Discussing his new job title, one could hear the passion in Barron Maizland’s voice, see the smile on his face and feel the exuberance of a dream fulfilled.

After two and a half years as an assistant on Chapman’s track and field and cross country teams, Maizland has been named the interim head coach of both programs. 

“It’s something that I’ve always thought was impossible,” Maizland told The Panther. “There's not that many jobs out there for cross country and track coaches.”

On Jan. 11, it was announced that former head coach DeAndra’e Woods, who originally took his post in 2017, had decided to take a job as an assistant coach on the track and field team at Concordia University Irvine. While Woods said he cherished his time at the helm of Chapman’s track and field and cross country teams, given the school’s NCAA Division III status, he wanted to move forward and have the opportunity to coach at a Division II level. 

In the fall of 2018, Maizland — a volunteer cross-country coach at his alma mater California State University, Chico — was contacted by the Chapman track and field and cross country programs. He was offered a job as a part-time assistant. 

Maizland, who has competed in cross country and track his whole life, was delighted at both that original opportunity and this promotion. He’s always wanted to be a coach because he aspires to, as he said, “play a part in someone’s journey.” That’s an idea Woods emphasized in his time as head coach and something Maizland plans to follow through with during his tenure. 

“Everyone on the team is connected and since (Woods and I) had a great experience in college, we want the players to have the same (experience),” Maizland said. “We’ve already built that here and I would like to keep it going.”

In order to do that, Maizland said the program needs to hire a new assistant coach, given his promotion. Maizland believed he complimented Woods well because Maizland covered long distance training — cross country and longer track events — and Woods coached short distance runners and field events.

Maizland said he also wanted to continue Woods’ promotion of team inclusion. 

“We formed a leadership committee that involves players from sophomores to seniors,” Woods said. “We think of it like a company … They’re the executives and managers running the show, building the culture for the program. We want to keep that going as those seniors graduate.”

In addition to that committee, the teams used a leadership method which allowed for athletes in different events — for example, discus throwers or sprinters — to have their own “leader.” Players would apply for this position at the beginning of the season and would be named before contests began. Maizland hopes to continue this structure. 

“It’s important to have the leadership committee,” said Promise Johnson, a junior jumper on track and field. “It’s something people actually want to do. They’re not just getting chosen to be leaders.”

While the leader at the helm may have changed for Chapman’s cross country and track and field teams, players can look forward to old customs staying the same. 

“The culture we have on this team is really important to us,” Maizland said. “Moving forward, it will help our athletes know the expectations we have of them and what they can expect from us as well.”