCloskey and Jahmani Lockett in the relay event. The quartet also defended their Big West title and ran a school-record 3:06.2 to finish third in their heat (11th overall) at the NCAA West Preliminaries. In addition, Glasgow and Perez-Rogers took first and second in the 400m, while running on the third-place 4x100 relay team at the Big West Championships. Both of the women's relay teams earned all-conference honors as well. In 2014, Sheffield's sprints and hurdles squad played a key role in the men's second-straight Big West championship. She helped Davon Wilson-Angel defend his 110-meter hurdle title, while Perez-Rogers took top honors in the 400m. The quartet of Perez-Rogers, McCloskey, Glasgow and Lockett also finished ahead of the pack in the 4x400 relay. On the women's side, the 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams both placed among the top-three at the conference meet. The 4x400 squad also established a school record for the second time under Sheffield's tutelage, clocking in at 3:39.65 at the Baldy Castillo Invitational. Overall, Sheffield saw 11 of her athletes earn 19 All-Big West honors, while 10 went on to qualify for the NCAA West Preliminary Round. In her first season at LBSU, Sheffield had 12 individuals combine for 16 all-conference honors, including Wilson-Angel, who claimed the Big West title in the 110 hurdles. Sheffield led three of the 49ers' four relay teams to top-three finishes at the conference championship with the women's 4x400 squad registering a then school-record 3:41.24. Outside of Long Beach State, Sheffield has been very involved with USA Track & Field. She was recently selected to Team USA's coaching staff for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where she will work with the women's sprinters and hurdlers. Sheffield previously served as an assistant coach for the U.S. women's team at the 2013 World Championships in Moscow, Russia. In addition, Sheffield was in charge of the sprints, hurdles and relays at the World Indoor Championships in 2008 (Valencia, Spain) and 2006 (Moscow, Russia), as well as at the Pan American Games in 2011 (Guadalajara, Mexico) and 2007 (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil). Sheffield has also served on the USA Track & Field Development Committee as the event chair for women's hurdles since 2007. As an athlete, Sheffield was an Olympic finalist in the 400m hurdles at the 1988 Games in Seoul, South Korea, and represented the United States at the 1987 World Championships. She was also a two-time gold medalist at the Olympic Sports Festival (1987, 1993) and won a bronze medal at the 1987 Pan American Games. Sheffield, who established an American record in the 400m hurdles in 1985, also excelled at San Diego State where she was a two-time All-American and 1985 NCAA Champion (400H). She was inducted into the SDSU Athletics' Hall of Fame in 1993. Prior to her arrival at the Beach, Sheffield was an assistant coach at Canyon del Oro High School and the head coach of the POPS Track Club in Tucson, Ariz. She helped lead Canyon del Oro's girls' team to two state championships, while the boys' squad had a pair of state runner-up finishes during her tenure. Sheffield also coached the 2012 ESPN High School Gatorade Player of the Year. Under her guidance, Sheffield saw a number of her POPS Track Club team members qualify for the Junior Olympic National Championships, including a 2011 champion in the 400 hurdles, a 2011 junior national record holder in the long jump and a 2010 finalist in the steeplechase. Sheffield is also a professional motivational speaker and is the founder and president of Sports Extravaganza, Inc., a non-profit organization that focuses on fighting childhood obesity. She was named one of the 25 Most Influential People in Tucson in 2012. Sheffield has also been honored with the USATF Youth Division President's Award (2010), Sam Lacy Sports Pioneer Award (2010) and NAACP Community Service Recognition Award (2008). Sheffield earned her bachelor's degree in sports management from the United States Sports Academy in 2011. Long Beach State had three individuals earn honorable mention All-America honors the U.S. Track &... Junior Riley Cooks finished 20th overall with 5,372 points in the heptathlon to wrap up the NCAA ... Junior Riley Cooks set three lifetime bests in four events and sits in eighth place after day one... Senior Fatima Vergara wrapped up an outstanding career at Long Beach State with a 23rd-place... Junior Robert Marlow kicked off the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships for Long Beach State... Long Beach State will send three individuals to Eugene, Ore., for the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field ...

Loebl has coached 10 NCAA national qualifiers and 45 NCAA regional qualifiers. Under his guidance, LBSU has also had 17 Big West individual champions, one MPSF indoor champion, 49 All-Big West performances and six All-Americans. In addition, Loebl's athletes have posted five school records and 65 performances in the all-time top 10. Since Loebl took over as the team's throws coach, Long Beach State has led the Big West in individual titles and top-three performances at the conference championships in men's and women's throws combined. In 2015, Jake Fraser extended LBSU's winning streak in the men's discus at the Big West Championships to five years in a row as he earned his second career title in the event. Kody Robison also took top honors in the hammer throw, while Victor Martin was the runner-up in the shot put and discus. Overall, the men's throwers totaled 54 points en route to the team's third consecutive Big West championship. Marina Shelton led the women with a third-place finish in the hammer. All four athletes qualified for the NCAA West Preliminary Round. In 2014, the men's throwers contributed 57 points to the 49ers' school-record total of 218.5 for their second-straight Big West title. Jason Harrell took top honors in the discus, while Adam Bianchessi was the individual champion in the javelin. Fraser added a pair of runner-up finishes in the shot put and discus. On the women's side, Fatima Vergara won the hammer throw. Harrell, Bianchessi, Fraser, Vergara, Tiffany Forbito and Robison all advanced to the NCAA West Preliminary Round. In 2013, the Beach had two Big West champions and six NCAA West Preliminary qualifiers in the men's throwing events. At the conference meet, Fraser claimed the title in the discus, while Harrell was the runner-up. Josh Villalobos also threw a lifetime best in the hammer to take top honors, and Christopher Yates contributed solid performances in his events, taking second in the shot put and seventh in the hammer. Robison had an inspiring meet, coming away with two personal records and scoring in each of his three events. Robison's weekend was highlighted by a third-place showing in the javelin. The women's throwers were anchored by senior team captain Alex Cervantes, who established a personal record and took third in the hammer. Linda Rueff, who wasn't able to train during the 2012 season, improved her personal best in the discus and came away with a seventh-place finish at the Big West Championships. Shelton had an impressive first year in the hammer throw, placing seventh at the conference meet. She went on to gain valuable national experience by competing at the USA Junior Championships. Loebl has also continued to mentor some of his former athletes; most notably the 2011 NCAA West Regional Men's Field Athlete of the Year and two-time All-American Colin Dunbar. Most recently, Dunbar won silver in the hammer throw at the 2015 NACAC Senior Area Championships in Costa Rica. In 2013, he competed indoors for the first time in two years and came away with a bronze medal after posting a lifetime-best 72-10 in the weight throw at the USA Indoor Championships. He also improved his PR in the hammer to 231-01 and placed sixth at the USA Outdoor Championships. Dunbar is one of the most decorated throwers in Long Beach State history as he scored in all four events to account for 29 points at the 2011 Big West Championships. He won the hammer and discus, and was named the Big West Men's Field Athlete of the Year. The 49er men went on to win the conference title in 2011 as they swept the throwing events. In addition to Dunbar's victories, Cesar Puga won the shot put and Ben Woodruff took top honors in the javelin. Loebl was a two-year letterwinner at LBSU, competing in the javelin, discus, hammer throw and shot put from 2002-03. He was a three-time NCAA qualifier and a four-time all-conference performer. He also competed in the discus at the 2002 USA Track & Field Championships. Loebl was selected as the Big West Male Athlete of the Year in 2003 after scoring a school-record 30 points at the conference championships. Loebl earned all-league honors in three events while claiming the title in the discus. Over his two years, Loebl tallied an unmatched total of 44 points in two conference championship meets. The former team captain left Long Beach State ranked among the top-10 in six events, including No. 2 marks in the indoor shot put and weight throw. Loebl also excelled in the classroom, earning both MPSF and Big West all-academic honors in 2003. In addition, he was named Long Beach State's BWC Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2004 and was a two-time USTFCCCA All-Academic selection. Prior to the Beach, Loebl was a two-time NWAACC champion in the discus and hammer at Clackamas Community College in Oregon. Loebl graduated from Long Beach State with a bachelor's degree in kinesiology and went on to earn his master's in coaching and athletic administration from Concordia University, Irvine. Loebl is currently teaching at Carmenita Middle School in Cerritos. Loebl and his wife, Melissa, reside in Long Beach with their son, Kaian, and daughter, Kalea. Long Beach State had three individuals earn honorable mention All-America honors the U.S. Track &... Junior Riley Cooks finished 20th overall with 5,372 points in the heptathlon to wrap up the NCAA ... Junior Riley Cooks set three lifetime bests in four events and sits in eighth place after day one... Senior Fatima Vergara wrapped up an outstanding career at Long Beach State with a 23rd-place... Junior Robert Marlow kicked off the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships for Long Beach State... Long Beach State will send three individuals to Eugene, Ore., for the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field ...

Walsh helped the 49er men win the 2015 Big West Track & Field championship. He worked closely with Chris Low, guiding him to his second-straight Big West title and All-America honor in the 800m. Walsh also mentored Catherine Martinez, who scored at the conference meet with a seventh-place finish in the 1500m. Walsh previously spent 19 years as the head cross country and assistant track & field coach at USC. During his time with the Trojans, he coached 23 individual All-Americans in a number of events, including the 800m, 1500m and steeplechase, as well as in cross country. He also mentored an NCAA champion in the 800m and two Olympic finalists. In addition, Walsh saw his student-athletes set school records in every women's distance event, from the 800m through the 10000m. He also developed many of the nation's top NCAA male middle distance runners despite not having a men's cross country squad. Walsh is a coach known for showing great care and respect for his student-athletes. One aspect has been his efforts to promote a successful academic environment. In his 19 years at USC, Walsh's cross country team held the top grade-point average of all the school's athletic programs a total of seven times. His athletes were also frequently recognized by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association for individual academic achievement. Walsh was directly involved in the operations of all home meets at USC and has additional experience in public relations, sports media and sponsorship acquisitions for nationally televised events. These attributes will directly benefit the continued growth of the annual Beach Invitational and promotion of the new track facility scheduled which was completed in the spring of 2015. Walsh graduated from USC with a bachelor's degree in journalism in 1987. Junior Riley Cooks finished 20th overall with 5,372 points in the heptathlon to wrap up the NCAA ... Junior Riley Cooks set three lifetime bests in four events and sits in eighth place after day one... Senior Fatima Vergara wrapped up an outstanding career at Long Beach State with a 23rd-place... Junior Robert Marlow kicked off the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships for Long Beach State... Long Beach State will send three individuals to Eugene, Ore., for the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field ... The Long Beach State track and field team wrapped up a long weekend at the University of Kansas' ...