Long Beach Poly track and field head coach Crystal Irving continues to blaze a trail.
She’s the head of the most prestigious high school sports program perhaps in all of California, a Trackrabbit team that’s won more boys’ and girls’ state titles than any other school in state history (in any sport). Despite the pressure that comes with high expectations, a program that features more than 100 athletes, and a coaching staff with more than a dozen assistants, Crystal has borne that pressure with grace and unbreakable spirit.
She made history this year as her Jackrabbits boys’ team won their first team state title since 2011, becoming just the second woman to coach a boys’ track team champion in California history; the Jackrabbits also doubled by winning the boys’ and girls’ CIF-SS team championships.
With her second overall state title she’s now tied for most state championships by a woman in the sport’s history in California, and will have a chance to make big history in 2025 and beyond with young talent on the boys’ and girls’ side of the program returning.
Irving’s approach has always been maternal–she’s seen as a second mother by many of her athletes and cares for them as much off the track as she does on it. That approach has earned her the loyalty and affection of a new generation of Poly stars, and has her on the brink of history.
At Wilson, Neil Nelson and Shannon Fisher have built the Bruins into a California powerhouse. Wilson has a proud track and field history of its own, but no program at the school–in any sport–has done what Nelson and Fisher’s girls’ track and field team this did, as they defended their state title. It’s the first back-to-back state championship in school history, a remarkable accomplishment given the legacy at Wilson.
How prominent is the Wilson girls’ program at the school? Wilson has won six CIF State championships school-wide, and five of them have been by the Bruin girls’ track program, including each of the last two years. Nelson and Fisher deserve enormous credit for establishing a culture that lets young stars thrive and supports them through ups and downs. With a ton of returning talent, the Bruins are poised to make their mark on the upcoming track and field seasons as well.
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