Crush’s CJ Albertson receives 5CTCA Coach of the Year honor

Clovis Community College's CJ Albertson was named the Women's Cross Country Head Coach of the Year by the California Community College Cross Country and Track Coaches Association (5CTCA) for the Crush's outstanding 2022 fall season. Albertson received the honor at the annual 5CTCA Convention held in Monterey in early August.

It was another outstanding year for Albertson's women's cross country program that continues to soar to new heights.

In just his fourth seasons as head coach of the Clovis Crush, Albertson's 2022 squad captured its fourth consecutive Central Valley Conference Championship and its first-ever Northern California Championship.

At the state championships, the Crush matched their best finish in program history by taking fourth place overall, while earning Northern California's top spot.

Albertson's men's team also had a solid season, taking second place at the conference finals, fourth at the Northern California Regionals, and was 15th out of 21 team at the state championships.

Albertson, who is considered one of the nation's top marathon runners, was proud to receive the award and was thankful for the support from so many that have helped the program achieve its success.

"The State Coach of the Year award is an honor to receive because it's an acknowledgment of all the work and support from the Clovis Community College administration, the local running community, our coaching staff, and of course, our student-athletes," said Albertson.

"Since starting the cross-country program in 2018, we've had great support from our administration. I can't think of a single example where I've been denied a request for something I believed would benefit our student-athletes. This support is critical for every program in any sport to be successful. In addition, the local running community has played a pivotal role in our relatively quick rise to state-contenders.

"In 2018, I was an unproven, young coach yet many of the local high school coaches encouraged their athletes to run at the community college level and enabled us to build a team. They, along with various members of the community, continue to speak well about our program and help us connect with future athletes. We've also recently received great financial support from individuals such as Jami Hamel De La Cerda that will allow us to continue providing great opportunities for our student-athletes.

"Our collective coaching staff last year with assistant coaches Gracielita Bastidas, Jesse White and Eddie Martinez directly impacted the team's success. Coach Bastidas played a huge role in enhancing our athlete's mental strength and resilience with weekly mental-skills sessions while Coach Martinez and Coach White connected with them and helped them become great competitors.

"Most importantly, our women made the decision to have a great team and put in the consistent work required for success. Their dedication to training, toughness in workouts and races, and belief in themselves, inspired me throughout my personal athletic endeavors last fall as well, which included a world record in the 50k. I am confident our 2022 women's team made me both a better coach and athlete. So while I generally don't get too excited about awards, I am proud to receive this one on their behalf."

Albertson's 2023 squads will soon make their season debuts. The Crush women and men open the year at the Avila Beach Time Trial in San Luis Obispo on August 25. That is followed by the Fresno Invitational on September 1 at Woodward Park. | 2023 CROSS COUNTRY SCHEDULE