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Joe Gonzales returns for his seventh year as an assistant coach on the track and field staff and handles the men's distance events while also serving as the cross country head coach.
Gonzales has been instrumental in the development of Ryan Moore, who enters the 2007 campaign as the favorite to capture gold at the conference meet and once again advance to NCAA Regionals. Moore, who has appeared in the postseason the last three years, qualified for NCAA Championships last season after setting a school record in the 400-meter hurdles at the NCAA Regionals, clocking in at a time of 50.51 to finish third in Provo. Moore also defended his WAC title in the 400-meter hurdles as well.
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In 2007, the men's cross country team returned from hiatus under his watch, and with an all new team Gonzales led the men to a sixth-place finish at the WAC Championships, led by freshman Frank Sanders who finished in 29th. Gonzales also oversaw the women's fifth place finish, headed up by Zinzi Evans, who earned All-WAC honors, the second year in a row the Bulldogs have had a All-WAC member in cross country. Prior to entering his coaching career at Fresno State, Gonzales served as a coach at Exeter Union High School in Exeter, Calif.
Gonzales began his coaching career at Exeter, where he started as a volunteer assistant for the cross country team in 1990. In 1995, he became the head cross country coach for both boys and girls. Gonzales then served as the head track and field coach at Exeter from 1998-2000.
In his 10 years at Exeter, Gonzales led the girls' cross country team to five league championships, and one section championship. He guided the boys' cross country team to two league titles and the girls' track and field team to two league titles. In addition, both teams were runner-up finishers in section competition, while the boys cross country team captured its first league title.
Gonzales graduated from Exeter Union and went on to College of the Sequoias before graduating from Fresno State with a degree in Liberal Studies.
