St. Martin's University Women's Track

Brewer is in his fourth season as the head men's and women's track & field coach and third season for cross country at Saint Martin's University.   In 2016 under Brewer's leadership, SMU had their first-ever National Champion for any sport. Mike Smith won the men's high jump at the NCAA DII National Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Smith is the Saints first four-time All-American. In the distance events, Shannon Porter became the first female Saint to earn All-American honors at the indoor track & field championships.   Other highlights included Karen Horvath being named GNAC Newcomer of the Year for cross country, 12 GNAC All-Academic track & field athletes honored, seven GNAC All-Academic cross country athletes named, over a dozen new track & field school records, multiple indoor and outdoor individual conference champions, and eight total outdoor national track & field provisional qualifiers.   In 2015 under Brewer's guidance, SMU had 14 new school records set, eight athletes earned All-Conference honors (top 3) at the Outdoor GNAC Championships, nine athletes hit automatic or provisional track & field qualifying marks for the NCAA Division II Championships, and15 athletes were named to the Academic All-Conference team. Brewer also had four athletes qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Championship. Porter became the first SMU runner to compete in two events at nationals. Smith was named GNAC Newcomer of the Year setting the all-time GNAC record outdoors in the high jump clearing 7'. Brewer came to SMU after serving as the head cross country and track & field coach at Concordia University-Irvine, a competitive NAIA Division I program in California, from 2011-2013. During his time coaching at CUI, Brewer coached the women's cross country team to an 11th-place finish at the 2012 NAIA Championships. In two years, he had 42 national qualifiers and nine All-Americans. Most notably in the spring of 2013, a total of 16 athletes qualified for the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Prior to his time in California he served as the head cross country and track & field coach at the University of Great Falls in Montana from 2007-2011. Brewer had national qualifiers every year while coaching a nationally ranked men's cross country team in 2010. Brewer worked at the Division II level as a volunteer assistant coach at Western Washington on two separate occasions: 1996-97 and 2003-07. He was a part of helping coach three cross country teams to the national championships. He coached at both Mount Baker High School in Deming, Wash. (1998) under the tutelage of legendary coach Jim Freeman and at Stanwood High School in Stanwood, Wash. (1990-92, 1998-2000) under the leadership of highly successful head coach Paul Johnson. Brewer was a successful runner at Western Washington from 1993 to 1996. He earned All-American honors at the 1994 NAIA Cross Country Championships and was a five-time national qualifier (3 cross country, 2 track& field). Brewer has his Master's degree in Sports Science from the United States Sports Academy. He holds his U.S. Track and Field level II certification in distance. In addition, he has a level III coaching certification from the United States Academy with an emphasis in cross country and track & field. As a result of his experience and expertise, he has been a guest speaker at local high school coaching clinics. Brewer currently serves as the track & field representative for the GNAC and is the USTFCCCA National Cross Country Committee Member for the GNAC. Brewer resides in Olympia with his wife Rachel and his two children Holden (6) and Karen (4).    

Brewer's fourth as an assistant coach with the men's and women's track & field programs and third with the cross country team at Saint Martin's. She works primarily with distance athletes as well as helps administratively with travel details, recruiting, budget, end-of-season banquets, cross country camp, and home meet management. Brewer coached with her husband, Jim, the current head men's and women's cross country and track & field coach at SMU, at Concordia University-Irvine from 2011 to 2013 helping guide the women's team to an 11th-place finish at the 2012 NAIA Cross Country Championships. She also served as an assistant coach from 2007 to 2011 while working as an adjunct physical education professor at the University of Great Falls. As an assistant there she was the recruit visit coordinator for the entire athletics department and coached national qualifiers every season. Prior to her time at Great Falls, Brewer worked as a volunteer assistant at Western Washington University from 2003 to 2007. In 2000 she served as the assistant cross country coach at Sehome High School in Bellingham while she taught math and science at Fairhaven Middle School. In 1998 she was an assistant track & field coach and teacher at Tuba City High School in Tuba City, Ariz. Brewer competed collegiately at the NCAA Division I level for Northern Arizona University. Her cross country team placed 10th at the national championships in 1996. In the spring of 1997, Brewer qualified for the NCAA DI Outdoor Track & Field Championships with a time of 9:28 finishing 17th in the 3,000m. She also earned All-Big Sky honors multiple times during her career in cross country and track & field from 1995-98. Brewer graduated with a bachelor's degree in science, earning a major in physical science and a minor in math. She also has her master's degree in human service counseling from Regent University. Rachel and Jim reside in Olympia with their two children, Holden (6) and Karen (4).