Elite coaching from an Olympic Trials qualifier!

Head Coach Xavier Smith is a 25-year-old resident of Lake Forest, California. He attended El Toro High School from 2014-2018 as a student-athlete, competing for the cross country and track team for three years. As a varsity athlete for two years, he improved his ability and was recruited from various colleges.

Xavier was a scholarship athlete at California State University, East Bay, where he was named Freshman of the Year in the CCAA conference for being the fastest true freshman. During his sophomore year, he shattered his college's 10K cross country record, which remains unbroken to this day. Xavier then transferred to Fresno Pacific University for his junior year, where he played a crucial role in leading the team to its first conference title and a trip to the national championship meet, finishing 53rd individually. He concluded his senior year with a personal best of 23:42 in the 8K and was also crowned the PacWest conference track and field 10K champion in 2023.

Currently, Xavier has transitioned to marathon racing and recently qualified for the US Olympic marathon trials for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, achieving a marathon time of 2:15.01, averaging 5:09 per mile. In 2025, he won the OC Marathon, the Lake Forest 4th of July 5k, and the Fresno 2 Cities Marathon. 

Xavier is thrilled to share over 10 years of experience as a distance running athlete and give back to his community through the OC Excellence Running Club. He aims to offer his knowledge to youth athletes to help them become successful runners. His passion for running will serve him well in coaching, and he is eager to see how the OC Excellence Running Club progresses.