Coconino Community College Athletics
Everything Recruiting
From initial contact with coaches, to visiting campus, all the way to making your college commitment, CCC is here to provide the information and guidance to better your future! Kick start your recruiting process by filling out our Recruiting Questionnaire.
Altitude of 7,000'
Commonly referred to as the "Running Mecca of the World", Flagstaff sits at an altitude of nearly 7,000' and is home to numerous Olympians.
World Class Coaching
From Olympians and Collegiate National Champions, to World Championships, CCC has established a world class coaching staff
Student-Athlete
Experience a highly competitive athletic program while simultaneously earning a quality education from Coconino Community College.
Recruiting Questionnaires
What's a Recruiting Questionnaire?
A recruiting questionnaire is a series of athletic, academic, and personal questions typically asked via an online form. Recruiting questions are typically found on a schools athletic website. They may also be referred to as, prospective athlete questionnaire, student-athlete interest form, recruiting interest form, etc.
Why Should you Complete a Recruiting Questionnaire?
Recruiting questionnaires are typically a high school students first and best way to contact a college coach. It provides the college coach with your contact information and shows them that you are interested. If a prospective student-athlete does not fill out the recruiting questionnaire the coach won’t have your contact information and will not know how to directly contact you.
Once a recruiting questionnaire form is submitted it is sent directly to the coach. The coach will then review and evaluate your submission. If they feel you may be a good fit for their program they will reach out via text, phone call, or email.
Where Can You Find CCC's Recruiting Questionnaire?
Coconino Community Colleges’ Cross Country recruiting questionnaire link can be found above and below right here.
Flagstaff, Arizona
Flagstaff, Arizona Named Top 20 Best College Town!
Ranked 14th in the nation by American Institute of Economic Research publication as one of America’s best college towns with under 250,000 residence. Located in northern Arizona and Coconino County, Flagstaff offers quality educational opportunities as well as an active recreational environment.
“Flagstaff’s beautiful scenery, world-class attractions and historic downtown are a draw for visitors, students and entrepreneurs alike,” said Heather Ainardi, director for the Flagstaff Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Flagstaff is conveniently located about 45 minutes from the breathtaking views of Sedona, and 60 minutes from Grand Canyon National Park.
Flagstaff, Arizona
View of the San Francisco Peaks located in Flagstaff, Arizona.
Sedona, Arizona
Just a short 45 minute drive from Flagstaff are the breathtaking red rocks of Sedona.
Grand Canyon National Park
Grand Canyon National Park sits about 60 minutes from Flagstaff and offers endless views.
Training Environment
Where Olympic Champions Train
7,000' of Elevation
Flagstaff, Arizona isn’t only one of the best college towns in America, but one of the top training destinations for runners world wide. Every year world class athletes including World Champions and Olympic medalist come to Flagstaff to train.
Sitting at nearly 7,000 ft of elevation, Flagstaffs altitude is one of the biggest draws for athletes. Several physiological adaptions occur when training at altitude such as increased lung capacity, improved oxygen delivery, higher lactic threshold and more. These adaptations are in part due to the altitude and its lower atmospheric pressure which reduces the partial oxygen pressure.
Flagstaff also boasts a long list of running success not only from CCC, but from Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff High School, Coconino High School, and several professional based running teams.
Endless Trails and Soft Surfaces
Between the Flagstaff Urban Trail System (FUTS), Arizona Trail, and numerous forest service roads, their is endless soft surfaces running locations.
Located at the entrance of the CCC’s Lone Tree campus is a FUTS trail head that then connects to the Arizona Trail. The FUTS is a series of dirt trails that winds through urban sections of town connecting its residence to schools, local parks, and key locations.
Off campus, you can find the CCC Cross Country team training on several different forest service roads such as A1 Mountain Road, Woody Mountain, Winona, 222, Heart Prairie, Crimson Road, and more.
Local Parks & Tracks
The famous Buffalo Park is conveniently located just minutes from both CCC’s Lone Tree and 4th Street campuses. It offers an almost perfect 2 mile soft surface loop utilized for both easy runs and harder workouts. It is home to NAU and CCC’s home cross country courses.
Foxglenn Park offers one of Flagstaff’s largest grass fields utilized to prepare for cross country races run on all grass such at the NJCAA National Championships.
When it comes to track usage the Comets utilize NAU’s blue 400m outdoor track and their 300m indoor track during the winter months.
Coaching Staff
Craig Hunt, Head Cross Country Coach
Coach Hunt was hired as Coconino Community College’s inaugural Cross Country Coach in May of 2021.
In 2022 Hunt Coached the women’s team to a 4th place finish at the NJCAA National Cross Country Championships led by Hayley Burns who won the Individual National title. Breanna Biggambler also earned All-American honors. The men finished 23rd as a team at the NJCAA Cross Country National Championships.
At the Regional Championships, the CCC women placed 2nd as a team and had five women earn All-Region recognition. All five of those runners also earned All-Conference recognition at the ACCAC Conference Championships.
In Hunt’s first season as Head Coach, Hunt produced two All-Conference runners, two All-Region Runners, and sent four student-athletes to the NJCAA National Championships in Richmond, VA.
During his time coaching at the University of Illinois, Hunt helped coach Jon Davis to a school record 3:55.46 indoor mile and 7:49.92 3,000m. Davis also earned Midwest Regional Indoor Track Athlete of the Year, and Midwest Regional Cross Country Athlete of the Year. Hunt assisted in coaching 3 athletes to the NCAA Outdoor Championships and produced 1 NCAA Division I All-American.
From 2015 to 2017 Hunt served as the Assistant Cross Country and Track & Field Coach at Western State Colorado. During his time there he helped produce 4 Individual National Titles, 2 NCAA DII All-Time Records, 26 All-Americans, 19 All-Academic Honors, 5 top ten Team finishes at the National Championships, 20 Western State All-Time top ten marks, and the 2017 RMAC Men’s Outdoor Track Team Champions.
Hunt began his coaching career in 2014 at Grand Canyon University where he helped the Women’s program capture the 2015 Western Athletic Conference Indoor Track & Field team title. Hunt’s athletes also broke 4 school records and had their highest team finish ever at the 2014 WAC Cross Country Championships.
Hunt earned a Bachelors of Science in Physical Education cross endorsed with Health Education from Central Connecticut State University in 2014. There he ran cross country and track. He won 6 individual Northeast Conference Championships and helped his school to 5 Northeast Conference Team Championships. He qualified for the DI NCAA Cross Country National Championships in 2013.
Outside of collegiate coaching, Hunt has worked with professional runners such as Olympic Bronze medalist Molly Siedle, World Champion Emma Coburn, NYC Marathon Champion Sharon Lokedi, and many more.
Coach Hunt currently runs professionally for Hoka. He has represented the USA at 3 World Championships. In 2019 he placed 10th at the World 50k Road Championships in Romania. In 2020 he competed at the Olympic Marathon Trials.
Coach Hunt's Coaching and Success Timeline
Central Connecticut State University
Coach Hunt competed in Cross Country, Indoor Track, and Outdoor Track at CCSU. He helped his team to 5 Conference Victories, won 6 individual conference titles, and qualified for 2 NCAA National Championships
Grand Canyon University
As an Assistant Coach at Grand Canyon University Coach Hunt help the Lopes, at the time, to their highest Western Athletic Conference team finish in school history
Western State Colorado University
During his stint at Western State, Coach Hunt helped coach 4 Individual National Titles, 25+ All-Americans, and 2 NCAA DII National Records
University of Illinois
While coaching at Illinois Coach Hunt assisted in coach the schools first sub 4:00 minute miler, and a school record in the indoor 3k.
Flagstaff, Arizona
In 2018 Coach Hunt moved to Flagstaff where he worked closely with professional runners. He also worked at a physical therapy clinic where he gained experience with strength training and injury prevention
Team USA, 50k World Championships
Representing Team USA, Coach Hunt competed at the 50k World Championships in Romania where he placed 10th overall.
2020 Olympic Marathon Trials
Qualifying for the Olympic Marathon Trials with a time of 2:15:26, Coach Hunt would go on to finish 44th at the Trials while representing Brooks.
Coconino Community College
Hired as CCC's inaugural coach in May of 2021, within the first 3 seasons Coach Hunt successfully coached Hayley Burns to a National Title, and 2 teams to top 10 team finishes at the National Championships.
USA 100k World Championship Team
Representing Team USA for the second time, Coach Hunt competed at the 100k World Championships in Berlin, Germany.
Team USA Trail World Championships
Competing at the 40k Trail World Championships in Innsbruck, Austria, Coach Hunt would finish 37th overall while representing Team USA.
Koda McCabe, Assistant Cross Country Coach
Coach Koda McCabe joined the Cross Country team in August of 2021 as an Assistant Coach. He plays a major role in the recruiting and academic advising of all CCC student-athletes.
In 2023 McCabe’s coaching helped the men’s team finish 10th at the NJCAA National Championships. Their highest finish in school history. He also assisted in coaching Ryan Hatch to All-American, placing 5th overall.
During the 2022 season McCabe helped coach Hayley Burns to an NJCAA National Championship title, Breana Biggambler to All-American, and the women’s team to 4th place at the NJCAA National Championships. That same season the men placed 23rd at the NJCAA National Championships
Coach McCabe brings years of coaching experience at the grade school level. He has coached cross country, soccer, and basketball throughout Coconino county.
McCabe is a proud CCC2NAU graduate. He has held multiple roles here at CCC including student and SISS Peer Mentor. McCabe currently holds the title of Academic Advisor & Assistant Cross Country Coach.
Annika Reiss, Assistant Cross Country Coach
Annika Reiss joined the Coconino Community College coaching staff in August of 2024. Reiss joined CCC after an outstanding athletic career at Northern Arizona University, where she established herself as one of the top middle- and long-distance runners in the country.
During her time at NAU, Reiss earned multiple Big Sky Conference Championships, set a school and conference record in the 5,000-meter of 15:30.64, and achieved All-American honors in cross country and both indoor and outdoor track.
Prior to NAU, Reiss was a standout high school athlete. She was a Footlocker National Qualifier and was a three-time Washington State Champion.
Currently, Reiss is pursuing her masters degree in education while running professionally for Under Armour.
Emily Clarke, Assistant Cross Country Coach
Emily Clarke joins the Comet coaching staff in the Fall of 2024 after a successful academic and athletic career at the University of Nevada Reno and Scripps College.
During her time at Scipps College Clarke earned multiple NCAA DIII All-American Honors. She placed 26th at the 2021 NCAA DIII Cross Country Championships, 9th in the indoor 3,000m (2022), and 7th in the outdoor 5,000m (2022). Clarke was the 2022 SCIAC Champion over the 5,000m distance.
Clarke, originally from New Mexico, graduated from Manzano High School as a Salutatorian and National Merit Scholar.
Clarke is currently living and training in Flagstaff, Arizona. She competes competitively in trail races and represents The Trail Team.
Recruiting Timeline
Starting the College Process
Junior year of high school is when you should start thinking about college. It may seem early but establishing contact with college coaches now will lay the foundation for recruiting, campus visits, scholarship offers, and important timeframes. Coaches may reach out to you via text, phone call, email, social media, mail, or in person contact. Remember, coaches don’t magically have all your contact information so its important that you responded to them if they do reach out, and you fill out any recruiting questionnaire they may have.
Junior Year High School
Visit College Campuses
During the summer leading into your senior year of high school is when you should utilize your available time and visit Coconino Community College. The CCC Coaching staff is available throughout the summer to give recruiting tours to you and your family. During your tour we’ll show you our facilities and discuss academic advising, cost and tuition, housing, training, and more. Applying to CCC at this time is a smart idea as well. The application process is free, no essay or test scores are required, and it takes less than 15 minutes.
Summer Break
Take Official Recruiting Visits
Between academics, family, and cross country, your fall semester of senior year can be pretty busy. Still, it’s important to prioritize a college visit at CCC if you haven’t already taken one and start narrowing down your college options. Having good communication with Coach Hunt and keeping him updated with your performances and race schedule are also important. The CCC coaching staff will use the cross country season to attend high school meets and watch you race in person.
Fall Senior Year
Narrow Down Your Schools
November is an important time in college recruiting, not only are there the state championships but this is when many of the nations top athletes officially make their college commitments. On November 1, high school seniors can official sign a NLI (National Letter of Intent), which is a formal agreement that they will attend a specific school and compete on their team. November is also when housing applications for the next school year open, as well as when the FAFSA application typically opens.
November Senior Year
Complete Financial Aid & Housing
Second semester of you senior year is when a lot of deadlines approach. Hopefully you have made your college decision or have narrowed your options down by now. Scholarship deadlines typically close early March. Additionally, housing options become more competitive the later it gets and can even fill up. If you find yourself falling behind in your college process, or starting late, don't panic, the CCC coaching staff is here to assist and help you overcome any obstacles that may arise.
January & Beyond
History & Success
National Champion
All-Region Honors
Average Full-time Tuition
All-Americans
Established in 2020
Coconino Community College first established their Men’s and Women’s Cross Country teams in 2020. In May of 2021 CCC hired Craig Hunt as the schools first Cross Country Coach. The inaugural season took place in 2021 and quickly produced promising results.
During that 2021 season CCC produced two All-Conference runners, two All-Region runners, and had 4 athletes participate in at the NJCAA National Championships.
In 2022, only their second season ever, the Comets catapulted their way onto the national scene. The men’s team competed at the NJCAA National Championships placing 23rd overall. Their women’s team placed an impressive 4th place overall at Nationals. They were led by Hayley Burns who placed 1st individual and won the national championships.
Since the cross country teams inception, the program has produced numerous athletes that have gone on to compete at the NCAA Division I level.
Paying for School
Quality Education at a Quality Price
$3,000 – Average full-time tuition rate (Fall & Spring Semester)
With financial aid, tribal scholarships, CCC Foundation Scholarships, and other sources CCC can become one of the most affordable options possible. For further information please refer to the tabs below.
The FAFSA, short for Free Application for Federal Student Aid, is the official form that students and their families use to apply to federal financial aid, including grants, loans, and work-study. Completing the FAFSA is typically the first step to being awarded financial aid, scholarships, and grants. The application process typically opens in November for the next school year, and is a rolling application.
Complete the FAFSA at the Federal Student Aid Website with CCC’s School Code: 031004. You (and your parents if you are dependent) will need to create an FSA ID to sign the FAFSA electronically. We highly recommend that you import your tax data into the FAFSA using the IRS data retrieval tool when the FAFSA prompts you. If you choose not to use the IRS data retrieval when completing the FAFSA, you should request a tax return transcript by mail at www.irs.gov as you will probably be asked for it by our office at a later date.
Need help completing the FAFSA? Contact:
Navajo students can apply for tribal scholarships on the Office of Navajo Nation Scholarship & Financial Assistance website.
Useful Resources:
The Coconino Community College Foundation awards an average of 80 scholarships to CCC students every year. Scholarships help students like you to achieve their educational goals; there is no cost to apply and the benefit to you can be substantial. One single application will apply you for nearly 50 different scholarships. Every scholarship is different and may take academic merit, financial need, life experience or background, and field of study into consideration.
Before apply your the CCC Foundation Scholarships you’ll first need to apply for admission to CCC, and complete your FAFSA.
The scenario is all too common: Some students struggling to make ends meet and who qualify for federal financial aid still don’t quite have the funds to completely cover the cost of their tuition. To those students, such a barrier is hard, if not impossible, to overcome.
Coconino Community College makes those students a promise: The college will cover the difference.
The Comet Promise program helps eligible students pay for their education by covering the cost of tuition when federal grants fall short. The program aims at helping remove economic barriers to offer a pathway for CCC students to complete their certificate or degree.
“We know that many of our students are working hard just to make ends meet,” said CCC President Eric Heiser, Ph.D. “We don’t ever want the cost of tuition to keep a student from embarking on the life-changing opportunities that a higher education can provide. If you’re all-in on the work that it takes to get the degree or certificate, we’re all-in on removing as many barriers as we can to help you be successful.”
For students to qualify for the Comet Promise they must:
- Be a resident of Coconino County AND
- Have graduated from a Coconino County high school or equivalent AND
- Enroll in six or more credits as a first-time certificate- or degree-seeking student AND
- Be awarded any amount of federal Pell Grant OR
- Be a qualifying non-citizen student (undocumented or Dreamer status) OR
- Have parents who are unable to sign the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form AND
- Maintain satisfactory academic progress as defined by the CCC Financial Aid Office while attending CCC.
Vice President of Student Services Tony Williams said, “The Comet Promise is not just about making education more affordable, it is a profound declaration of the college’s commitment to our students’ success.”Williams also said that access alone is not enough, and that is why CCC has developed holistic support systems that encompass academic guidance, peer mentoring, tutoring services and career developing opportunities.
“With the Comet Promise program, our students will not only have the means to pursue their dreams, but also receive the support they need to flourish academically, personally and professionally,” Williams said.
Funding for the program to all qualifying students comes from tuition revenues received by the college.
Dr. Heiser said, “A more educated citizenry makes better communities, and as your community college, we take that role very seriously. There’s no better time for you to start small and go big with CCC.”
For more information about the Coconino Community College Comet Promise program, or to apply, visit www.coconino.edu/promise .
College Commitment
Verbal Commitments
A verbal commitment to a school is when a student-athlete agrees to attend a school before signing a National Letter of Intent (NLI). Verbal commitments are non-binding, meaning the student-athlete and school can change their commitment at any time. Traditionally though, it is irresponsible to go back on a verbal commitment.
Verbal commitments can be made at anytime and are not restricted to a specific time frame, unlike a NLI.
National Letter of Intent
A National Letter of Intent (NLI) is a document used to indicate a student athlete’s commitment to a specific school and commitment to participate in an National Junior Collegiate Athletic Association (NJCAA) sport.
An NLI is a binding agreement and may or may not contain financial aid in the form of books, course material, housing, meal plan, partial tuition, and/or full-tuition. In the NJCAA, cross country athletes can sign an NLI as soon as November 1 of their senior year.
Each NJCAA school is limited to the number of active NLI agreements they can at any one given time. If you are considering playing a sport in college, the soon you start your recruiting process, the more likely you’ll receive a NLI offer.
Team Commitment Letter
All student-athletes at Coconino Community College will sign a team commitment letter whether they are signed to an NLI or a verbal commitment.
CCC’s team commitment letter serves as an official offering and acceptance of a roster spot. General team guidelines and expectations are outlined within the letter.
Once a team commitment letter is signed and returned to CCC Athletics your roster spot will be secured for the upcoming season.
Athletic Scholarships
What Does It Take?
Athletic scholarships are a typically awarded to student-athletes that have proven outstanding success through athletics and academics. Athletic Scholarships can come in the form of full tuition, partial tuition, and academic books.
These scholarships are some of the most competitive and some student-athletes are not offered an athletic scholarship, but rather a walk-on roster spot. Typically, to earn an athletic scholarship CCC is looking for an athlete that can make an immediate meaningful impact on the team, as well as balance their academics.
CCC does not have set time standards to award athletic scholarships, but rather evaluates the student-athlete as a whole taking athletics, academics, personality, maturity, and more into consideration.
Campus Visits
Interested in Taking a Campus Visit?
Athletic Campus Visits are scheduled and organized simply by contacting Coach Hunt and expressing your interest in CCC. From their, typically a phone call with a coaching staff member will take place to contact you directly and set up a time and day to visit. Campus visits can be done most days of the week and can be catered to your specific interests. We encourage students to take campus tours during their junior year of high school, or the summer/fall of their senior year.
Why Take a Campus Visit?
Campus tours can be beneficial in many ways. First, it gives you, your family, and the coaching staff here at CCC an opportunity to get to know each other better. Second, it’s the best way to get information about Coconino Community College. During the tour we’ll provide you with packets, and valuable information pertaining to applications, financial aid, housing, CCC2NAU, advising, athletics, tutoring, student resources, and much more. Finally, campus visits are important to ensure that you can truly see yourself living and thriving in the environment we offer.
Academic Support
Student, then Athlete
Here at Coconino Community College we put a emphasis on our student-athletes succeeding not only on the playing field but in the classroom as well.
We offer numerous services to support all our students including free tutoring, athletic academic advising, weekly individual meetings, and more. These services are all offered virtually as well to help students manage their time.
To demonstrate our commitment to academics, all our student-athletes are required to complete weekly study hall hours. During these study hall hours students can utilize tutoring services, and faculty office hours.
Additionally we offer services such as TRIO, the Care Team, BetterMynd Therapy, and our Native American Success Center, all free to students.
Housing
Student Housing Resources
We believe that a comfortable home life is essential to the success of our students. Coconino Community College does not have on-campus housing, but fortunately there are an abundance of housing options near each of our campuses. We encourage students to start their housing search early, as housing can fill up quite quickly in Flagstaff.
CCC2NAU On Campus Housing
Partnering with Northern Arizona University, CCC has established a program (CCC2NAU) allowing accepted full-time students the ability to live in NAU on-campus housing. Students are able to live on the campus, and utilize NAU resources, all while taking their classes at CCC.
Off Campus Student Housing
Student housing located off campus is also available to all students. This housing is typically located within 1.5 miles of the CCC campus, and is student focused. These housing options are compiled on a convenient portal called Louie’s List
Important Deadlines
Housing options in Flagstaff can be competitive. We recommend securing your housing as soon as possible, as some housing options may fill up by February.
