Crystal Bell, left, and Sarah Taylor, enjoy an amusing moment during a track meet at Ilwaco. The pair share the head coach position for the boys and girls track teams and have collaborated for six seasons. Taylor credits Bell’s background in college athletics and her upbeat approach as significantly aiding the Fishermen program.

Crystal Bell is at home on a running track.

At Ilwaco High School, where she coaches with long-time runner Sarah Taylor, she takes on any role, motivator, organizer, track marshal and more.

She is enjoying her 14th year coaching, offering specialist knowledge in events in which she excelled — sprints, hurdles and javelin.

Fishermen student-athletes say that guidance, combined with Bell’s upbeat nature, helps them considerably.

Madison Key, who has demonstrated prowess in Bell’s events during her freshman season, said she benefits from her support. “She is very understanding and if we are having a bad day she is there for us,” Key said. “She is always at the finish line cheering you on.”

‘Rewarding’

While a track meet lasts all afternoon, races and throwing events are invariably about inches and seconds. Key admires the manner in which Bell draws on her experience to offer feedback for specific improvement. “She’s really good at telling me what I need to work on — she always knows what you need to hear,” the freshman said.

Pull Quote

‘She is really motivating.’

Cody Miller, IHS freshman

For Bell, that means celebrating incremental milestones like shaving seconds off personal records (which runners call “PRs”) or throwing the javelin or discus a few inches farther at every meet.

“I love being able to relate to them as a student-athlete and share my lighthearted experiences for them to hopefully use as encouragement,” Bell said.

“It’s also rewarding to see those small goals the kids set be met with excitement after a small tweak in form or suggestion in race strategy.”

But there are other lessons, too.

“My favorite, though, is seeing our athletes build self confidence, courage, communication skills and friendships,” Bell said.

Zeal

Bell’s story began in a mining-logging community of about 1,000 in northeast Washington.

“I have been running track since I was a little girl,” she said. “I grew up in small, Republic, Wash., and my dad made a special effort to travel and enter me in races where I would experience a variety of competition.”

What she doesn’t volunteer is that — 19 years after graduating — she still holds her school’s records for the fastest 100 meters, 200m, 400m and 300m hurdles. She also held Republic’s record in the 800 meters for 12 years until another girl ran faster — by 10/100ths of a second.

Bell’s zeal earned full-ride scholarships in cross country and track, first at Spokane Falls Community College, then Washington State University, then at Northwest University.

Records

At Northwest, a college in the Seattle area, she earned NAIA Division 1 all-conference honors for three years and was named an All-American in outdoor track in 2006 and 2007. She set records in her school’s 400m hurdles (1:05.71), 400m (55.7) and 600m (1:31.3). She anchored her team’s relays in both 4×800 and 4×100 races.

Pull Quote

‘She’s really good at telling me what I need to work on.’

Madison Key, IHS freshman

For all three years for attended, she placed in the top six at the NAIA nationals in 400m, 400m hurdles, 600m and javelin. She trained for eight months for the USA nationals team until suffering medical setbacks.

She coached at Interlake High School in Bellevue, Lake Washington High in Kirkland and a small private school in Nashville, Tenn., before a return home to Republic and neighboring Curlew.

‘Skills’

Bell moved to the Long Beach Peninsula in 2017 and teaches fifth-grade at Ocean Park Elementary School.

She and Taylor have coached together for six seasons. “She has a lot of enthusiasm for the sport and the students,” Taylor said. “She brings a wide range of knowledge and skills with her.”

They serve as co-head coaches, dividing duties as needed.

“Coach Bell always keeps things positive and looks out for the best interest of each athlete,” Taylor added. “She is a joy to work with and a true asset to the track and field program.”

Another freshman athlete, Cody Miller, agrees. He has established himself as a key wrestler at IHS and brings that strength and speed to track, participating with equal enthusiasm.

He delights in Bell’s love of competition. “She is really motivating and always stands at the side of the track screaming at me — it helps a lot during races,” he said. “It gets me fired up!”