Coaching Staff
RUSSELL SMELLEYHead Cross Country CoachE-Mail Coach SmelleyWhat the athletes say… "There are many knowledgeable coaches, but what impresses me most is that Russell not only has this incredible knowledge and experience, but he also has the ability to relate to each individual team member on a personal level. He knows us as runners, but more importantly, he takes the time to get to know the true person inside." "Russell has had a big impact on my life in college. He welcomed me to the Westmont community. He encourages his team to persevere in all aspects of life, and be the absolute best that they can be." "Even when we weren’t performing at our best, Russell looked to our potential and knew we could do better."
With the 2009 season, Coach Russell Smelley begins his thirty-first year at Westmont. His tenure has produced numerous NAIA All-Americans and NAIA All-American Scholar-Athletes in both cross country and track and field. Smelley guided the women’s cross country team to national prominence and was named NAIA National Coach of the Year in 1995. His men’s and women’s teams have won 13 conference titles. Smelley was inducted into the NAIA Cross Country Hall of Fame in November of 1999. Smelley has also served as the President of the NAIA Cross Country Coaches Association. Asked to describe himself as a coach, Smelley replied, “Hopefully I am a philosophically based, kinesiology based coached so that there is reason and facts to support my coaching decisions. I seek to be a teacher who can convey hope and concern for the student-athlete as a person in all aspects of their lives.” Under Smelley’s leadership during the 2007 cross country season, both the men’s and women’s teams made a return trip to the National Championships in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The men’s team placed sixtheenth while the women claimed seventeenth. Senior Anna Stumbo earned her fourth All-American title with a sixteenth place finish. The Westmont track and field teams have also been successful, with at least one athlete claiming NAIA All-American honors in 22 of the last 24 years, including each of the past 15 years. In May of 2007, Stumbo became the second Westmont athlete in as many years to win the NAIA National Championship in the women’s marathon. Jessica Goulder won the same honor in 2006. Stumbo also earned All-American honors with a second place finish in the indoor 5,000 meters. Lindsey Connolly also collected All-American honors with a sixth place finish in the 3,000 meter race walk at outdoor nationals. Aaron Megazzi earned his third All-American recognition with a third place finish in the 5,000 meters at outdoor nationals. Ten track and field athletes were named NAIA Scholar-Athletes in 2007. In 2008, All-American honors were won by Megan Wong in the 3,000 meter racewalk at both the indoor and outdoor national championships. Robbie Cherry took second place in the men’s marathon at the outdoor championships to also claim All-American status. Kasey Kearin claimed to All-American certificates in 2009, placing second in the long jump at indoor nationals and fourth in the triple jump at the outdoor championships. “I would like athletes to be able to compete at a higher level than they have before,” continued Smelley. “In the four years they are at Westmont, I would like to see student-athletes maturing and coming to know themselves more realistically. I hope to challenge them to be culturally different in their discipline and in the affections, and to be emotionally healthy, strong, resilient individuals who can follow their dreams. By culturally different, I mean different than the milieu of their peer group – not tied to what their generation considers successes or important.” Besides his coaching duties, Smelley is a tenured professor in the Kinesiology Department. His classroom work earned him the distinction of being named "Teacher of the Year" in 1988 and again in 2002. Coach Smelley carries that quality of teaching over to his work with the Westmont cross country and track teams. He takes special pride in developing the potential of each individual athlete academically, athletically, and spiritually. "Ultimately, it is important to help the students improve their self-esteem and confidence in order to enable them to become more self-reliant and thus reach their greatest potential," says Smelley. "This is development of the mind, body and spirit and it produces outstanding people who can succeed in academics, athletics and life." Prior to coming to Westmont, Smelley earned a BA degree in English and Physical Education, and an MA in Education at the University of Richmond where he was an All-American middle distance runner for the Spiders. He spent two years serving as head women’s cross country and track and field coach at Richmond, and as assistant men’s coach. Smelley and his wife Allison are the parents of thirteen-year-old Travis and of Alyssa who lost her battle with a brain tumor on July 4, 2006 at the age of 15.  JOHN LARRALDEAssistant CoachJohn Larralde brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the Westmont cross country and track and field programs. His coaching resume includes 21 years at Carpinteria High School, four years at Santa Barbara High School, three years at the University of California Berkeley, and two stints at Westmont. Added together, Larralde has coached 33 cross country seasons and 36 track and field seasons. "My role is in training and in teaching racing tactics and skills," said the veteran coach. "I believe athletics is a major part of the education process. It gives students an opportunity to understand and discover themselves and provides an opportunity for personal growth." "I’m thankful for the opportunity to work with a close personal friend [in Coach Smelley]," said Larralde, "as well as the opportunity to grow and improve as a coach. I believe that coaching is a never ending learning process." A native Santa Barbaran, Larralde participated in track, football, baseball and basketball at Santa Barbara High School. After graduation from high school, Larralde attended Santa Barbara City College where he played basketball for two years. While at SBCC, the team had an opportunity to play the freshman squad from UCLA that included Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) and Lynn Shackelford. After SBCC, Larralde served in the Air Force for four years before returning to his educational pursuits first at the University of Nevada Reno, and then at UC Santa Barbara. For more than 20 years, Larralde served as a production manager at Rincon Publishing. 
LINDSEY CONNOLLYAssistant CoachA 2008 alumna of Westmont, Lindsey Connolly is entering her second year as an assistant coach for the Warrior Cross Country and Track and Field teams. Connolly, an NAIA All-American in the 3,000 meter Racewalk, seeks to help each student-athlete reach their potential. "I want each individual to have personal successs in their running," said Connolly. "Each race is a chance to improve and see how far you can push your limits. I think that both cross country teams have the potential to do well on the national level. The track team has many individuals that are capable of qualifying for nationals and I would like to see our largest group go (to the national championships)." As a recent graduate, Connolly believes she brings an important persepective to the coaching staff. "I think that I have a unique position on the coaching staff because I was also on the team not too long ago," noted Connolly. "I can bridge the gap between athlete and coach because I understand where both sides are coming from. I hope I can use what I learned while on the team to help the current athletes accomplish their goals and reach their potential." "Lindsey Connolly has proven herself to be an able assistant coach by patiently and dutifully taking care of the myriad of details necessary for a team’s success," said Smelley, "She is knowledgeable about the distance training program and she quietly observes the triats of individual athletes in order to best encourage and coach them. She is a good advisor on training, travel arrangements, athlete’s needs and anticipating problems." "I really enjoyed my time on the cross country and track teams while at Westmont and want to continue to be a part of the future of Westmont Cross Country and Track and Field. The coaching staff and athletes are quality people that I enjoy working and being with. I’m thankful for the opportunity to experience the coaching side of running and to learn more about running tactics and planning workouts." A native of Santa Barbara County, Connolly grew up in Carpinteria and competed for Carpinteria High School. Connolly also works at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Ty Warner Sea Center where she serves as an Exhibit Interpreter and Floor Supervisor. |
