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.