Coaches

Roadrunner Coaches

Coach John leads the Roadrunner team. He is a USTAF Youth National Champion (1995), NCAA All-American Cross-Country runner (2000), 5-time Academic All-American, and RRCA Road Racing 10k National Champion (2007). He was inducted into the BYU Hall of Fame in 2015 and currently teaches in the Chemical Engineering Department at BYU. He is giving back to a new generation by growing a club team with the support of parents and other volunteer coaches.

Coach Chris is the head elementary team coach and avid runner. His daughters, Kenzie and Ashlynn are on the Roadrunner team. Professionally, he is a programming expert to design backend web programs. He leads core workouts and fun running games such as fugitive, zombie tag, capture the flag, and duck-duck-goose.

Coach Justin is an accomplished former high school runner with two AAU 2021 All-American children. Charlie and Clara both attained All-American honors at the 2021 Cross Country Nationals meet in Charlotte, North Carolina. He excels at road races such as the Deseret News 10k and is training for the Leadville, CO 100mi race.

Coach Janeth competed in the 1992 Summer Olympics and has multiple gold and silver medals at the South American Games and Bolivarian Games. She set personal bests of 2:07.14 in the 800m, 4:17.70 in the 1500m, and 9:27.43 in the 3000m. Today, Coach Janeth channels her professional experience into coaching, where she leverages her athletic insights and achievements to guide and inspire a new generation of athletes. See more information on Wikipedia.

Coach Kassi is former BYU Athlete who came back to win the NCAA Championship in the 3000m Steeplechase after a bike / vehicle accident. She later qualified for the 2004 Olympics in Athens, although didn't compete because of a broken foot on the last lap of the race. She is now a top distance Master's runner with a recent 2:46:32 at the 2024 Boston Marathon and a 1:15:23 Half Marathon.

Coach Betsy leads the beginning group at Roadrunners. New runners come to her to start with the basics and develop a strong foundation. Coach Betsy teaches how to run a warmup lap, do dynamic stretching, and leads new runners on the new routes around the neighborhood. Her homemade baked goods are legendary.

Coach Jacqie is a Civil Engineer professional (water resource management) and elementary team coach. She motivates athletes by tracking mileage in support of the JDRF T1D OneWalk: Waddles for Julia.

Coach Joey is an Idaho High School running phenom, current member of the BYU Running Club, and BYU pre-med student. He regularly runs 80+ miles per week but also enjoys helping with the Roadrunner team. He is the head coach for the middle school group.

Coach Katie is an elementary coach with top athletes in the program. She helps with introducing athletes to the sport by running with them and encouraging them every step of the way. 

Coach Kaitlyn is a member of the BYU Strong Youth Project and avid distance runner. She is a student at BYU and leads the elite girl group for Roadrunners. Her core workouts are memorable, and her eagerness for hard workouts is contagious.

Lindy Salmon manages the Roadrunner team, distributes team gear, Fun Friday snacks, organizes team parties, and coordinates parent and community support. She keeps the coaches organized, welcomes each athlete to the club, and answers parent questions.

Roadrunner Club is a member of USA Track and Field (USATF) and Amateur Athletic Union (AAU). Practice insurance is provided through each organization. Coaches practice Safe Sport protocols.

Former Coaches

Coach Mary Ann competed as an elite collegiate distance runner at Southern Utah University with personal best times of 4:33 (1500m), 10:12 (3000m), and 17:43 (5k). She holds the SUU school record for the steeplechase in 10:33! She continues her avid runner career as a coach and competitor in local races. She led fundraising efforts for the Roadrunner Club, highlighted athletes on their birthdays, and organized team parties. She is a valuable mentor to runners with her accomplished running career.

Coach Kianna is pursuing a business degree at BYU and was a high school standout middle distance runner with a personal best in the 800m of 2:13. Kianna leads an elementary group and is encouraging and warm, especially to new athletes.

Coach Marshall is a marathon runner and leads the Jacquelyn Project. He is preparing for the 2024 London Marathon. He promotes an ongoing wellness journey with the role that partner brands can play, in conjunction with massage therapy, in keeping us healthy, active, well, and pain-free.

Ian Puente received his undergraduate degree from BYU, Master's degree from the University of Oxford, and Doctor of Law degree from Columbia University. His prior experience includes the Director of Business Affairs at Sony Pictures, VP of Business Development and General Counsel at Samuel Goldwyn Films, Senior VP at EPIX, and is currently the Director of Operations and Strategy for BYU Broadcasting.

Coach McGyver competed with the state-champion Davis High School team under coach Corbin Talley. He is also a member of the BYU Farm team. He is studying Economics at BYU and is an entrepreneur and a small business owner. McGyver is now an accomplished coach with the Timpview High School Team.

Coach Raquel competed in UHSAA 6A Cross-Country as part of the nationally-ranked Corner Canyon team. She and her husband Jaron (BYU EE Major) train with the team during the summer. Raquel is completing a Master's of Accounting at BYU and is a member of the BYU Farm team, a developmental squad for the BYU Cross-country team.