Masanet Hired to Lead Distance Program
Five Time Conference Coach of the Year Joins LBSU Staff July 11, 2002
LONG BEACH, CA-- Geoff Masanet, a five-time Mid-Continent Conference Coach of the Year at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, has been hired as Long Beach State’s cross country and distance coach. As both an assistant and a head coach of UMKC’s distance and track and field programs from 1997 to 2002, Masanet coached the school’s first NCAA Division-I qualifer, first All-American, six conference athletes of the year and six conference newcomers of the year. “We were looking for a coach who could take our distance program to the next level. A coach who had proven himself in developing his athletes, in recruiting and in working in an environment similar to The Beach,” said Head Track and Field Coach Andy Sythe. “His enthusiasm, knowledge and his ability to develop athletes from all different levels were his strongest assets. I’m excited to see how far Geoff can push this program.” Long Beach State’s distance program, thanks in part to the student referendum passed in the Fall of 2000, made great strides last season. The women’s program earned its highest conference finish and first all-conference performer in nearly a decade. Both the men’s and women’s teams have strong groups of core, underclassmen returning. Masanet was the head track and field coach at UMKC from January, 2000 to 2002. He was the team’s assistant track coach and lead cross country coach from 1997 to his appointment as head coach. From 1995 to 1997 Masanet served as the head track and field and cross country coach at Northeastern Illinois and before that was an assistant at UC Santa Barbara from 1994 to 1995. Masanet received his degree from Eastern Illinois in 1992 and a Master’s from the U.S. Sports Academy in 1995. | 
