University of La Verne Men's Cross Country

George's recruiting efforts paid off in 2015 as newcomers played a major role for the Leos. Rachel Dela Cruz earned All-SCIAC status as a freshman while fellow rookie Melissa Cerrillos made huge strides on the track, winning a SCIAC championship in the 3,000m steeplechase and breaking La Vernes school record in the 800 meters. Academic success is another strength of the program as both squads have received multiple USATFCCCA all-academic recognitions since 2013. In addition, Hayes and Long are two-time all-West Region individual honorees. George also mentored Lenore Moreno '14 to a pair of national championships in track and field in 2014. After winning the indoor 5,000 meters and setting a meet record at the NCAA Division III Indoor National Championships, Moreno won the 10,000 meters at the outdoor championship meet to claim the La Verne womens first individual championship since 1997 (Stacey Williams, long jump). Moreno was named the 2014 Division III West Region Indoor and Outdoor Female Track Athlete of the Year by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association and was voted as the 2014 SCIAC Womens Track Athlete of the Year. Prior to joining La Verne, George spent four years at his alma mater Central College in Iowa, serving as an assistant cross country and track and field coach. In his last season at Central (2012), he helped guide the men's cross country squad to its first-ever Iowa Conference championship and a berth to its first NCAA Division III Championships since 1980, earning a 12th-place finish (tie) with one all-America honoree. He was also on staff in 2009 when the women's team earned the program's first NCAA Division III national team berth since 1981, helping guide the squad to a 19th-place national finish. A 2006 graduate of Central College, George served as a volunteer assistant for the Dutch during the 2006-07 year, then returned in 2009 after completing two years as a graduate assistant coach in cross country and track field and at Illinois State University, where he earned a master's degree. As a student-athlete at Central, George served as a two-time track and field co-captain and was voted the squad's MVP in 2006, anchoring Central's distance medley relay to all-America honors. He was also a three-time cross country co-captain, an all-Iowa Conference and all-NCAA Division III Central Region performer in cross country, and was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America track and field team.