Cross Country Coaches

Nancy Steinmaus - Boys Head Coach

Nancy earned her M.A. in exercise physiology with a minor in psychology in 1989 at UC Davis. She ran cross country and track and field earning NCAA Div. II All-American honors 3 times. She started coaching cross county while in grad school at UC Davis before moving to San Diego to be the head women’s and men’s cross country and track and field coach at MiraCosta College. While living in San Diego, she raced as a pro du-athlete all over the world and was two-time Pro National Champ and 4th at the world duathlon championships. Nancy moved to San Luis Obispo in 1999 to start a family with spouse Scott.  She has coached at Cuesta, the San Luis Distance Club, LAMS, and at SLOHS, coaching both cross country and track and field. She started coaching at SLOHS in 2018. She currently teaches Health, Certified Personal Training Preparation, and fitness classes at Cuesta College. 

Dan Berkeland - Girls Head Coach

Dan Berkeland is a three-time All-American and the 1992 National Champion in the 3000m steeplechase for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where he graduated in 1996 with a degree in Architecture. Following graduation, Dan spent a decade living and working in Italy and Sweden before returning to the Central Coast in 2008 with his wife, Caroline, and their newborn daughter, Molly.

In 2011, Dan and Caroline founded The Back Porch Bakery, which has grown to serve wholesale bread to over 200 locations across the Central Coast. Together, they’ve also expanded their family to include three more children.

Dan began his foray into high school coaching in the spring of 2024, assisting with the girls' track distance program. Later that fall, he took on the role of head coach for the girls' cross country team, highlighted by a CIF Championship.  Dan has been an enthusiastic member of the Central Coast running community for over 30 years with no plans of retiring.