Coaching Staff: Head Coach Daniel Pescador

Meet Head Coach Daniel Pescador

Daniel Pescador is entering his sixth season as head cross country coach at Mesa. He is a graduate of Highland H.S., in Gilbert, AZ, as well as GateWay Community College and Northwest Missouri Stae University. Orginally a soccer player, he decided to join a sport that, "I didn't know what it was, only that it involved running," when he was a 14-year-old freshman. Enamored of all the memories, joys highs and lows it brought him, he continued to compete through high school and college. He set PRs of 4:29. in the mile and 15:41 in the 5k. He feels that running has given him the opportunity to give back to the sport and mentor young men and women.

The Pescador coaching file:

• Head Coach Cross Country Coach, Assistant Track and Field Coach: • Going into my 6th cross country season, 7th track season in 20202 • Season Highlights 100 total All-Americans between Cross Country and Track: • 2022 Track: Outdoor: Women's 4x800 Relay, Women's 3000 steeplechase • 2022 Track: Indoor: Women's 4x800 Relay, Distance Medley Relay, Women'1 1000 meters, Men's 600 meters • 2021 Cross Country: 5 total All-Americans; Women 3rd place, Men 4th place • 2021 Track Outdoor: Women's 5000, two in the women's 3000 Steeplechase (national champion and runner-up), W 4x800 Relay • 2020 Track Indoor: Men's Distance Medley Relay • 2020 Track Indoor: Men's 800, 1000, 4x800 Relay, Distance medley relay, Women's 1000, W 4x800 Relay • 2019 Track: Outdoor: Women’s All-American in the 1500m Run • 2019 Track: Indoor: Women’s National Runner-Up in the Mile; All-American in the 4x800, Distance Medley Relay, and 1000m Run • 2019 Cross Country: One All-American • 2018 Cross Country: Two men, one women All-American • 2018 Track: Indoor: Men’s & Women’s 4x800 All-American; Outdoor: Men’s & • Women’s 4x800 All-American • 2017 XC: both teams top 15; Men’s All-American • 2017 Track: Indoor: Women’s 1 Mile National Runner up, All-Americans women’s 100 and Men’s Mile; Outdoor: AllAmeri can Women’s Steeplechase; Highest Team GPA fo women’s programs. • 2016/2017 Highest Team GPA for Women’s Athletic Programs • 2016 XC Nationals: Women’s team 5th; 5 All-Americans between women and men. • 2016 NJCAA Region 1 Women’s Cross Country Coach of the Year. • 2016 Track: Indoor: Distance Medley Relay (W), 4x800 (W), 3000 (W), 5000 (W); Outdoor: 4x800 (W), 1500 (W), 5k (W) • 2015 XC Nationals: Women 5th; Men 13th with 3 All-Americans. • 2015 Track: Indoor: Distance Medley Relay (W), 1000m (W), 600m (M); 800m (M) • High school coach - The Great Dave Montgomery at HHS!! • Major/Program of Study - Have Masters of Arts in Exercise Science - Athletic Admin & Coaching; Bachelors in Business Management • Career goal - Positive Influence- lead and be the change we want to see- and prepare young adults to be great people to live meaningful and successful lives. • Favorite food - BBQ - as if that's a debate. • Favorite music- anything, I'm old school, just good vibes. • Favorite quote “Victory is in having done your best. If you’ve done your best, you’ve won.” Bill Bowerman • Motto you live by/like - Never quit and never give up, it is okay to accept a failure as long as you learn from it, grow from it, and move on from it. Always march forward. • Why I run - I ran because I was always involved with sports; I stuck with it because of the great male role models I had that impacted me as a student, person, and athlete. • Why I coach : I coach because of my mentors and athletes; I want to be the same role model for my students, that my coaches were for me. I want to prepare young adults for future success. We're in it together. Nothing beats the feeling of seeing the joy of athletes when they achieve a personal Best and being part of the journey to reach that success.