Loyola Marymount University Women's Cross Country

Guerrero's Lions as both squads had historical performances at the WCC Championships. The women notched their best team score in school history, placing three runners in the top ten, including sophomore Tara Erdmann as the individual WCC Champion. These efforts put the Lions within five points of Portland and the coveted team title as well as continued consecutive top three placements over the past four years. In addition to Erdmann's individual title, which is the second LMU individual title in the past three years, LMU's strong recruiting was recognized as for the second year in a row a Lion, freshman Brieanna Delaney, received the honor of WCC Freshman of the Year. The men's dramatic second place finish at conference was the closest margin in a thirty-year history for Portland and the lowest team total in LMU school history. Portland also placed three runners in the top ten and finished second for the second year in a row. In response, for the third time in four years, Guerrero was named WCC Cross Country Coach of the Year. Tara Erdmann's 14th place finish at NCAA regionals qualified her for the NCAA cross-country championships where she placed 78th overall, becoming the second Lion ever to compete at the national level for Cross Country. In the 2010 season, Erdmann made yet another appearance at NCAA's when she qualified in the 10000m for track and earned All-American honors for a 6th place overall finish. In 2007, the LMU women turned in a third-place finish at the WCC Championship, pushing the program record of consecutive top-three finishes on the women's side to three consecutive years. On the regional level, for the third consecutive year, the women finished in the top-15 at the talent-filled NCAA West Region Championship, running the 6K course in an average time of 21:59, which is now the fastest team average on any course in LMU history. Laura Mickelson finished her distinguished LMU career by earning a second consecutive trip to the NCAA Cross Country Championship in Terre Haute, Ind. In 2007, Guerrero helped the El Segundo, Calif. native to three National Championship appearances, All-Region Honors, a WCC individual title and numerous individual invitational titles while setting multiple course and meet records over Mickelson's four-year stint at LMU. In 2006, Guerrero and West Coast Conference Champion Mickelson led the LMU women to a third-place finish, while the men placed fifth. For the women, Mickelson captured the individual title and went on to advance to the 2006 NCAA National Cross Country Championship, becoming the first Lion to compete on the national stage. In the spring 2007 track season, Guerrero guided Mickelson to her second straight NCAA Regional appearance in 5000m. Mickelson went on to earn the distinction of Academic All-American, becoming just the eighth Lion to earn the title in any sport in LMU's history. In 2005, the WCC Cross Country Coach of the Year led the LMU women to a second place finish, placing three runners in the top-10 for the first time in school history. On the men's side, the Lions finished third, their highest finish since 1981. Lino Almeida became the highest-placing Lion in LMU men's history, finishing fourth overall. The Lions also made great strides at the 2005 NCAA Cross Country Regionals. The women placed 14th in the region, LMU's highest finish ever, that finish earned the Lions their first regional ranking in the coaches' poll. A collegiate runner himself, Guerrero earned varsity letters in both cross-country and track & field while competing at Tulane University in New Orleans. In his senior year, he served as captain of the cross-country squad. Throughout his athletic career, Guerrero has completed several marathons including Los Angeles (1991, 1993), Boston (1992, 1996, 2002) and New York (1994). Coach Guerrero still runs with his team and competes in local races. Guerrero began his coaching career at the high school level where he spent three years teaching and coaching at Compton High School in Compton, CA. There he had his first taste of coaching success with an individual athlete, coaching a state championship participant in 1991 who went on to become an All-American in college. In 1995, Guerrero coached at Chadwick High School in Palos Verdes, CA, and by 1997, had led the Chadwick girls' team to their first-ever state championship appearance and 3rd place overall finish. "What I learned very quickly was that I really enjoyed building teams," Guerrero said. Evidence of the program Guerrero built at Chadwick, the girls have since won three state titles and the boys made their first-ever appearance at the state meet in 2002 and finished fifth. For his efforts, Guerrero was honored as Prep League Coach of the Year in 1995 and 1997. Guerrero left Chadwick after the 1997 season to take the then-part-time coaching position at LMU. "I took the LMU position for many of the same reasons. I wanted to have a hand in building something from the ground up. That's what we want to do here at LMU: we want to build a championship program." Guerrero holds a B.A. in French and International Relations from Tulane University. He also earned his M.A. in Education from Cal State Dominguez Hills in 1993. He holds a Level II certification from USA Track & Field. Guerrero lives in Manhattan Beach with his wife, Alison, and their three children, Miles, Gabriella, and Louie.

Jennings was a professor in the Health and Human Development department at CSUF for the past two years, while also teaching in LMU's Health & Human Sciences department for the past two-and-a-half years. Jennings was a four-year member of the LMU cross country and track teams at LMU, earning academic honors all four years with the Lions and received lifetime membership in the Delta Epsilon Iota Honor Society in 2009. She resides in Manhattan Beach.