Maria Creech - Track & Field Coach - Colorado State Athletics

Maria Creech

Title:
Assistant Coach - Jumps / Equipment Liaison
Email:
maria.creech@colostate.edu
Phone:
(970) 491-4307

Maria Creech joined the Rams for the 2021-22 season assisting with the jumps group and transitioned to a full-time position at the conclusion of the season. Creech currently serves as an Assistant Coach - Jumps, as well as equipment liaison.

In her first year with the Rams, she helped assistant coach Ryan Baily with the mentoring of the jump groups and the combined athletes, including Lexie Keller who earned All-American status in the indoor and outdoor seasons. In her second season on staff, she took over coaching the horizontal jumps.

(24-25) Creech's "flight crew" was an essential member of the men's pair of Mountain West championships. Four of her athletes reached top three finishes, with two bringing home gold medals. Five jumpers qualified for regionals including Ismael Dembele who qualified in the LJ and TJ. Dembele finished in the qualifying range for nationals but lost on a tiebreaker.

(‘23-‘24) Creech took over as the head jumps/multis Coach. She coached six athletes to top-three finishes at the MWC Indoor Championships, five athletes to top-three finishes at MWC Outdoor Championships and qualified four jumpers to the NCAA West Regional qualifying rounds, including Hari Brogan in the high jump, placing 36th overall and Jo-Anna Pinnock in the triple jump, placing 22nd overall. She had a 100% PR rate amongst the athletes she coached during the 23-24 indoor and outdoor season.

Creech's coaching experience ranges from several Colorado high schools, the club level and one other collegiate stop - Fort Lewis College.

Prior to CSU, Creech was an assistant coach at Poudre High School aiding the entire jumps section. She coached Rhys Travis who won two state titles at the 2021 CHSAA 5A meet in the high jump and triple jump. Travis was a 6-foot high jumper and 40-foot triple jumper that Creech helped coach to reach PRs of 6-7'' and 47-0, respectively. Additionally, she coached Jayden Luna, a 5-0 high jumper, to a 5-foot-6 personal record and runner-up finish at the 2021 CHSAA 5A State meet. At PHS, Creech also served as the strength and conditioning coach and the assistant volleyball coach.

Before PHS, Creech was the head track and field coach at Bayfield HS where she worked closely with Jordan Lanning, who would compete for CSU, At BHS, Lanning was a three-event high school state champion. Since, Lanning finds herself on eight top-20 lists at Colorado State.

Her first collegiate coaching experience came at Fort Lewis College in 2018, operating as the assistant coach for jumps and sprints. In her first season with the Skyhawks, 11 of her competing female student-athletes qualified for the RMAC Conference Championships.

Creech competed in the high jump at Washington State for three seasons, although her PR performances came during post-collegiate competitions, including 5.57 meters in the long jump, 3,540 in the indoor penathlon and 1.80 in the high jump.

Her first coaching job was at her alma mater, Durango HS, and served as an assistant coach for track and field and volleyball.

Creech received her Bachelor of Science degree in human nutrition and food science from Colorado State in 2014 and added a Master's in kinesiology at Concordia University in the spring of 2020. She owns several certifications including NCSF Strength and Conditioning, ACSM Personal Trainer, First Aid/CPR, USATF Level 1, and CHSAA coaching.