Point Loma Nazarene University’s Track and Field Team has hired a new jumping coach, Ann Stefan, ahead of the 2026 season. The announcement was made at the beginning of February.
In high school, Stefan competed on the track and field team at Quincy Senior High School in Illinois, mostly in jumping events and the 4×100-meter relay.
She then coached for the girls’ track team at Del Norte High School for about six years and led them to a California Interscholastic Federation San Diego Section Division I Championship in 2025.
According to an article by PLNU Athletics, Stefan holds a Level 2 Certification in jumps from USA Track & Field, meaning she has completed an advanced program specializing in high jump, long jump, triple jump and pole vault.
Jake Poyner, director of cross country and track & field, has big goals for Stefan.
“[Stefan] is elite at what she does,” Poyner said in an email interview. “How she thinks and connects with the athletes in how they think, psychology and technique matter the same to her in how she coaches and approaches track and field.”
Poyner said his goal this season is for the team to compete for a top-four finish at the 2026 PacWest Championship.
“We will need 100 [or more] points to do that, and we have ambitions to continue representing PLNU on the national stage at DII T&F Nationals [at the] end of May,” Poyner said.
Stefan has both mental and physical goals for her athletes.
“How do I enable athletes to go out there and perform at a consistently high level week to week? One thing that I’m putting a big emphasis on is mental performance, really helping empower the athletes to take ownership of their own preparation and performance and feel like they have the skills to go out there and perform at a high level at every competition.”
Stefan studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and majored in chemical and biological engineering. She is also co-founder and chief operating officer at Cubist, which is a company that provides secure hardware-backed management to protect digital assets.
“I really just like to fill my life with things that give me joy,” Stefan said about her multiple jobs. “Coaching track is something that I can fill my evenings and weekends with.”
Stefan said that she was excited to be a part of the recruitment process for collegiate athletes, as she used to be on the other side of this process when helping her high school athletes choose a college
Kaelyn Glendrange, a second-year biology major and member of the track team, said that she is excited to have Stefan as her new coach for long jumps.
“She is such a sweet addition to the team,” Glendrange said. “I love her positive mindset when it comes to meet days.”
Cade Michaelson