Hello, MVTF!
In 2023, MVTF has quite a few new coaches. Several young, talented, smart and motivated athletes have come on board to coach you! These new coaches will provide MVTF athletes with an opportunity to learn a lot this season, both about athletics and the college experience. We thought it would be a nice idea to help you get to know your 2023 track and field coaching staff. So here you go…we have Samantha Louie (jumps), Isaiah Smith (hurdlers, sprints and relays), Curtis Liang (sprints and relays), Kirk Flatow (distance), Coach Tyler Jackson, Coach Sarah Feng and Coach Ashley Cahalan.
Emma Seyer
Coach Emma was a CCS finalist for Monta Vista, and went on to compete for the Cal Bears in the Pac-12 conference! Coach Emma will be coaching our throwers in 2023.
High School: Monta Vista
College: UC Berkeley
Degree Earned: BA Psychology
Personal Records:
High School: Discus: 123′ 7″ | Shot put: 36’9.5″
College: Hammer: 188’1″| Discus: 142′ 9″ | Shot put:
37’6″
Favorite Athlete: Loredana Toma and Anita Włodarczyk
A Quotation to share: “We all wait in life for things to get easier…it will never get easier. What happens is you handle hard better.” Kara Lawson, Duke Women’s Head Basketball Coach
Your Go-To Pre-Competition Meal: Cold brew and an almond butter and banana sando
Songs On Your Pre-Competition Playlist: Pass That Dutch (Missy Elliot), Best Friend (Sofi Tukker), ST. PERCY (Brockhampton), IV. Sweatpants (Childish Gambino), King of the Clouds (Panic! at the Disco), Devil’s Whisper (Raury), On to the Next One (Jay-Z), Soulmate (Lizzo)
Favorite Movie: Up (Pixar)
A High School Track and Field Memory: Near the middle of my senior season, all the hard work I had put into my discus technique finally came together, and I threw over 110ft for the first time. This was very exciting because it felt like confirmation that I was finally on the right track. I was also fortunate that a close family friend who has since passed away was there to watch me throw that day. I’m thankful not just for the PR but for the memory of her on that day as well.
Message for your athletes: Consistency is everything! I promise that all those weird drills add up to something special. The 2023 season is going to be a blast!
Sarah Feng
This is Coach Sarah’s first season coaching–but this will be her fifth year at Monta Vista! Read on…Fun fact: Coach Sarah and Coach Samantha raced each other in a 4×400 relay on the Monta Vista track! Coach Sarah will be working with the distance team.
High School: Monta Vista!!
College: UC Berkeley
Degree Earned: Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, minor in Asian American and Asian Diaspora studies
Personal Records: 11:01 3200, 5:13 1600
Favorite Athlete: Gillian Meeks
A Quotation to share: “The only thing that I see that is distinctly different about me is that I am not afraid to die on a treadmill. I will not be outworked, period. You might have more talent than me, you might be smarter than me, you might be sexier than me, you might have me in nine categories. But if we get on a treadmill, two things: you’re getting off first or I’m going to die. It’s really that simple.” Will Smith
Your Go-To Pre-Competition Meal: Peanut butter on whole wheat bread with banana. And an apple.
Songs On Your Pre-Competition Playlist: anything by Kanye
Favorite Movie: Everything Everywhere All At Once
A High School Track and Field Memory: The SCVAL Championships at Santa Clara. After the meet, the whole team went out to race a mile in the dark! (Coach ran too!)
Message for your athletes: Running is something that you can come back to your whole life. No matter what you’re going through, heading out for a run can take some of it off your mind!
Ashley Sanghvi (Cahalan)
This is also Coach Ashley’s first year coaching. Coach has the most interesting and unusual job of any of our coaches! Another fun fact…Coach Ashley and Maddy Yip (MVXC 2017) were in the same heat of a 3200m race at the Azusa Meet of Champions. Coach Ashley will also be working with distance runners.
High School: Great Oak High School and Vista Murrieta High School
College: San Jose State University
Degree Earned: Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and Forensic Science
Personal Records: 3200 m – 10:59, 3 miles 17:18,
Favorite Athlete: Alexi Pappas
A Quotation to share: “The best pace is a suicide pace, and today looks like a good day to die.” – Steve Prefontaine and “A lot of people run a race to see who is fastest. I run to see who has the most guts, who can punish himself into exhausting pace, and then at the end, punish himself even more.” – Steve Prefontaine
Your Go-To Pre-Competition Meal: Bean soup….it has protein, carbohydrates, and iron! (and it’s cheap and easy for students to make, big plus!)
Songs On Your Pre-Competition Playlist: “Believer” – Imagine Dragons, “Wolf Totem” – The Hu, “Kai Tangata” – Alien Weaponry
Favorite Movie: Remember the Titans (great pull!)
A High School Track and Field Memory: Eating a double cheeseburger prior to DMR and getting a PR!
Message for your athletes: Running is what you make of it. You are your main competitor. I am very excited to meet you all!!
Tyler Jackson
Coach Tyler started working with Monta Vista athletes at the end of last season and during the off season, but this is his first full season. Coach started working with our jumpers and will be taking care of our hurdlers in 2023 and onwards.
High School: Richard Montgomery High School, Rockville, Maryland
College: Washington University in St. Louis
Degree Earned: Doctor of Physical Therapy
Personal Records:
High School: 55HH = 7.57. 110HH=14.4. 300IH= 38.9. 800M= 2:20
College: 60M= 7.38 60HH= 7.93. 100M= 11.45. 110HH = 14.25. 200M = 23.35 400IH = 56.22. LJ = 5.71m
Favorite Athlete: Roger Kingdom (excellent call–Coach Flatow)
A Quotation to share: “It always seems impossible until it is done” – Nelson Mandela
Your Go-To Pre-Competition Meal: Oatmeal, bacon, 1 cup of black coffee, 1 cup of milk, 1 banana
Songs On Your Pre-Competition Playlist: High School = Dota (Basshunter), Every Time We Touch (Cascada), Move (Ludacris), Beginning of Time (DJ-Nate)
Favorite Movie: Gladiator
A High School Track and Field Memory: Winning the 55M high hurdles state championship race and time moving in slow motion for the entire race.
Message for your athletes: Thank you for this opportunity to coach you guys. Let’s all get better together, one step at a time!
Samantha Louie
This will be Samantha’s first year coaching at Monta Vista. Coach Samantha will be coaching the triple, long and high jumpers.
High School: Fremont High School (Sunnyvale, CA)
College: University of California, Davis
Degree Earned: B.S. Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Personal Records: Long Jump: 18’3″, Triple Jump: 39’10.5″, High Jump: 5’2″, 4×400 split: 66.70
Favorite Athlete: Simone Biles
A Quotation to share: “Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.” – Albert Einstein
Go-To Pre-Competition Meal: Pasta and McDonald’s Fries (Fun fact: my college coaches would often drive me to the nearest Mcdonald’s whenever we traveled for meets. However, I would not personally recommend this to anyone, it was just a weird superstition I had.)
Songs On My Pre-Competition Playlist: Lose Yourself (Eminem), Whole Heart (Gryffin), Leavitating (Dua Lipa & DaBaby), Starships (Nikki Minaj), Mr. Brightside (The Killers), Superheroes (The Script), Heroes (Alesso), Good Things Fall Apart (Illenium), Paradise (Meduza), Runaway (Galantis), Feel Good (Gryffin, Illenium, Daya)
Favorite Movie: Legally Blonde
A High School Track and Field Memory: One of my goals senior year of high school was to become league champion in all three jump events. Through countless hours of training along with the support of my coaches, teammates, and parents, I became the 2018 ECL champion in the long, triple, and high jump. I vividly remember receiving the biggest hug from my parents after winning my final event. That moment of joy in knowing I had worked so hard for this victory, and being able to share it with the people who mean the world to me, continues to remind me why I love the sport and remains one of my most cherished memories.
Message for your athletes: Dream big and believe in yourself! You never know what you might be able to accomplish unless you set your mind to it and give it your best shot. Know that as your coaches, we will all be your biggest cheerleaders both on and off the track and are here to help all of you accomplish your goals. I am so excited to have an amazing track season with you all, let’s make it a good one!
Note from Coach Flatow: Coach Samantha has been to the California State Track and Field Championships. Coach Samantha also is the RustBuster all-time meet record in the triple jump, and I know she would like to coach an Monta Vista athlete to break her own record!
Isaiah Smith
This will also be Isaiah’s first year coaching at Monta Vista. Coach Isaiah will be helping the hurdlers, sprinters and relay teams along with Coach Curtis and Coach Tyler.
High School: Shelbyville High School (Shelbyville, IN)
College: Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Degree Earned: B.S. Software Engineering
Personal Records: 100m – 10.95, 110m hurdles (high school) – 14.65, 200m (indoor) – 22.61, 300m hurdles (high school) – 39.60, 400m hurdles – 54.62, LJ – 21’4.25″, 4×4 split – 48.7, 5k (high school) – 18:40
Favorite Athlete: Allyson Felix
A Quotation to share: “”You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” -Wayne Gretzky” – Michael Scott
Go-To Pre-Competition Meal: I never could eat much before a meet, so I stuck to fruits and lighter things
Songs On My Pre-Competition Playlist: in high school, All the Way Turnt Up by Roscoe Dash
Favorite Movie: Avengers: Endgame
A High School Track and Field Memory: It was the first 4×4 of senior year and I was the anchor and got the baton in 4th, a solid 60 meters behind 1st place at least. I ended up winning and my team all rushed me on the track clapping, cheering, and yelling. It was a really special team moment.
Message for your athletes: I’m so excited to get this season going and to get to know all of you. I hope I can teach you a bit about how to sprint, hurdle, or get the baton around the track, but above that, I want to make this the most fun season you’ve ever had – of any sport!
Curtis Liang
Coach Curtis started coaching at Monta Vista in the 2020 track and field season. Coach Curtis will be coaching the sprints and relays in 2023 as well as having many of the team administration responsibilities.
High School: Henry M. Gunn High School
College: University of California, Berkeley
Degree Earned: B.A. Psychology
Personal Records: 100M: 11.29; 200M: 22.48; 400M: 48.50; 800M: 2:03.23; 1 Mile: 4:57; 2 Mile: 11:29 (I literally ran this only to tell people that my 2-mile and 100-meter times were the “same”); 5K: 17:30; 300IH: 41.49; 400IH: 54.01; LJ: 20’10”
Favorite Athlete: John Stockton
A Quotation to share: “Just like in bodybuilding, failure is also a necessary experience for growth in our own lives, for if we’re never tested to our limits, how will we know how strong we really are? How will we ever grow? ” – Arnold Schwarzenegger
Go-To Pre-Competition Meal: Mango/banana/spinach smoothie
Songs On My Pre-Competition Playlist: Initial D Soundtrack by Mekong the Doggo
Favorite Movie: Dead Poets Society
A High School Track and Field Memory: At 2006 CCS Finals 4×400; we were an underdog team to begin with but my team gave everything they had to try to advance to state. I was given the baton in 5th place, about 10 meters behind 3rd and 4th. I was the type of athlete to just go for it and hope I could hold on; even though I knew both of them had beaten me earlier in the open 400. I wanted to be top 3 with everything I had and opened with my fastest 200 at the time — the first time I ever opened with sub 24-second 200. Although I wasn’t able to hang on, it was one of my best races at the time. I knew I had put everything I had into that race and I was proud of my own efforts.
Message for your athletes: Whether it is athletics or academia or something else, I hope you judge your successes by your daily efforts to improve.
Kirk Flatow
This will be Coach Flatow’s 13th year coaching distance runners at Monta Vista.
High School: Willow Glen
College: Santa Clara University, University of Chicago
Degree Earned: B.S. Commerce, M.B.A. Finance
Personal Records: Mile 4:40, Two Mile 9:53, Three Mile 15:33, Marathon 3:09:28
Favorite Athlete: Des Linden
A Quotation to share: “I have a feeling that tomorrow will be better is quite different from I resolve to make tomorrow better. -Angela Duckworth
Go-To Pre-Competition Meal: Almond butter and honey sandwich and a banana.
Songs On My Pre-Competition Playlist: First of all, when I was in high school, we did not have pre-competition playlists! There were no smartphones or even iPods…the Sony Walkman was not even introduced until two years after I graduated from high school! But if I were going to throw together a list today, it might include…Rush (Big Audio Dynamite), Gimme Some Lovin’ (Spencer Davis), I’m Gonna Be (The Proclaimers), Holiday (Green Day), Do Anything You Wanna Do (Eddie and the Hot Rods), Crash (The Primitives), Song 2 (Blur), True to Myself (Ziggy Marley), Heroes (David Bowie), Vive Le Rock (Adam Ant), Zebra (John Butler), Set Sail (The Movement), Go (Tones on Tail)
Favorite Movie: GalaxyQuest
A High School Track and Field Memory: I was running in an invitational DMR with my teammates Tony Borba, Danny Powers, and Mark Stillman. Gilroy High School was a big rival in distance races, that year in cross they had beat us in the league championships but we beat them when it counted more, at CCS. They were gunning for us and thought they had us cooked when we gave the baton to Mark for the anchor leg. But I remember turning to one of the Gilroy runners and saying ‘Mark is going to run you down’. In my mind, there was dirt and rock flying everywhere when Mark took off like he was spinning tires on a drag racer–it was a dirt track in those days, too. Mark smoked their anchor runner, Ken Holiday, and we won by quite a bit! Mark was so fast, and I loved my team.
Message for your athletes: You are going to love all your new coaches this season! Get ready to dream big, work hard, have fun, and be excited about what you achieve in 2023. You can change everything!
