cross country coach profile

Oscar Espinosa
Head Coach

When Prairie State College added men’s and women’s cross country to its sports docket in 2005, it didn’t have to go far in its search for a head coach as it tabbed Oscar Espinosa, a former PSC student who also works in the school’s Management and Information Systems and Services department, to direct the program.

Although 2005 was Espinosa's first season ever as a head coach, he brought experience to the position after lettering in both cross country and track as a student at Bloom High School.

In 2010 Espinosa guided the Pioneers to another solid campaign – both on the cross country course and in the classroom.

Leading the charge was sophomore Steve Tijerina, who was named an NJCAA Academic All-American, and an NJCAA Cross Country Coaches Association Academic All-Amercian. Tijerina was also named to the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference All-Academic Team and was the recipient of the prestigious Dick Durrant Sophomore Academic Athlete of the Year Award.

In addition to Tijerina, Peter Jaros of the men’s team made the Coaches Association All-American team.

Kara Boss of the women’s squad was also named an NJCAA Academic All-American as well as a Coaches Association Academic All-American. Karen Diaz was also tabbed to the Coaches Association Academic All-American squad.

Espinosa and his Pioneers enjoyed their most productive season - both athletically and academically – in 2009 as Devin Horner and Keith Burke became the first two runners in PSC’s brief cross country history to qualify to the NJCAA Championship; the men’s and women’s teams each took second at the Sauk Valley Community College Invitational and fourth at the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference Meet; the women placed third at the Waubonsee Community College Chiefs Invitational; Jolie Maldonado earned NJCAA Academic All-America honors; and Maldonado, Blanca Martinez and Justin Doup were selected to the NJCAA Cross Country Association’s All-America team as well as the academic all-conference team.

A 1999 Bloom graduate, Espinosa attended Prairie State for two years before transferring to DeVry University, where he earned a bachelor’s in computer information services in 2003.  While attending DeVry, Espinosa was hired by PSC as a microcomputer technician in July 2002.

Espinosa and his wife, Griselda, have three sons.  They live in Frankfort.

Keith Burke
Assistant Coach

Former Prairie State College standout cross country runner Keith Burke will return to his alma mater in 2011 as a member of the Pioneers’ coaching staff.

Burke, a 2007 graduate of Westville High School (Westville, Illinois), is PSC’s school-record holder for an eight-kilometer race (28 minutes, 51 seconds).

The fleet-footed first-year PSC assistant coach turned in his record-setting clocking at the 2008 Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference championship meet.

Burke also owns the best mark in school history at six kilometers, posting a time of 22:14 on August 29, 2008 at the Elmhurst College Invitational.

Burke, along with fellow former Pioneer, Devin Horner, in 2009 became the first two qualifiers for the NJCAA national meet in school history.

Burke returns to Prairie State following a strong final two years of collegiate competition as a member of both the cross country and track and field teams at Aurora University.

A criminal justice major, Burke was an All-Northern Athletics Conference selection in cross country following the 2010 season.

While a student-athlete for the Spartans, Burke served as an assistant track coach at Aurora Central Catholic High School during the spring of 2011.

During his time at Aurora, Burke also participated in the school’s ROTC (Reserve Officers’ Training Corps) program.

When not coaching, Burke serves as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army Reserve.

Jolie Maldonado
Assistant Coach

Prairie State College’s most decorated women’s cross country athlete, Jolie Maldonado, returns in 2011 for her second season as an assistant on head coach Oscar Espinosa’s staff.

Maldonado, who ran for the Pioneers during the 2008 and 2009 seasons, holds PSC records in four different race distances.

The Columbian native currently holds the Prairie State record for six kilometers (27 minutes, 13 seconds) set at the Aurora University Invitational in 2009, five kilometers (22:09) at the 2009 NJCAA  Championships, three miles (21:48) at the 2009 Waubonsee Invitational and two-miles (14:27) at the 2009 Harper Invitational.

Postseason honors were also plentiful for Maldonado as she was named an NJCAA Academic All-American, NJCAA Cross Country Coaches Association All-American as well as an Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference All-Academic selection.