Head Cross Country and Track and Field Coach
17th Season
mcovert@avc.edu
THE STREAK TURNS 38
Mark Covert
Head Cross Country and Track and Field Coach
17th Season
mcovert@avc.edu
THE STREAK TURNS 38
Not missing a single day of running three miles in 38 years would be a significant accomplishment for just about anyone.
But Mark Covert has had significant accomplishment after significant accomplishment: the first to wear Nike “waffles” in competition, member of the Nike and Mt. San Antonio College Cross Country Hall of Fames and as of Nov. 17, 2000, the first member of the NCAA Division II Cross Country Hall of Fame, community college and Division II cross country champion as a runner, coached six state champions and one state championship team.
A closer look at the man who has coached the Marauders to nine conference titles in his 17 seasons at AVC:
PERSONAL: Born Nov. 17, 1950...graduated Burbank High School, Class of 1968...graduated from LA Valley College in 1970...received bachelor’s degree from CSU Fullerton in 1973...
received master’s degree from Cal Lutheran in 1979...married Debi (now an elementary school teacher in Rosamond) in 1979...they have four children — Chris (23) who is running on scholarship at Cal State Fullerton, Brittany (21), Patrick (19) and Ashley (17)...enshrined in 1992 into Nike’s Hall of Fame in the “Pioneer” branch as not only one of the company’s first employees, but also the first to wear their Moon shoes (“waffles”)...was enshrined in 1994 in Mt. San Antonio College’s Cross Country Hall of Fame...he is the only person to be inducted as both an athlete and coach... in 2000 he was inducted into the NCAA Cross Country Hall of Fame.
ATHLETIC CAREER: 1968: California Community College Cross Country Champion...1969: Member, national record breaking 4 x 1 mile relay team...national six mile cross country champion...1970: national six mile cross country champion...California Community College Cross Country Champion...NCAA Div. II cross country champion...NCAA Div. I cross country All-America...1971: NCAA Div. II three and six mile All-America...NCAA Div. II cross country All-America...
1972: US Olympic Marathon Trials, seventh while being the first person to wear Nike Moon shoes “Waffles”...1973: NCAA Div. II three and six mile All-America...national AAU 25K champion...1974: National AAU 30 K, second...1975: National AAU 15K, fifth.
COACHING CAREER: 1974: GLENDALE
COLLEGE: Track: Rick Steele, State Champion 400 IH...four state meet qualifiers...Cross Country: Western State, Southern California and State Champions...Bobby Thomas is state, USA Junior, National and World Junior Champion.
1976-1983: LA VALLEY
COLLEGE: Track: Two-time Western State Conference champions...Yvette Maufas state high jump champion...Eugene Cruz state 10,000 meter champion...21 state qualifiers...Cross Country: 1983 Women’s state champions...Eugene Cruz state champion...four-time Western State champions.
1983-1985: LA TRADE TECHNICAL: Track: Two-time Southern California Conference champions...three state meet qualifiers...Cross Country: Two-time Southern California Conference champions.
1990-Present: ANTELOPE VALLEY COLLEGE: Track: Three Foothill Conference champions...Angela Arrington state discus champion...Larry Johnson state hammer champion...Jean Harvey national junior record holder in 10,000 meters...31 state meet qualifiers...
Cross Country: Seven Foothill Conference champs...Jean Harvey state champion.
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