Pomona-Pitzer Athletics

Melissa Perez brings strong experience in high school coaching and private endurance coaching. Coach Perez previously served as head cross-country coach and assistant track and field coach at San Dimas High School and founded La Dirección, where she coaches trail and ultramarathon runners. Perez earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Physical Education from Azusa Pacific University and holds a single-subject teaching credential and UESCA Ultrarunning Coach Certification. She competed for two years at Hartnell College and two years at Dickinson State University, specializing in the 800 meters and the 4×400-meter relay. An ultrarunner herself, she has completed events including Moab 240 and Cocodona 250. She is also co-founder of Chingonas on the Run, a nonprofit dedicated to creating an inclusive trail-running community for women.