Tracy Thompson was originally named Assistant Track & Field Coach at Cal State San Marcos in July 2015. After a brief hiatus, he returned for his second stint with the program in July 2021.
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A native of San Diego and a graduate of Morse High School, Thompson currently works with all field event athletes, including jumpers and throwers.
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In 2025, Thompson coached Kalathan Laiwa-McKay to a sixth-place finish in the shot put at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships—making him CSUSM’s first male NCAA Division II All-American in track & field.
Thompson has guided five athletes to USTFCCCA All-West Region honors:
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Jordyn Brooks – Long Jump
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Lilly McGraw – Pole Vault
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Devin Yarbrough – Long Jump (2x honoree)
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Kalathan Laiwa-McKay – Shot Put (2x honoree)
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Antonio Riggins – Triple Jump
Over his tenure, Thompson has coached 22 athletes to top-3 finishes at the CCAA Championships, with five athletes winning conference titles in the shot put, pole vault, long jump, and heptathlon.
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In his second season with the Cougars (2016), Thompson worked primarily with jumpers and throwers. That year, he coached Frederik Jahr to an All-CCAA honor in the high jump—marking CSUSM’s first-ever All-CCAA selection in track & field. Jahr won two events and placed runner-up in two others under Thompson’s guidance. Thompson also helped 11 athletes qualify for the CCAA Championships, with nine achieving personal bests.
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Thompson originally joined Steve Scott’s staff as a volunteer in 2015, where he quickly made an impact. That year, he helped eight student-athletes achieve lifetime personal bests and guided Melissa Olmos to a new school record in the high jump and qualifications for the NAIA Indoor and Outdoor National Championships.
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Before joining CSUSM, Thompson spent six seasons at University City High School in San Diego, where he helped lead the team to the 2010 CIF San Diego Division I Championship. During his time there, he mentored six individual CIF champions, several of whom broke long-standing school records.
