Nike Cross Country Camp Arizona Elevate

Slattery co-authored the book How She Did It, with 2 Time Olympian Molly Huddle. The book is a guide for young female athletes navigating the world of distance running on how to have long healthy careers and highlights 50 of the top Women in the sport.

Sara was the head Coach for GCU XC and Track from 2015-2022. Slattery rewrote the record books for GCU XC and Track. During her tenure every Men’s and Women’s distance school record was broken in cross country and track from 800m -10,000m. She coached teams to 20 WAC track championships.

Slattery was a professional distance runner, competing in national and international competitions. In 2007, she was the Pan American Games champion in the 10,000 meters in Rio de Janerio, Brazil. She was an alternate for the U.S. team at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing and has been a member multiple U.S. national teams.

Slattery graduated from Colorado in 2003 with a degree in economics and earned a master's degree in secondary and adult education there in 2005. She was a four-time NCAA champion, 10-time Big 12 champion and a 10-time All-American as a student-athlete, setting three school records (indoor mile, indoor 3,000 meters and outdoor 5,000 meters). In 2016, Slattery was inducted into the Colorado Athletics Hall of Fame.

Slattery is from Phoenix, where she attended Mountain Pointe High School and was a 10-time state champion. She is considered to be one of the best distance runners ever from Arizona. She held 3 State records (1600m, 32000m and 4x800m) and won 10 State titles in XC and Track and Field. She was also a member of the 1998 U.S. Junior National Cross Country Team and was the 1999 Pan American Games Champion in the 3K. She earned state Runner of the Year honors during her junior and senior years.

Coach Jessica Millanes Shearer is the head coach of Desert Vista Men’s and Women’s Cross Country and Track. A true Thunder alum, Coach Shearer graduated from Desert Vista in 2000, where she left an indelible mark on the Cross Country and Track teams. Throughout her high school career, she showcased her leadership prowess by captaining the Cross Country squad for 3 years, and clinching state championships in both Cross Country and Track. Notably, Coach Shearer was a part of Desert Vista's first state championship title, a moment that still resonates with her as a testament to the program's enduring excellence. She feels blessed to give back to a program that has provided her so much.

Following her high school journey, Coach Shearer pursued her passion for running and coaching at Saint Mary's College (IN). There, she continued to compete in Cross Country while simultaneously lending her expertise to a local high school's track and field program.

After completing her college degree, Coach Shearer joined the United States Marine Corps, completing two tours in Iraq. Her dedication to service and discipline from her military experience continue to shape her coaching philosophy, instilling in her athletes the values of perseverance, teamwork, and commitment.

Beyond the track, Coach Shearer finds strength and inspiration in her family. She and her husband, Rob (USMC Retired), share the joys of parenthood with their two daughters, Evelyn and Cecilia (affectionately known as CC). The family's athletic legacy continues as Evelyn and Cecilia actively participate in Cross Country and Track in middle school, further illustrating the Shearer family's enduring connection to the sport.

Coach Shearer's return to Desert Vista High School signifies the reunion of an exceptional athlete and leader with her alma mater. Her impressive journey from standout athlete to dedicated coach and military service member exemplifies her commitment to excellence and her unwavering dedication to the development of young athletes, both on and off the track. Coach Shearer's passion for helping others and her deep roots in Ahwatukee, make her an invaluable asset to the Desert Vista Cross Country program and the community it serves.

Shayla is the Head Men’s and Women’s coach for Grand Canyon University. A decorated runner in her own right, Houlihan has an impressive coaching resume that includes several top-10 recruiting classes, appearances at NCAA Championships, conference titles, All-Americans, national team coaching experience and academic success.

A record-setting runner in college, Houlihan competed for Northern Iowa and Utah. She set Utah's 3,000-meter steeplechase record in 2008 and placed in the top 10 in two events at the Mountain West Championships. Houlihan's running career continued into the professional ranks where she competed in the steeple. She posted a personal record of 9:51.26 in 2011 which qualified as an Olympic Trials A Standard time. She was ranked seventh in the country in the event by Track & Field News in 2010. Her career culminated with a top-25 finish at the U.S. Olympic Trials in 2012. While still competing, Houlihan began the early stages of her coaching career as a graduate assistant at Utah (2007-10) and then an assistant coach at Team Run Flagstaff (2010-12).

After the completion of her competitive running career, Houlihan started a seven-year stint at Cal. In that span, she was expeditiously promoted up the ladder from assistant coach to assistant head coach to associate head coach and, ultimately, cross country head coach. In her seven seasons on staff, Cal had top-10 recruiting classes four times by identifying national and international talent. Leading the Golden Bears cross country teams for two seasons, Houlihan led both the men's and women's teams to appearances at the NCAA Cross Country Championships. In 2017, Cal's women's team placed 22nd at the NCAA Championships with two All-American finishes. One of Houlihan's most decorated runners, Bethan Knights, also achieved All-American status in 2016 and 2017 at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships. In her first season as head coach, both the men's and women's teams were the most improved academically in Cal's athletic department. The men's team had the department's top GPA in 2016 and 2017.

Houlihan returned to the Grand Canyon State in 2019 to help found Under Armour's Dark Sky Distance, a professional running club in Flagstaff. She served as a co-head coach and recruited national-level talent to join the team. In her two years with Dark Sky Distance, five Olympic-qualifying time standards were achieved by runners.

Returning to the collegiate coaching ranks, Houlihan took the reins of UC Santa Barbara's cross country program in 2021 and led the Gauchos for two seasons. Her impact was felt immediately, leading the men's team to the 2021 Big West Championship and picking up the conference's coach of the year award. In both of her seasons leading the cross country program, UCSB had the Big West's Freshman of the Year on the men's side.

Houlihan also has built a national reputation after serving as the men's national distance coach for USA Track & Field in 2022 as well as holding national positions with the US Track & Field and Cross Country Coach's Association. Coach Houlihan has been a part of the foundation of Camp Elevate as a coach since year one. She brings a wealth of coaching knowledge from the collegiate and professional level and has been a big part of making Camp Elevate successful!

Bernie is the head cross country and distance track coach for Chandler High School. He has been a huge part of the success at Chandler and coached teams to 4 State Track and Field Championships.

Widely considered one of the best Arizona high school distance runners ever. He was the First student-athlete in Arizona prep history to win three state cross country titles following his 5,000-meter victory in 15:14.23 at the Arizona Division I State Championships before going on to finish 22nd at the Nike Cross Country nationals this past fall. In 2012, Montoya made headlines across the country as he won the prestigious adidas Dream Mile in New York. The races are run as a part of the Diamond League meet, the adidas Grand Prix. Both the Dream Mile and Dream 100 are invitation only races (selected by adidas) with the Mile featuring the 14 best athletes in the country on both the men`s and women`s sides.

Montoya shocked the field with his winning time of 4:01.32 to win the event, clocking the fastest time in United States junior class prep history and the ninth-fastest time in U.S. high school history, period. Montoya also holds the Arizona state two-mile record with his time of 8:48.25 at 3,200-meters. He finished his career at Cibola winning three titles at the Arizona High School State Championships with three individual titles, taking the 800-meter run in a time of 1:50.19, which would be a new record for the state of Arizona at any division, a record previously held by former ASU standout John Kline.

Coach Montoya has been a part of the foundation of Camp Elevate as a coach since year one. From his experience as a successful athlete to now coaching one of the top track and XC programs in the state Bernie brings a wealth of knowledge as a coach and has helped make Camp Elevate successful!