2017 Distance Team

Coach Broneer and Coach Delong with Lauren Fleshman and Alysia (Johnson) Montano

Alysia Montaño (Johnson) 800 meter State Champion, 2004 2:08.97

Robin Heidt

Dave Hartman 1991 3200 8:58.4

Salim Benmohamed, Stephen Kent, James Colley, Adam McDonald, and Tommy Werner 2004

George Velarde (Head DISTANCE Coach)
Coach Velarde is entering his 21st year of coaching Cross Country/Track and Field. He received his Bachelor of Science from Point Loma Nazarene University in 1994 and his Masters degree from Azusa Pacific University in 2002. He ran Cross Country and Track for Central Union High and in college at Cal State San Bernardino and Point Loma Nazarene University. He has been married to his wife Erica for 19 years and has 2 children: Jacob (15) and Jayson (12). He has taught Physical Education at Pacific Beach Middle School, Jordan Middle School and at Sierra Vista Jr. High School. He is the Physical Education Department Chair at Sierra  Vista Jr. High School for their Nationally Recognized Physical Education program. In his spare time he plays Frisbee golf, basketball, watching movies and rooting for his Favorite Sport Teams: L.A. Lakers, USC Trojans (Football), New York Yankees, San Francisco 49ers, and the Duke Blue Devils (Men's Basketball). In 2009, he was named the Physical Education Teacher of the Year for the State of California. Over the years, he has spoken to: US Congress at our Nation's Capitol, was a speaker at the 1st Global  Conference for Sports and Science in Taiwan, spokened with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and President Bill Clinton regarding  Health and Physical Education.

Dave DeLong 
Coach DeLong has been coaching for 23 years, 21 of them at Canyon High School and 2 years at Burroughs High School  in Burbank, CA. He began his running career in high school running a 4:17 in the 1600m, then in college running a 14:55 in  the 5,000m and a 4:10 in the 1600m. He attended USC and graduated from Point Loma Nazarene College in 1984. From there he began his first teaching job at Jordan Jr. High in Burbank, CA, then 2 years at Burroughs High School, and has spent the last 20 years teaching math at Canyon High School. He has competed in several marathons, with a PR at age 35 of 2:54. He placed 100 th at the Boston Marathon in 1996.  He’s been married to his wife Lisa for 24 years and has 3 children; Jessica, Joelle, and Jacob. In his spare time, you can find him in the Jacuzzi, playing golf, or spending time with his family or alumni runners. You may find him screaming for more ice-cream as he watches his favorite movie “It’s A Beautiful Life.”

Chris Jackson: 
My wife, Samantha, and I have four children, Bryanna is 13, Robert is 9, Amy is 6, and Zoey is 2. All of them are adopted through foster care. I've been teaching math and coaching at Canyon for fourteen years. As I get older, I keep getting slower. Probably because I enjoy Starbucks a little too much. I ran cross country and track at Morro Bay High School. I attended college at Point Loma from 92 to 96 I completed a double major in religion and business. I attended graduate school at Princeton Theological Seminary from 96 to 99 earning a M.Div degree. I then worked as a youth pastor for three years in Lake Elsinore, taught junior high math in Hacienda La Puente for a year, then came to Canyon. At Canyon, I am the club sponsor for Student Task Force (a Human Rights Watch club), the union site rep, and I volunteer at the Awanas game director at my churchI have lost most of my hobbies, as we've had more kids. ...

David Arellano
is a Canyon High School alumni, graduating in 1998.  In high school Dave participated in track and field, cross country, and soccer.  Since high school Dave has been in the United States Maine Corps, and has faithfully served this country for the past 17 years.  Dave works full time as a firefighter in Westwood, California for the Los Angeles City Fire Department. On his days off, he is a dedicated husband and father to his wife Emily and two small children, Lilly and Jace.  Dave has been a volunteer coach for track and field and cross country since 2009.  In addition, Dave and his family volunteer with an organization called Young Life, which is a non profit youth outreach program to help kids with the pressures and struggles in the world of high school.  Dave lives his life to the fullest and with conviction.  He strives to set that example for the students he coaches.

Cowboy
​Hello. My name is Cowboy, and I was named in honor of the amazing athletes on the Canyon Cowboy team.  I became the team mascot in 2010 when Coach David Arellano recused me, while on a run with the team, from the streets of Canyon Country as I was thrown from a moving vehicle.  I have attended many practices, races, meets, as well as, trained with the cross country team every year in Mammoth, California.  I am eternally grateful to the head coaches for putting the kids on that particular run that day. Because of them, I was saved from being run over.  I promise to faithfully serve and inspire the Canyon Cowboys to never give up, because miracles happen everyday.