FULLERTON, Calif. - Cal State Fullerton head cross country and track and field coach John Elders announced on Friday the addition of Marques Barosso and Reny Colton as assistant coaches to the track and field team while Dylan Knight will act as an assistant coach to both the cross country and track and field programs.
"I'm really excited about all of the hires on staff as all three bring youth and energy to the program," said Elders. "It will be a refreshing experience for our student-athletes to experience the direction from Marques, Reny and Dylan, who are all accomplished athletes in their own right."
Barosso joins the Titans' support staff after being a speed development and strength and conditioning coach with the Baltimore Orioles beginning this past June while also taking on the responsibilities as a sprints and relay coach with the University of California, Irvine from 2013-14.
"Marques is a Titan through and through, as it has been fun for me to watch him progress from a student-athlete at Fullerton years ago, to now a valuable member of our coaching staff," stated Elders. "He is well connected with the tradition we have here at Cal State Fullerton and we expect him to make a big impact on our program."
Barosso will oversee the Titan sprinters, hurdlers and relay teams. He most recently graduated with a Master's Degree in kinesiology with an emphasis on physical education at Fresno Pacific University from 2011-12. Prior to that, Barosso earned a Bachelor of Science with an emphasis on human movement and sports performance in 2008 from Cal State University, Fullerton.
On the track as a Titan, Barosso was the 2006 Big West Champion in the 200m (20.97). He was also a participant at the Paris, France Indoor Track and Field event and currently holds personal bests in the 100m (10.39), 200m (20.97), 400m (48.09) and 40-yard dash (4.27).
Colton enters her first season with Fullerton after acting as the assistant operations manager and coaching intern at the Olympic Training Center (2013-14) in Chula Vista, Calif. She also fulfilled the duties as a jumps coach and social media administrator at the Academy of Speed in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., from 2012-13.
"Reny is well ahead of the curve in her coaching skills because of her dedication to the sport following her career as an outstanding Division III athlete," said Elders. "She brings a lot of great communication to our team and we look for her optimism to be a true asset to our staff."
Colton will primarily be responsible as the jumps and combined events coach. In 2013, she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, Calif. A student of the sport, Reny holds a USA Track and Field (USATF) Level 3 coaching certificate and an International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) coaching diploma.
As a student-athlete at Claremont McKenna College, Colton earned NCAA Division III All-American honors in the long jump in 2011 and the triple jump in 2013. She was recognized as the 2013 Field Athlete of the Year in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference while tallying six individual championship titles from 2010-13.
Knight will complete the Fullerton support staff after contributing as a volunteer coach within the Titans cross country and track and field program from 2012-14. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in history from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2012.
"Dylan has been an important volunteer for our program the past two seasons as I've grown to have a great deal of respect for his work ethic," stated Elders. "He competed at a high level in the Division I ranks and I look for him to be a great influence on the growth of our student-athletes."
Along with various duties with the Titans cross country team, Knight will lead the middle and long distance aspect of the track and field squad.
As a student-athlete at UCLA, Knight finished 23rd in the steeplechase at the 2010 NCAA Outdoor Championships with a mark of 8:59.93. Two years prior, he placed ninth at the 2008 World Junior Championships in the final of the men's 3000-meter steeplechase, posting a time of 8:52.90.