Bio

Sean Mclachlan is in his 22^nd year of coaching at the Spokane Colleges and 16^th as head men’s and women’s cross-country coach and assistant track coach.  In that time the men’s team has won 14 team titles and finished runner-up six times.  McLachlan has coached 56 men to All-American status as well as seven athletes to individual titles, including the last three men’s individual champions.  McLachlan has coached 23 of the top 30 8k times for men’s cross country at CCS, 10 of which ran under 25 minutes.  His women’s teams have also been dominant, racking up 11 team titles and seven second place finishes to go along with 39 All-Americans and seven Individual champions. His women have run three of the top four times in Spokane Colleges history and 13 of the top 30 times overall.  McLachlan has been named the NWAC conference Coach of the Year 17 times during his tenure. In 2013 Jessica Mildes broke the school record for 5k in cross country running 17:06, she followed that performance up with her second NWAC title, winning by 43 seconds and becoming just the third female in conference history to win two individual titles.  The following year Daniel Schofield became the fourth male in conference history to win two NWAC XC titles.  In 2025 Alex Wright broke the school record for XC when he ran 24:32.4 at the Linfield George Oja Invitational, he also won the 2025 NWAC XC title helping the men win their 26^th conference Championship.  The 2007- and 2019-men’s teams will go down in history as two of the best teams in school history, both teams had individual champions (Dak Riek and Johan Correa), both teams also put five athletes in the top seven and scored 19 points.  In 2014 the ladies put out one of the best teams in school history recording times of 18:10, 18:26, 18:31,18:43,18:44,18:48,19:02 and 19:31.     

Coach McLachlan’s athletes have also shined on the track for the Sasquatch.  Since 2009 at the conference meet the men’s and women’s distance runners have scored a combined 1,486 points to go along with 107 All-Americans, and 47 individual conference champions.  McLachlan has also coached athletes to 7 school records: Sean Coyle 3k Steeplechase (9:09.15), Mikel Elliott 3k Steeplechase (11:07.67), Jess Mildes 3k Steeplechase (10:54.02), 5k (16:47), 10k (34:29.36), Corbin Carlton 3k Steeplechase (8:59.10), Mikaela Kostecka 3k Steeplechase 10:45.11).  In 2014 Jessica Mildes had one of the most successful track seasons in school history, Mildes set school and conference records in the 10k, 5k, 3k steeplechase and sits in third all-time in the 1500.  Her 10k time of 34:29 also set the national Junior College record.  At the NWAC conference meet Mildes recorded victories in the 10k, 3k Steeplechase, 1500 and 5k scoring 40 points for her team and earning the high point and female track athlete of the meet award.  Mildes finished her career with eight All-American awards.  Jess Mildes and Micaela Kostecka both hold conference records in the 5k, 10k and 3k Steeplchase.     

 McLachlan is a native of Spokane, he prepped at West Valley High School where he ran for his father, Jim McLachlan, who is in the Washington State high School Track and Cross-Country Coaches Hall of Fame.  Sean placed 4^th at the 1999 WIAA State meet in the 800 and finished 13th his senior year in cross country.  McLachlan would go on to run for Larry Beatty at Spokane and finish with three All-American awards, after Spokane Sean transferred to Southern Utah University and ran for Eric Houle and the Thunderbirds.  McLachlan helped lead the Thunderbirds to three conference championships, in 2003 he was conference champion in the 5k and runner up in the 3k at the Mid-Continent Conference indoor track and field championships.  Sean and his wife, Rachel, met on the track team at Spokane where Rachel was a standout sprinter and jumper who earned multiple All-American awards for the Sasquatch.  They have two children, Mae and Owen, who are both track athletes as well.