Melanie Cleland
Melanie Cleland

Bio

Melanie Cleland will begin her inaugural season for the American River College women’s cross country and track and field team for 2023-24.  Coach Cleland was an assistant cross-country coach for the Beavers in 2022.  

Coach Cleland has been coaching in the Sacramento area since 2010.  A few of her coaching highlights include leading Bella Vista Cross Country to seven consecutive league championships, four consecutive section championships, qualifying for the state championships every year between 2011 and 2015, and reaching the podium as state runners-up in 2014 and 2015 while at Bella Vista.  She is a three-time Sacramento Running Association Girls High School Coach of the Year, as well as a NorCal Cross Country Express Coach-of-the-Year and 2021 Delta League Coach-of-the Year.  She is a Level III certified coach, which is the highest level conferred by USA Track and Field. 

Cleland ran competitively while obtaining her undergraduate degree in Chemistry from Berea College (KY). While at Berea, she once held three school track records and qualified to compete in NCAA Division III Cross Country Nationals.  She earned a master’s degree in Organic Chemistry at University of California, Davis, and completed classes for Exercise Sciences at Concordia University, Irvine.  As an elite international runner Cleland was invited to compete as a member of Team USA, competing internationally in the USA Chiba Ekiden (2002) and the USA Japan Ekiden (2003). 

Her vision for American River College cross country and track and field is to be recognized as a diverse and encouraging community of staff and athletes striving together for excellence, creating transformative life experiences for all athletes.