2010 Men's Cross Country
2010 Men's Cross Country Coaches
Jose Larios Image
Jose Larios - Head Coach - 4th Season
Head Coach
828-669-8011 x 3425
863-528-6294 (cell)
 
Larios begins his fourth year as the head coach of cross country and track and field at Montreat College.  Coach Larios has been instrumental in driving the Cavaliers toward the top of the Appalachian Athletic Conference.  In hist first two seasons, Larios' teams have earned the AAC runner-up trophy, while qualifying six student-athletes for the NAIA XC Championships, as well as eight track & field national qualifiers. Most recently, Larios coached Montreat College's Talisa Bishop to a top ten finish in the NAIA Marathon Championships in 2009 (7th place). The Cavaliers have also recently won the distinguished Champions of Character Team Award three different times. 

Larios comes to Montreat College after six years as the head cross country and track coach at Warner University.  Larios also served as the Assistant Director of the Academic Skills Center and assistant English instructor.
 
A native of Frostproof, Florida, Larios excelled in a variety of sports.  It was distance running however that led Larios to Warner University as a cross country runner.  From 1993 to 1997, Larios was instrumental in WSC's two consecutive Florida Sun Conference titles and back-to-back NAIA National Cross Country Championship appearances.  Upon earning his bachelors in English and Secondary Education, he began his coaching career as an assistant coach with Lake Wales High School's cross country and track programs, ultimately being named Head Coach of the Highlanders in 1997.  From '97 to '00 Coach Larios led the Highlanders of Lake Wales to county, district, and regional championships.

In 2000, Larios began his coaching assignment at Warner University and immediately led the Runnin' Royals to a worst-to-first Florida Sun Conference Cross Country Championship, the first of four consecutive conference and NAIA Region XIV Championships.  The Lady Royals also earned three consecutive cross country titles of their own.  Larios' teams also garnered five track & field conference/regional titles.  Within a short six year period, the Royals hit the national scene; Coach Larios' teams produced two NAIA National Outdoor individual titles and two national runner-ups. All in all, Larios' Runnin' Royals earned 23 All-American accolades, 96 All-Conference and All-Region awards, and earned a final 13th place NAIA National Ranking at the 2003 cross country finals. 
 
Voted NAIA Region XC/TF Coach of the Year nine different times, Larios also earned one of the NAIA's National MONDO Southeast Region Coach of the Year honors in 2003.

Jose Larios and his wife Heather currently reside in Black Mountain with their three daughters, Hannah (7), Emma (5), and Sara (3). 

Caleb Snyder Image
Caleb Snyder - Assistant Coach - 1st Season
Assistant Coach
828-669-8011 x 3425
815-289-9445 (cell)

Head cross country and track & field coach Jose Larios is excited to announce the addition of Caleb Snyder as his new assistant coach for 2010.

"I'm excited about Coach Snyder. He has a great desire to learn all there is to learn about the coaching profession. He's worked under numerous coaches and I think he will develop our sprint, hurdles, and jumps crew according to the mission of our college," said Larios about his newest addition. "He has a great heart and seeks to incorporate his faith into our program. I can't wait to see how God's going to use him here."

Snyder graduated from Ashford University in Clinton, Iowa in the spring of 2010 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sports and Recreation Management.

Before his new assistant coach position, Caleb participated in track and field for 11 years as an athlete. Most recently, he competed collegiately for Ashford University where his focus was mainly on the long jump and sprinting. While competing for Ashford University he was a two-time All-Conference athlete, earning two conference titles in the long jump and he currently holds the school record in that event and as a member of the 4x100 meter relay. Snyder also qualified for the NAIA National Championships in the long jump and was a two-time Academic All-Conference honoree.

Snyder had this to say about the process leading up to his new position, "In four years as a collegiate athlete I had four different head coaches. Many would consider this a hindrance, but looking back I think of it as an opportunity to learn different coaching perspectives. I have had the privilege of being coached by some great coaches, all of which had the strengths as well as their weaknesses. But now as a coach I can look back and combine the strengths of each and learn from what I considered to be their weaknesses. This year is going to be exciting. I am going into it with high expectations for both myself and my athletes, but I am also here to learn. I want to learn as much as I possibly can."

Caleb Snyder was raised in a missionary family. His parents, Jim and Ruth Snyder, were missionaries in Zaire, Africa when Caleb was born. His family has played a huge role in his life and in his faith.

Snyder responsibilities will include recruiting, administrative roles, as well as developing the strength and conditioning programs for both cross country and track. His main objective will be to recruit, retain, and develop the Montreat Cavalier sprinting and jumping crew.

Caleb and his wife, Lauren currently reside in Asheville, North Carolina. Lauren is a graduate of Wartburg College in Waverly, IA and is an employee of Rush Fitness Center.



Forrest Farthing Image
Forrest Farthing - Manager - 1st Season
Manager

Coach Larios has announced the addition of Forrest Farthing as one of the 2010 cross country and track & field team managers for Montreat College.

Farthing plans to major in Business Marketing.  He is currently in his freshman year at Montreat College.

"Forrest has a great heart for the Lord.  We can continue to grow as a team with more hearts like his," said Coach Larios. 

Farthing's responsibilities, along with training with the team, will involve administrative work, meet management assistance, and daily training preparation.

William Wilson Image
William Wilson - Manager - 1st Season
Manager

Coach Larios announces the addition of William Wilson as the second team manager of the cross country and track & field programs at Montreat College.

William is a freshman from Asheville, NC looking to major in Bible and Religion. 

"I think William will add some great spiritual leadership to our team.  He has an awesome heart for his team mates and his demeanor is one we'll need on our team," said Coach Larios.

Wilson's duties will involve, along with daily training, meet management assistance, cross country course development, and a spiritual leader.