Sean McLachlan is in his 17th year of coaching at CCS and 13th as head men’s and women’s cross-country coach and assistant track coach. In those 17 years the men’s team has won 11 team titles and finished runner up five times. McLachlan has coached 52 men to All-American status and six athletes to individual titles. McLachlan coached 21 of the top 30 8k times for men’s cross country at CCS, eight of which ran under 25 minutes.
His women’s teams have also been dominant winning nine team titles and six 2nd place finishes to go along with 39 All-Americans and seven Individual champions. His women have produced three of the top four times in CCS history and 13 of the top 30. McLachlan has been named the NWAC conference Coach of the Year 12 times during his tenure.
In 2013 Jessica Mildes broke the school record for 5k in cross country running 17:06. She followed that performance up with her second NWAC title, winning by 43 seconds and becoming just the third female in conference history to win two individual titles. The following year Daniel Schofield became the fourth male in conference history to win two NWAC titles.
The 2007- and 2019-men’s cross-country teams will go down in history as two of the best teams in school history. Both teams had individual champions (Dak Riek and Johan Correa), both teams also put five athletes in the top seven at the NWAC Cross Country Championships with both teams scoring a low of nineteen (19) points. In 2014 the ladies put out one of the best teams in school history recording times of 18:10, 18:26, 18:31,18:43,18:44,18:48,19:02 and 19:31.
Coach McLachlan’s athletes have also shined on the track for the Sasquatch. Since 2009 at the conference meet, the men’s and women’s distance runners have scored a combined 1,328 points to go along with 107 All-Americans, and 47 individual conference champions.
McLachlan has also coached athletes to seven 7 school records: Sean Coyle 3k Steeplechase (9:09.15), Mikel Elliott 3k Steeplechase (11:07.67), Jess Mildes 3k Steeplechase (10:54.02), 5k (16:47), 10k (34:29.36), Corbin Carlton 3k Steeplechase (8:59.10), and Mikaela Kostecka 3k Steeplechase 10:45.11).
In 2014 Jessica Mildes had one of the most successful track seasons in school and conference history. Mildes set school and conference records in the 10k, 5k, 3k steeplechase and sits in third all-time in the 1500. Her 10k time of 34:29 also set the National Junior College record. At the NWAC conference meet. Mildes recorded victories in the 10k, 3k Steeplechase, 1500 and 5k scoring 40 points for her team and earning the high point and female track athlete of the meet awards.
Mildes finished her career with eight All-American awards. Mildes and Micaela Kostecka both hold conference records in the 5k, 10k and 3k Steeplchase.
McLachlan is a native of Spokane. He prepped at West Valley High School Spokane where he ran for his father, Jim McLachlan, who is a member of the Washington State high School Track and Cross-Country Coaches Hall of Fame. Sean placed 4
th at the 1999 WIAA State meet in the 800 and finished 13
th his senior year in cross country.
McLachlan would go on to run for Larry Beatty at CCS and finish with three All-American awards. After CCS Sean transferred to Southern Utah University and ran for Eric Houle and the Thunderbirds. McLachlan helped lead the Thunderbirds to four conference championships. In 2003 he was conference champion in the 5k and runner up in the 3k at the Mid-Continent Conference Indoor Championships.
Sean and his wife Rachel, met on the track team while at CCS where Rachel was a standout sprinter and jumper who earned multiple All-American awards for the Sasquatch. They have two children, Mae and Owen.