MONMOUTH, Ore. - The Western Oregon Athletic Department and Mike Johnson, head track & field and cross country coach, has announced the appointment of Octavious Gillespie-Bennett to the position of Associate Head Coach for men's and women's track and field. The Hillsboro High School alum returns to Oregon after spending four seasons as the head cross country and track & field coach at Cal Poly Pomona.
 
With over 20 years of competitive and coaching experience in the track and field community, Gillespie-Bennett brings with him experience from stops at Cal State Los Angeles, the University of Tulsa, the University of California Los Angeles, and Brentwood High School. Throughout his career at the collegiate level, Gillespie-Bennett has produced 26 All-American athletes as well as four NCAA national champions (last: Justin Ellerbee, pole vault 2015). Most recently, Gillespie-Bennett had two cross country All-Americans and five track & field athletes qualify for nationals in Bradenton, Fla.
 
"Coach Gillespie brings a full spectrum of coaching and leadership skills to our program," Johnson said. "His competitive experiences along with the quality coaching he has demonstrated will be a tremendous asset to Western and the track and field community in the Northwest."
 
Gillespie-Bennet is a Level 2 certified coach by USA Track & Field in throws and jump while also earning certification as strength and conditioning coach from the U.S. Track & Field Cross Country Coaches Association. He has served as meet director for events at UCLA, Tulsa and the Pomona Preview while being a multiple time presenter at coaching clinics for the LA84 Foundation.  
 
"I am extremely excited about Coach Gillespie-Bennett joining our staff," WOU Executive Director of Athletic Barbara Dearing said. "He is going to be an amazing mentor for our student-athletes and young assistant coaches within the program.  His proven leadership, success and experience as a former head coach will help move our track & field/cross country program to the next level. It's the right time and the right person to become WOU's Associate Head Coach and assist Head Coach Johnson in managing and taking our men's and women's programs to new heights."
 
Gillespie-Bennett's return to the state of Oregon is a well-deserved homecoming for one of the most decorated throwers and decathletes to compete. As a student-athlete, he competed for Lane Community College, US Santa Barbara and UCLA. For the Bruins, he scored in the javelin and decathlon events at the 2002 Pac-10 Conference Championships.
 
Professionally, Gillespie-Bennett was the Guatemalan national record holder in the javelin (65.87 meters) and decathlon (7,448 points) and was a Pan-American competitor in 2003 and 2007. He was the Central American Champion in the high jump in 2004 and in the pole vault in 2007. He was also second in the long jump and third in the javelin in 2007.

He earned his bachelor's degree from UCLA in 2003 and was a UCLA Student-Athlete Academic mentor from 2003 to 2005. He also served as the Assistant Athletic Tutorial Director for UCLA during the 2005-06 academic year.
 
Born in Guatemala and raised in the Portland, Ore., area, Gillespie-Bennett returns to Oregon with his wife Nicole and their son Elias.