Robby Snelling
Head Track & Field Coach

2011 will be Coach Snelling's sixth season as Head Coach. In his first five years as a Head Coach, the program has won 6 Conference Championships (4 Men and 2 Women) and produced 5 State Champions (Oscar Uribe in the 1500 in 2006, Alfred Perkins in the Triple Jump in 2007 and Sarah Nichols in the Heptathlon in 2009/2010. Sarah also won the Javelin in 2010). Butte has also had 12 All-Americans during this time. He will work with the sprints, jumps and relays. Snelling returned to Butte College after spending 2004 and 2005 as a graduate assistant football coach at Arizona State University. He previously coached the wide receivers for the Roadrunners in 2003. He also returns to his alma mater where he played tight end during the 1997-98 seasons. He brings his experience as a former Roadrunner, Division 1 student-athlete and professional. Snelling also serves as the Offensive Coordinator for the football team and teaches in the Physical Education Department / Fire Academy as well. In 2008, the football team earned their first State Championship and ended ranked #1 in the country. Robby and his wife Jessica have two children, Adrianna and Bryson and are expecting their 3^rd, a boy, this spring.

Aaron Brown

Aaron will be entering his twelfth season with the Butte College Track and Field program in 2011. He is one of the top JC sprints / jumps coaches in the state. Before coming to Butte, he coached the sprinters and hurdlers at highly successful Nevada Union High School. Since Aaron has been with the Roadrunners, the program has enjoyed a tremendous amount of team and individual success. He has played an integral role in winning the Men’s Golden Valley Conference Championship 9 of the last 10 years (4 in a row) and the Women’s Championship 2 of the last 4 years. In addition to this, on the men’s side, he has helped produce 16 of the school’s top marks in the 100/200/400, 16 in the jumps, 12 in the relays, 3 in the 110 Hurdles and 2 in the 400 Hurdles. He has coached the school record holders in the 100, 400, 4x400 and Triple Jump. On the women’s side, 15 of the school’s best marks in the jumps, 11 in the 100/200/400, 9 in the Relays, 4 in the 100 Hurdles and 2 in the 400 Hurdles have taken place during his time here. He has coached the school record holders in the 4 x 100, Heptathlon and Javelin. Aaron was also selected to participate in the “Emerging Elite Track and Field Coaches” Clinic in 2009 at the US Olympic Training Center. He competed in track and field at Chico State University in the 200m and 400m and in football at Sierra College. Aaron and his wife, Tara, have two daughters, Abby and Anja, and one son, Kasen, and reside in Paradise.

Howard Atkinson

This will be Coach Howdy Atkinson’s third season as Throws Coach at Butte. In his first two years with program, we have had six athletes advance to the State Finals and three women’s records fall (Shot Put, Hammer and Javelin). In 2010, Bryce Barden was a 3^rd place finisher in the Hammer at the State Meet and Phil Davis was 5^th in the Shot. In 2009, Prisca Pasina finished as the NorCal Champion in the Shot Put, Hannah Royall finished 4^th in the State in the Hammer and Jon Pack placed 6^th in the State in the Discus. In his time here, the Women have set 13 new top 10 records and the Men have set 7. Howdy came to the Butte College after spending the previous five seasons at CSU Chico (3 years), Chico high (2 years), Amador High (1 year) and Yuba City High (1 year). He has coached multiple All Americans at the college level and coached 3 school record holders. As an athlete, he competed at CSU Chico where he was an All-American in the Shot Put taking 4^th at Nationals in 2003; he was also ranked 17th in the discus and 25th in the hammer. He brings his experience as a former All-American, and the success of having a conference champion every year he has coached. Coach Atkinson would like to see the Field events become the best in the State.

Dwight Aitkens

Dwight will be entering his first season coaching with the program. He will be working with our sprints and relays this year. He is a former Chico State and Butte College athlete. He finished his senior season, 2010, with the 3rd fastest 400 meter time for Division II in California with a time of 48.54.  He tied for 3rd at CCAA Championships in the 400 meters and 4x100.  He was named to the CCAA All-Academic Team for both the 2009 and 2010 seasons. At Butte, he competed in the 200 and 400 and was an integral part of the 4x400 meter relay team.  He is a member of the 3rd fastest 4x400 meter relay team in school history and 3 of the top 10 all time marks.  He was named CO-MVP for the season and received the Presidents Athletic Academic Achievement Award.  In high school, he was a member of the school record 4x100 relay team, and reached state championships with the 4x400 meter team two years in a row.  Academically, Dwight graduated Magna Cum Laude from CSU, Chico in December 2010 with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies: Public Affairs and a minor in Sociology with a 3.8 GPA.  He will pursue his Master’s degree in the spring of 2012.