Coach U

Head Coach (Jumps) - Dave Unterholzner, a graduate of BV, is entering his 38th season coaching track and field at Bella Vista High School; 31 as head coach. Dave specializes in coaching the long, triple and high jumps while overseeing 9 assistant coaches in the other 13 track and field events. Over the years he has guided multiple jumpers to individual league, Sac Joaquin Section (SJS) Divisional and SJS Masters titles as well as qualifying several to the CIF State Meet. His boys and girls teams have won a combined 26 conference championships and ten SJS Division 2 titles. In addition to track coaching duties he is a full time physical education teacher at the school. When he is not teaching or coaching Dave is managing track meets as the meet director for the Bella Vista Bronco Invitational, Bronco Distance Carnival, Sacramento Meet of Champions and the SJS Division 2 Championships.

   
Jim Ashen Sprints - Jim Ashen - Former sprinter and long jumper at Bella Vista High School until a knee injury ended my career as a competitor. No longer being able to compete, I started coaching both the boys and girls in the sprints (100,200,400) in 2007, I also help out coaching the long jump as well. Have coached athletes that account for over 60 individual BV All-Time list marks including school records in the 100 meters for both boys and girls. 12 times those athletes went on to become league champions. Have coached 10 girls and 8 boys 4x100 relay teams including 6 of the top 10 in both boys and girls, as well as both school records, and with a little help along the way from the distance team, have coached 8 girls and 6 boys 4x400 teams including the girls 4x400 school record. 11 times those relay teams have been league champions and twice Division II sections champions.
   
Distance - Jon Holmes - competed as a middle distance runner while in middle school and high school.  After performing well against national age group runners at regional events, he was invited to begin running competitively with a club and focused on the 400, 800 and 1600 meter events.  He also experienced success in other endurance sports and transitioned primarily to cycling when he was 16. He is currently an active runner and student of the sport. He strives to help runners improve fitness and technique, along with developing mindsets of personal awareness, resilience and courage. Over the years, he has worked as a performance psychology consultant with a focus on helping endurance athletes recover from performance fatigue and better understand the role of chronic stress as a performance inhibitor. Coach Jon began assisting with the BV girls distance program in the Fall of 2016.
   

Distance - Harold Kuphaldt - Former Bella Vista High school runner and school record holder in both the 1600m (4:05.18) and 3200m (8:51.99). He is a two-time NCAA Division I Track and Field All-American and sub-4 minute miler for University of Oregon. 2018 will be his 10th season as coach for the boys distance runners. He has more than 25 years of coaching experience in multiple sports. In the last 8 seasons BV has won 2 Section Varsity XC titles, qualified for the state meet 4 times in XC, won 9 section team titles, and 24 teams finished in the top 6 at Sections. Coached 6 of the top 25 in the 800m, 7 of the top 22 in the 1600m and 9 of the top 23 in the 3200m on the BV All-time list. Coached 2 athletes that qualified for the state meet in track and a school record in the 4x1600m.

   
Steve Stephan

Throws - Steve Stephen - Three year participant in Track and Field in High School. State Meet Qualifier in 1985 in the Shot Put. Four Years of Track and Field in College (UC Davis), Letterman 3 Years. 1992 All Conference Hammer Thrower. Coaching: 1993 Lee Middle School, Woodland, Shot and Discus, 1994 Rancho Bernardo High School, Rancho Bernardo, Shot and Discus, 1995 Sierra College, Rocklin, Shot Put, Discus, Javelin, Hammer, 1996 - 2001 Mira Loma High School, Sacramento, Head Coach and Throws, 2 CVC girls league championships, 2015-Present Bella Vista High School, Shot Put and Discus

   
Distance - Erica Swenson - Ran distance track in high school at Evanston Township High School in Evanston, IL. She loves the sport of distance running and assisting athletes in working toward their goals. Outside of running, she enjoys outdoor activities, such as stand up paddling, kayaking, hiking, biking, swimming, and backpacking. Coach Erica began coaching Cross Country and Distance Track at Bella Vista High School in the Fall of 2020.
   
Tom Laythe

In Remembrance

Distance - Tom Laythe - I ran in High School, College, and Post-Collegiately.  I’ve coached for 17 years: 9 years at St. Francis, 4 years at El Camino, and 4 years at Bella Vista.  I have been blessed to have worked with many outstanding student/athletes who have succeeded in the classroom, on the track, and on the XC course.  Our hope is that they can apply some life lessons learned in running to the rest of their lives.