PHOTO COURTESY OF STEVEN MONTOYA

Los Alamos, New Mexico- New Mexico is a big state, and there are a ton of coaches doing phenomenal things. At CPS, we want to highlight a coach each week to showcase some of the great things happening, spotlighting people who might go under the radar.

Next, we have Los Alamos high school’s Steven Montoya who is the head coach for the boys track and field team, and the co-head coach for the cross country team. Montoya is in his 10th season with the Hilltoppers, and has led their program to many state championships and individual state champions. Here are the questions we asked him.

This post is graciously sponsored Velocity Sports Performance who encourage all athletes to trust the process. Velocity Sports Performance is a sports performance and fitness center that has helped numerous athletes throughout New Mexico. For more information, you can reach out to them on Instagram: @velocity_sports__performance25

Q: Could I get your first and last name, your role, and the team that you coach for?  

A: Steven Montoya. I am the head coach for boys track and field and the co-head coach for cross country at Los Alamos High School. I also teach advanced Algebra II and AP Precalculus at LAHS. 

Q: Did you compete in track or XC in high school? If so, what was your experience? If not, what is the background in the sports?

A: I competed in track and field at Socorro High School, where I ran the 400m and competed in the long jump. I’ll be honest, I wasn’t an elite athlete. Soccer and basketball were my primary sports, and I did track mostly for fun. Socorro didn’t officially offer cross country at the time, so I didn’t even know what the sport was until I became a teacher.

Q: Can you walk us through your coaching career? Any favorite memories that stick out?

A: I started coaching middle school T&F in Socorro. I especially enjoyed working with the distance runners, and we were able to add cross country as an official sport at Socorro High School in 2008. 

Q: What is your philosophy or just some coaching tenets that you live by?

A: It may sound cliché, but consistency really is everything. For an athlete to improve, they need to be training year-round, ideally 46-48 weeks a year. Mileage and paces should progress over time, and real breakthroughs often start once an athlete can consistently handle around 25-30 miles per week.

Strength training is important for everyone, especially female athletes. Beyond that, improvement comes from being intentional in training, building friendships within the team, trusting your coach and genuinely enjoying the process. Improving takes time and therefore, patience. 

Q: What is one of your favorite things about coaching?

A:  I’ve had the opportunity to coach both of my daughters, and I get to work alongside my wife, who is our co-head cross country coach and distance coach in track. I also coach with some of my closest friends.

Beyond that, I love working with student-athletes and helping them reach their goals. There’s nothing better than being at a meet when a boy breaks 5:00 or a girl breaks 6:00 in the 1600m for the first time.

I have coached athletes to wins in the 100m, 200m, 800m, 1600m, and 3200m races in track but never the XC individual title. That one will be special and I look forward to it. 

I enjoy all of it, the smaller stuff and the bigger things but mostly it is the journey of lessons. 

Q: If you formed a kickball team (9 people) with any Los Alamos staff members or student athletes, who would you choose? 

A: Myself, coach Martinez (girls head TF), coach Dunning (boys sprint coach), coach Mrs. Montoya, coach Martin (assistant distance coach) coach Williams (football), Guy Meyer (Los Alamos AD), coach Hetrick (middle school XC), and coach Fuller (football). I think we would be really good and could probably compete against coach Henry and the Cleveland coaching staff for the title! 

Q: Any team traditions or any pre-meet rituals you have?

A: I usually make sure to schedule a haircut before an important race. 

Q: Besides coaching, what are some things you enjoy?

A: I really enjoy dad stuff like taking care of my lawn, washing the cars, grilling, and taking the dog for a walk with Mrs Montoya. I also really enjoy going to concerts with the family and visiting family in the offseason. 

Q: Was there a coach that was influential in your life? 

A: I didn’t really have an influential coach in high school. In a lot of ways, I’ve tried to become the coach I wish I had back then.

I’ve learned a lot from Coach Adam Kedge, who is a close friend, as well as the Hipwoods, who encouraged me to move from Socorro to Los Alamos 11 years ago. I was also fortunate to learn from the late Coach Sal Gonzales at Rio Rancho.

Q: What can people expect from your team for the remainder of the season?

A: My boys track team will compete and hopefully bring home a trophy at the state championships. 

Q: Finally, what has track and XC meant in your life, and what are you hoping to pass down to the athletes?

A: I’m incredibly thankful that I found my way into coaching cross country and track. It’s not something I ever saw coming, and I definitely never imagined being the coach of 9 state championship teams.

More than anything, I’ve been fortunate to work with amazing student-athletes who still call me “coach.” I hope I’ve played a role in helping them grow, not just as runners, but as people. If they leave our program with strong relationships, meaningful memories, and lessons they carry into life, then we’ve done things the right way.