College of the Canyons track & field head coach Lindie Kane was honored alongside longtime assistant coach Denean Howard-Hill, with the pair taking home California Community College Cross Country and Track Coaches Association (5CTCA) Coach of the Year Awards during the organization’s annual convention earlier this month.

Kane was named the 5CTCA Women’s Track & Field Head Coach of the Year, with Howard-Hill recognized as the Women’s Track & Field Assistant Coach of the Year.

The 5CTCA awards follow Kane and Hill also recognized as the Western State Conference (WSC) Women’s Track & Field Head Coach and Assistant Coach of the Year awards at season’s end.

Led by the dynamic duo of Kane and Howard-Hill, who specializes in coaching sprints, hurdles and relay events, the COC women’s track & field program turned in a memorable season highlighted by sophomore Hazel Rhodes running to a second straight 3C2A State Championship in the 400m event. 

The back-to-back state titles claimed by Rhodes were the first in COC women’s track & field program history, and only the second in school history. 

At the 2026 state meet, Rhodes also finished third in the 200m and later ran the final leg of the 4×400 relay team, which placed third. She earned JC All-American designations in the 400m, 200m and 4×400 relay and was a 3C2A All-State honoree in all three events.

Rhodes entered the state championship having already won 3C2A SoCal Regional and Western State Conference (WSC) championships in the same event. At season’s end Rhodes was named the WSC Female Track Athlete of the Year for a second straight season. She has since accepted a scholarship to compete with Long Beach State track & field program.

Elsewhere, sophomore Monique Fulling finished runner-up to the state title in the 400h and climbed the podium again as a member of the 4×400 relay. Fulling, who was the 3C2A SoCal Regional Champion in the 400h, also won the 2026 WSC title in the 400h.

Fulling was named to the All-State team in both the 400h and 4×400 relay, joining relay teammates Amara Shields and Syrai Piper.

Sophomore Victoria Jamison added to those performances with a ninth-place run in the 5,000m to also earn an All-State award.

Those combined results helped Canyons place seventh in the women’s team standings at the 3C2A state championship meet, good for the best finish in program history. 

The Cougars previously placed sixth at the 3C2A SoCal Championships and were runner-up to the WSC women’s team title.

COC added five individual conference championships (Rhodes/400m; Rhodes/200m; Fulling/400h; 4×400 relay; 4×100 relay) and 17 All-WSC selections on the women’s side, with nine First-Team designations.

Kane and Hill were joined in their recognition by the 5CTCA Men’s Track & Field Head Coach of the Year, Giovanni Lanaro of Mt. San Antonio College, and Men’s Track & Field Assistant Coach of the Year Maximillian Pinto of San Diego Mesa College.

Ed Note: Article by Jesse Muñoz/COC Sports Information Director.

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