Jake Stewart to Lead Cal Poly's Track & Field and Cross Country Programs
8/10/2026 12:50:00 PM | Cross Country, Track and Field
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — Jake Stewart, who led the Gonzaga women’s track and cross country programs to unprecedented success over the last eight years, will serve as Cal Poly’s Director of Track & Field and Cross Country. Stewart’s appointment is contingent on the successful completion of all background checks.
Stewart, who was named the Director of Track and Cross Country in waiting at Gonzaga in April 2026, brings 20 years of experience coaching collegiate runners to Cal Poly, including 15 years as a head coach.
"We’re thrilled to welcome Jake and his family to San Luis Obispo,” Director of Athletics Carter Henderson said. “From our first conversation, it was clear how much he cares about the people in his program, and that’s exactly what we were looking for. Jake built sustained success at Gonzaga, developing athletes into All-Americans, and did it while producing exactly the kind of student-athlete Cal Poly attracts. His track record speaks for itself, and we can’t wait to see what he builds here."
Our goals and expectations won’t be small and we’re looking forward to continuing to build this program with that in mind.Jake Stewart, Cal Poly Director of Track & Field and Cross Country
Stewart served as the head coach of the women’s track and cross country teams at Gonzaga since 2018, helping the Bulldogs build an elite distance program in the West. While at Gonzaga, Stewart oversaw six All-Americans between track and cross country, 27 NCAA West Preliminary qualifiers on the track, and 15 All-West Coast Conference honorees, 10 USTFCCCA All-West Region performances and three NCAA individual qualifiers in cross country.
“I’d like to thank Carter Henderson, Jackson Stava and Ashleigh Horstmann for the opportunity to become the next Director of Track & Field and Cross Country at Cal Poly,” Stewart said. “After spending any amount of time with them, you come away knowing what their priorities are, and what they want this program to be.”
During his time leading the Gonzaga women’s cross country program, Stewart guided the Bulldogs to some of their most successful seasons in program history and allowed them to earn a national ranking for five consecutive seasons from 2021-25. During that span, the Zags finished fourth or better at the West Coast Conference Championships every year, including three second-place finishes (2021, 2023, 2025) and a conference title two years ago. Gonzaga qualified for the NCAA Championships as a team in 2024 for just the second time in program history, placing 25th, and captured its third ever West Coast Conference title and first in nine years. The Zags matched a program-record with a fourth-place finish at the NCAA West Regional to earn an at-large bid to nationals, and the team achieved its highest national ranking ever in the USTFCCCA poll, climbing as high as No. 16 that season.
His track record speaks for itself, and we can’t wait to see what he builds here.Carter Henderson, Director of Athletics
Gonzaga was dominant during the 2024 cross country season, capturing six team titles and matching a program record ranking of No. 3 in the West Region — one of the toughest regions in the country — and maintaining that ranking for three weeks. Stewart coached four All-WCC runners, including the WCC individual champion, and two All-Region honorees that season, earning WCC Coach of the Year honors.
“Our program will be built on the opportunity for our athletes to be as good as they want to be,” Stewart said. “Our coaching staff will coach them hard, be honest with them and provide them with the opportunity to get the most out of their career as a Mustang. Our goals and expectations won’t be small and we’re looking forward to continuing to build this program with that in mind.”
This past season, Stewart helped two runners secure individual berths to the NCAA XC Championships and coached three All-West Region honorees, guiding Gonzaga to a second-place finish at the WCC Championships. The Bulldogs were ranked as high as No. 20 in 2025 in the USTFCCCA poll and received their first ever preseason top 15 national ranking from FloTrack, checking in at No. 14.
On the track at Gonzaga, Stewart coached five All-Americans, helped the Bulldogs shatter 24 school records between the indoor and outdoor seasons and oversaw 124 top-10 marks in program history.
He’s simply gone to places and made them better. With Cal Poly’s resources and location, he will kill it there.Alex Gibby, Harvard Associate Head Coach of Men’s & Women’s Distance
Stewart mentored Rosina Machu, one of the greatest women’s distance runners in Gonzaga history. In 2026, Machu earned Second Team All-American honors in the 10,000-meter and Honorable Mention recognition in the 5,000 to finish her career as a five-time All-American between track and cross country, the most All-American honors by a woman to run for the Zags ever. Machu, the first Gonzaga woman to qualify for an NCAA Final on the track, broke her own 10,000-meter school record en route to placing seventh at the 2025 NCAA Championships to earn First Team All-American honors. She competed in the meet alongside her teammate Logan Hofstee, who became the first Zag freshman in program history to qualify for an NCAA Final and earn All-American honors. It marked the first time in program history multiple Bulldogs competed in the same NCAA Final.
In cross country, Machu won back-to-back WCC individual championships and WCC Runner of the Year awards (2023-24), and placed 16th at the 2023 NCAA XC Championships to become the second women's cross country All-American in program history and the first since 1996.
In the fall of 2021, Stewart guided Kristen Garcia to a third-place finish individually at the NCAA XC West Regional, allowing her to earn an individual berth to the NCAA Championships. Gonzaga earned a national ranking that season in the USTFCCCA poll for the first time in six years and placed fourth as a team at the NCAA West Regional, matching their program record finish at the meet. The Bulldogs also achieved a national ranking of No. 21 the following cross country season and were ranked for the entirety of the 2024 season.
During the 2025 track season, Stewart qualified a program-record six Gonzaga women between eight events for the NCAA West Prelims. Stewart coached the women’s 4K and 6K school record holders in cross country during his tenure with the Zags, and nine of the top 10 4K performances in school history and eight of the top 10 in the 6K. The programs he oversaw also earned USTFCCCA All-Academic Team honors every year he was there, and 173 student-athletes he coached were named to the university’s President’s List (3.85 GPA or higher).
Prior to Gonzaga, Stewart spent six seasons (2012-18) leading the men’s distance program at Illinois back into the national spotlight, serving as the men’s cross country head coach from 2012-17 before being named the first head men’s and women’s cross country coach in the history of the program in the fall of 2017.
Stewart, a native of Kelso, Washington, inherited a men’s cross country program at Illinois that had not finished better than sixth at Big Ten Championships since 1996, guiding them to a runner-up finish at the conference meet in 2015 while coaching the program’s first All-American in the sport (Dylan Lafond) in eight years and mentoring the Big Ten Freshman of the Year Jesse Reiser. The following season in 2016, Stewart led the Illini to their first appearance in the NCAA Cross Country Championships in 30 years, where they finished 23rd. He was named the 2016 USTFCCCA Midwest Region Cross Country Coach of the Year for his efforts that season.
Stewart also served as an assistant coach on the Fighting Illini track and field staff during his tenure, helping the program capture the Big Ten Outdoor Championship in men’s track and field in 2015, and mentoring 10 All-Americans and four Big Ten individual champions.
Before arriving at Illinois, Stewart had stints at Purdue (2011-12) and Lamar (2009-11). As the men’s cross country head coach at Purdue, he helped the Boilermakers earn their best team finish since 2008 and recruited the program’s first All-American. While at the helm at Lamar, he guided the program to back-to-back Southland Conference championships in cross country (2009-10), and was named the Southland Conference Coach of the Year twice.
Stewart served as an assistant coach for the men’s and women’s cross country and track and field teams at his alma mater, Iona College, for three years (2006-09). In his time with the Gaels, the men’s cross country team captured runner-up in both 2007 and 2008 at the NCAA Championships, the highest finish of any team in the school’s history, while the women’s team qualified for the national championships for the first time ever.
What They’re Saying …
“Cal Poly is getting a great foundational program builder, elite coach and all-around terrific individual. He’s had success along every stop and his West Coast connections make him an intriguing hire at Cal Poly. Jake and his family are going to thrive on the Central Coast. This is a big day for Cal Poly Track & Field and Cross Country.” — Louie Quintana, Head Track & Field and Cross Country Coach, Oregon State
“I’ve known Jake for a long time. He did a terrific job at Illinois building a strong men’s distance program and followed that up by resurrecting the Gonzaga women into a nationally known distance program. He’s simply gone to places and made them better. With Cal Poly’s resources and location, he will kill it there.” — Alex Gibby, Associate Head Coach of Men’s & Women’s Distance, Harvard
“Jake crossed the country to run for me at Iona and I’ve watched him grow into a very successful coach over the last several years. He has served his apprenticeship in the coaching world and has a successful track record of developing student-athletes to compete well at the conference and national level. Jake is a great hire for Cal Poly, and I have no doubt that he’s prepared to elevate the Mustangs’ programs to new heights.” — Mick Byrne, former Director of Track & Field and Cross Country, Wisconsin
“Jake is a tremendous hire for Cal Poly. He’s a great coach and a greater person. He will help athletes there excel, but a big part of that will be due to his investment in people beyond cross country and track & field. He’ll create experiences that will be challenging, rewarding and overall a lot of fun for the team members at Cal Poly.” — Ryan Cole, Director of Track & Field and Cross Country, Air Force
