Mike Rosendin has crossed the finish line in his storied career as Sierra High’s longtime cross country coach.
He stepped down after his 29th season at the helm, and this spring will mark his final campaign with the school’s track and field team as its distance coach. Rosendin coached his final meet on Nov. 29, when two of his athletes competed in the California Interscholastic Federation State Championships in Fresno.
The 59-year-old plans on retiring as school counselor with the San Joaquin
Rosendin has dedicated much of his life to athletics, in some form. He was a three-sport athlete at Manteca High, where he graduated in 1985, and continued his running career collegiately at Delta and Cal Poly. He came back to MHS in 1990 to begin his coaching career.
“It’s just that time in my life to think about doing other things,” Rosendin said. “You always assume you’ll be able to do what you want to do, but you’re not guaranteed some things in life. That was made pretty clear to me the past couple years.”
Rosendin said that the passing of brother Matt and mother Judy, both to cancer, in the last five years is what got him to consider early retirement.
“The way I’ve always coached is all in, as far as the commitment with the two sports,” he said. “It’s really six days a week for 10 months out of the year.
“It’s hard. I still love it, but I wanted to make sure I go out while I still love it.”
Anthony Chapman was along for much of the ride. The 1998 Sierra graduate has taught, coached and served as an administrator at his alma mater. They won multiple Sac-Joaquin Section championships together in cross country and track.
“Coach Rosendin, better known as ‘Coach’ to so many, has impacted my life personally, professionally and in every way in between,” Chapman said. “I was fortunate to coach alongside him in cross country and track and field. For him, running is a vehicle to teaching life lessons — lessons such as perseverance, overcoming challenges, setting goals and finding comfort in discomfort.
“I am forever grateful to Coach Rosendin for his example of quiet dignity, his integrity and his dedication to helping kids see things they cannot see in themselves. Mike is a dear friend, trusted colleague and somewhat that I have looked up to for many, many years. He is a pillar within the running community, and within the coaching fraternity.”
Named a Sac-Joaquin Section Model Coach in 2015, many of Rosendin’s accomplishments are historic.
In 1995, his boys team became the first at the school to claim a varsity Valley Oak League team championship. Rosendin has led the varsity girls to 11 league titles, and the boys to seven.
The ’95 Timberwolves also captured the school’s first SJS championship pennant — the first of three all-time (1998, 2001) — and placed 10th in Division IV at the state meet.
“Just a lot of great memories,” Rosendin said. “It’s hard to reflect back on all 30 years now. Looking back at the beginning, we did some really amazing things. We had a great group of kids to build around, and we never saw ourselves as being limited because we were a new school. We thought we had as good an opportunity as anybody to be successful, and I had kids who believed that. The foundation got started right away for what kind of program I wanted to have.”
The 1998 boys team placed eighth in Division III while led by David Ulibarri, who was the individual runner-up. Ulibarri also took sixth in 1997, and Corey Duquette finished seventh in 1999.
Sierra has had 20 individual and team qualifiers to the state meet in Rosendin’s 29-year run.
“My success and our success as a team during this team can all be attributed to Coach Rosendin,” said Ulibarri, a 1999 grad. “He always believed in us and never gave up on us, even when we made things difficult. His ability to get us to buy into our training and realize our full potential is the reason those banners hang in the gym.
“His coaching philosophy set me up to succeed not only in high school, but also later competing at the collegiate level. I value my time competing at Sierra and am thankful to have such a great coach and mentor guiding me along the way.”
A few of Rosendin’s past standouts are now coaches. Jeff Greene leads Sierra’s track team, Cherise Roberts (formerly McNair) is an assistant at the University of the Pacific, and Haley Rhoads (Silva) heads the cross country and track programs at Tokay.
“He is a wonderful coach and very dedicated to helping improve any athlete under his training,” Roberts said. “He was very interested and invested in their success during and after their time together. He is a true example of what it means to be a great coach. I have enormous trust and loyalty to his training. It was a pleasure to be his athlete and an honor to be his friend.”
Countless others went on to continue their involvement in the sport, whether it be competitively or recreationally. Whatever the case, Rosendin is honored to be part of their journeys.
“It’s great to see people that have embraced running — it’s something they can carry with them throughout their life,” Rosendin said. “Just real proud of what our runners and athletes have accomplished. I gave all I could, but they gave much more to me and I’m very appreciative.”
He is also grateful for Sierra High, which is a second home to his family.
Residents of Ripon, both Mike and wife Amy have been fixtures on campus since its opening. Amy teaches there, and their kids, Derek and Jenna, are alums. In fact, Derek coaches lower-level football and baseball at the school.
“Sierra has always supported me and provided a great environment for the kids that I work with,” Rosendin said. “It comes down to the relationships, and people feel very much at home and welcome there.
“I can go through all the names, from the athletic directors and coaches of other sports — they’ve all become good friends. These are people that have respected cross country. It’s considered a minor sport, but we never considered it a minor sport. It has had a big impact on Sierra athletics, and people have respected that.”
