(Story from Colorado College Athletics Communications)
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The longest tenured coach at Colorado College is calling it a career. Head cross country and track and field coach Ted Castaneda announced his retirement, effective Dec. 15.
Castaneda, who became head coach of the men's cross country team in 1981, assumed head coaching duties for women's cross country in 1993 and track and field in 1994.
"This has been a dream job for me, but it must come to an end sometime," Castaneda said. "My tenure at CC has been a wonderful opportunity full of ups and downs, personal growth, challenges, sports growth and exciting improvements that I have observed for our programs."
Several student-athletes under Castaneda's expert tutelage have made their mark on the CC record books regularly throughout his years at the helm.
During his tenure, the men's cross country team captured seven Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference championships, while his women's teams won four.
"There is still room for improvement, but I believe I am leaving the programs in good standing and a solid foundation," Castaneda added.
During the fall of 2019, Castaneda led both teams to the SCAC title at the conference meet in Widefield, Colo. For his efforts, he was named the SCAC Coach of the Year for both the men's and women's cross country seasons, his seventh time earning the men's COY honor and fourth as women's.
He has coached athletes to a total of 40 outdoor track men's and women's school records during his tenure. In indoor track, his female athletes reset all 26 records and the men broke 15 before winter competition was discontinued in 2002.
In addition, 23 cross country and track athletes have earned All-America honors, including 1998 NCAA heptathlete champion Heather O'Brien, five-time recipient Julian Boggs (three times in cross country and twice in track and field) and standout Jackson Brainerd, who led CC to its third consecutive SCAC cross country team championship in 2011.
"It is hard to capture Ted's impact and legacy here at Colorado College," Colorado College Vice President and Director of Athletics Lesley Irvine said. "He is a true ambassador for the sports he has coached for so long. We thank Ted for his dedication and leadership over the years and wish him the best in his well-earned retirement. To see both teams win conference championships last season on our home course was a special moment for us all to share with him."
Castaneda's Tigers also excelled academically, with regular academic accolades each year as individuals and teams, including both cross country teams earning Academic All-America status numerous times.
"I want to thank Lesley Irvine and (Senior Associate AD) Greg Capell for their help in assisting these programs to reach new heights," Castaneda said. "I also want to thank my many past and present assistant coaches, captains and teams that helped us to have the success we had over the years."
The program's success should be no surprise when you consider Castaneda's success as a competitor. Castaneda is well-versed not only with the style and technique required in both cross country and track, but also in training and theory of conditioning as well.
His career as a distance runner started during his prep years at Colorado Springs' Palmer High School.
From there he attended the University of Colorado in Boulder, where he earned All-America honors four times in track and once in cross country. His best times included a 3:58.5 mile, an 8:29 two-mile, a 28:30 in the 10 kilometers and a 2-hour, 15-minute marathon.
He also competed in two U.S. Olympic Trials (5,000 and 10,000 in 1976, marathon in 1980) and broke the American record in the 3-mile run with a time of 13:10.6 in the final heat of the 1973 NCAA Outdoor Championships. Unfortunately, the previous record holder, the legendary Steve Prefontaine, ran a 3:05 in the same heat to hold on to the record.
Castaneda was one of the seven original inductees into the Colorado Running Hall of Fame in 2007 and inducted into the University of Colorado Athletic Hall of Fame in 2016.
Assistant coach Alex Nichols has been named interim head coach for cross country and track and field through the remainder of the academic year. Nichols, who earned All-America honors in cross country as a senior under Castaneda's tutelage at Colorado College in 2007, returned to his alma mater as assistant coach for both sports in 2012.
