Our Coaching Staff
Coach Chris Jacobs - Head Coach, Cross Country and Track & Field
Coach Jacobs began coaching at Del Norte after he finished competing at the University of San Diego on the Men’s Cross Country and Track & Field teams from 2005-2009. He has been coaching track at Del Norte since its first season in 2010. In 2018 he took over as the head boys and girls coach for both Cross Country and Track & Field. During his time coaching at Del Norte he has been apart of 3 CIF Championship titles for Track & Field, countless league titles and most recently his second in a back to back Division 1 CIF Championship for the girls Cross Country Team in the fall 2023 season. He enjoys coaching at Del Norte, because it gives him the opportunity to watch a new generation of athletes embrace and grow in this sport the same way he did as a young athlete.
Coach Pablo Costes - Distance
Coach Pablo Costes has been coaching at Del Norte since 2014. He has been a part of the coaching staff throughout the many successes the program has seen including league championships and CIF section titles. He was a distance runner for the Nighthawks when the program started as part of the school’s first graduating class. Coach Pablo has been a part of five CIF Champion coaching staffs in cross country and track. The track team was an important part of his high school experience and his goal as a coach is to help provide that for new athletes.
Coach Ann Stefan - Horizontal Jumps
Coach Ann has been coaching long and triple jump at Del Norte since 2019 and is a USATF Level 1 Coach. She attended high school in Illinois, earning 8 varsity letters as an academically-focused multi-sport athlete. She Graduated from MIT in 2008 with a degree in Chemical-Biological Engineering. Coach Ann has a versatile athletic background, having competed in long jump, triple jump, sprints and relays, cross country and a half marathon as an adult. She also has a great deal of weight lifting experience and strength knowledge and is excited to help Del Norte athletes safely develop power, speed and a love for their sport.
Coach Daniel Kuelbs - Throws
After being part of the school’s first track program and graduating from Del Norte in 2013, Coach Kuelbs went to the University of San Diego to study Mechanician Engineering. Now in his 6th season coaching which has seen athletes take 4 CIF titles and 3 podium finishes at state and multiple athletes move on to compete at the collegiate level. His goal is to continue to give students a space to grow as athletes and people.
Coach Mark Quiroz - Distance
Coach Mark came on as assistant coach for Del Norte’s Cross Country/Track & Field 2021/2022 season. Mark, a Del Norte Alumni himself, competed in the distance events during his time as a Nighthawk. He was a member of the school’s first XC/Track team in 2010/2011 and would later help the boys team earn back-to-back CIF Championships titles in 2013 and 2014 respectively. Post graduation, he went on to attend San Diego State University where he pursued a bachelors degree in Finance. After a lengthy hiatus from running competitively, he found a new passion in coaching. Coaching has given him the ability to tap back into his competitive nature while also allowing him to help his athletes grow and achieve their goals.
Coach Ruby Mandell - Hurdles
Coach Ruby began coaching at Del Norte in the spring of 2022. A Nighthawk alumni herself (2012-2016), she competed in the hurdles, relays, long jump and sprints. She holds multiple nighthawk school records and was back to back league champion in all four of her events (4x1, 100 hurdles, 300 hurdles and 4x4) in 2015/2016. Ruby went on to The University of California Santa Barbara to study Art and compete on their Division 1 Women’s Track & Field Team, class of 2020. She left Santa Barbara 7th all time in the women’s 400 meter hurdles. She has coached 2 League Champions, 2 school record holders and the first ever boy in Del Norte program history to medal at the California State Meet. Multiple of her previous athletes have continued on to compete at the Division 1 level themselves. Ruby has had a love for track since her first race and is incredibly excited to be back at her former high school to help new athletes find the same sense of belonging and passion for this sport.
Coach Stephen Garcia - Sprints
Coach Stephen started coaching for Del Norte in the Spring of 2022. In his first season as Del Norte’s sprints coach, he helped our varsity girls 4x400 team all the way to state finals, the first in program history. He attended Central High School in Fresno, where he was the quarterback for their football team and competed on their track & field team as a sprinter, long jumper and member of their relays. Stephen went on to The University of California Santa Barbara where he studied Biological Psychology and competed as a sprinter on their Division One Men’s Track team. His main events included the 200, 400 and both relays, earning all conference honors. Post graduation, he began his career in sports medicine. In his time at Del Norte, he has coached a league champion and 2 school record holders. He also took his middle school track team to win the San Diego Unified team championship. His favorite part about being a coach is harnessing the competitive spirit within his athletes.