Darcy Ahner is in her 14th season as head coach of the University of California San Diego women's track and field program in 2021, having guided the Triton women to unprecedented levels of success in her decade at the helm.
After 20 years in La Jolla as part of UC San Diego's Division II era, Ahner returns to the Division I level where it all began for the legendary coach. Throughout the Tritons inaugural Big West season, Ahner led the Triton women to a second place finish at the Triton Quadrangular, outdoing conference contenders UC Riverside and CSUN. Highlighting the record-breaking performances from the women’s squad are Kate Macnaughton in the high jump (5’7”, No. 6 all-time), Crystal Diei in the hammer (167’6”, No. 5 all-time), Katie Cuneo in the javelin (131’5”, No. 10 all-time), and Megan Mattson in the 100 hurdles (14.51, No. 10 all-time).
Upon completion of four meets in 2020, Ahner helped guide eight scholar-athletes to NCAA pro-qualifying marks. Gabby Eshiet (hammer/172’9”), Claudia Cox (400 hurdles/1:00.94) and Erikka Linn (triple jump/39’8.75”) shined from the women’s side. Throughout the season, the three standouts garnered Track/Field Athlete of the Week honors as well. In addition, freshman Naomi Chin entered the record books as a result of clearing 11’11.75” in the pole fault (seventh all-time), while Sarah Perkins tossed a 41’8” mark in the shot put (ninth all-time). The women were picked to take home the CCAA title but Ahner and the Tritons were unable to fulfill the expectations due to a shortened season. UC San Diego will embark on a new era as it transitions to Division I beginning July of 2020.
During the summer of 2019, Ahner was named the head coach for the USA Heptathlon team for the Thorpe Cup. Just one year prior, she served as the assistant coach adding to her significant experiences abroad.
In the 2019 season, Ahner led the Tritons to a second-place finish at the CCAA Championships. Nine individuals gardened All-CCAA recognition, three of which earned the conference award in multiple events. Five scholar-athletes qualified for the NCAA Championship meet after being selected All-West Region. Natalie Caraway was named USTFCCCA First Team All-America for her efforts in the high jump, while Claudia Cox received USTFCCCA Second Team honors in the 400 hurdles.
As a result of Ahner's instruction, from 2016-18, 11 Triton scholar-athletes received All-West Region honors, while 10 qualified for the national meet. Additionally, Christina Carr (2017) and Savanna Fory (2015 and 2016) collected All-America recognition for their efforts in the pole vault and high jump at the NCAA Championships, respectively. UC San Diego garnered another second-place finish at the CCAA Championships in 2016. Ahner was later appointed to the coaching staff of USA Track & Field (USATF) for the Pan Am Combined Events Cup in Ottawa, Canada that same year.
The Triton women placed in the top five of the NCAA Championships three out of five years from 2008-12. The 2009 season proved to be a banner one for UCSD on the women's side as Ahner led the Tritons to several meet victories, including a fifth consecutive California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) title. Two Tritons went on to win individual national titles in their events, paving the way for an unprecedented third-place team finish at the NCAA Championships and a final ranking of No. 2 in the U.S. Track and Field Coaches Association National Power Rankings.
Ahner, who also serves as an assistant with the men's program, has over 25 years of college coaching experience, including 16 seasons on the La Jolla campus. She served as associate head coach for both the men's and women's teams in 2006 and 2007 and was an assistant coach for both squads from 2000-05. Known as one of the nation's most talented and versatile collegiate track and field coaches, Ahner's successes have spanned all three NCAA divisions.
Ahner joined the staff at UCSD in 2000 after nine years as an assistant coach at the Division I level. She spent seven seasons at her alma mater, the University of New Mexico, coaching the jumps and multi-events. While at New Mexico, Ahner's athletes dominated the high jump in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC), as four different athletes won four consecutive WAC championships. Seven athletes achieved individual WAC titles in seven years and four broke school records. During her tenure, seven athletes qualified for the NCAA Division I Championships, producing one All-American.
After her stint at New Mexico, Ahner spent two seasons coaching jumps, hurdles and multi-events at Northern Arizona University, where four of her athletes were NCAA Division I qualifiers, including an All-American in the heptathlon. Five athletes achieved Big Sky Conference individual titles, while three set new school records.
Ahner's first 13 years at UCSD have seen her athletes rewrite the Triton record books in the men's and women's jumps, hurdles and multi-events as 10 out of the 12 records have been set by athletes during her coaching tenure. Her athletes have won a remarkable 70 CCAA individual conference titles and exhibited 82 All-America worthy performances. Under Ahner's guidance, Tritons have won four individual NCAA National Championships, and three were second place runners up, including Champions, Whitney Johnson in 2008 (triple jump), Christine Merrill in 2009 (400 hurdles) and Linda Rainwater in 2008 (heptathlon) and 2009 (high jump). Ahner has been selected as both the CCAA Coach of the Year and the NCAA West Region Women's Coach of the Year twice and the Tritons were named a USTFCCCA Academic All-American Team in 2009-2012 and 2016.
A Level II USA Track and Field certified coach, Ahner is also a NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and serves as the strength and conditioning coach for the Triton track and field program. She was a coach for the 2008 U.S. Paralympic Team in Beijing, coaching two athletes to gold medals and new world records in the high jump and the pentathlon, while three others claimed silver medals.
As an athlete, Ahner competed in the heptathlon while at New Mexico, setting school records in the high jump, javelin and heptathlon. She was honored as the Western Athletic Conference Most Valuable Athlete in 1989 and was the conference heptathlon champion in 1988 and 1989. Ahner was a three-time NCAA Division I Championships qualifier, as well as a World Championships trials competitor in 1990. She graduated from New Mexico in 1990 with a degree in psychology and education.
