Our Meet the Coaches series highlights the dedicated community members helping NB3FIT runners build confidence, strengthen their skills and enjoy the sport in a way that keeps them excited to return each season. This season there are practice sites based in 7 different communities. Learn more about the coaches who are preparing our youth for the season!
Jennie Holmes | Sandia and Isleta Pueblos For the past five years, Jennie has overseen the NB3FIT Running Club, supporting coaches and families by providing curriculum and practice plans while managing the logistical and administrative side of the program. Her work helps ensure coaches can focus on running and positive youth development. While educational commitments required her to step back from coaching over the past couple of years, she is excited to return in full action this season. She looks forward to reconnecting with athletes and families, strengthening relationships and continuing to grow the NB3FIT running community.
Carley Tafoya | Jicarilla Apache Nation, Dulce, NM
Coach Tafoya, or Coach T, is from a small community in northern New Mexico near the southern Colorado border. This is her second year coaching cross country with NB3FIT. Coach T began running as a young child and continues to run recreationally. She got back into running when her daughter, Rhylee, wanted to join both cross country and track and field with the NB3FIT team. Coach Tafoya looks forward to continuing to build positive connections between running and culture, which she sees as one of the greatest strengths of the NB3FIT program. She invites youth from Dulce to join the NB3FIT team, make new friends, gain experience and, most importantly, have fun while building their running skills. Coach T can’t wait to see you out there!
Kelly Raton | Pueblo of Santa Ana
Kelly has been coaching cross country and track and field with NB3FIT for the past couple of years. She joined the coaching team through a collaboration between the Tamaya Wellness Center to help support youth and build strong relationships within the Pueblo. Although Kelly had no prior running experience before becoming a coach, she has enjoyed learning alongside other NB3FIT coaches and growing her knowledge of the sport. Coaching has given her another opportunity to create a safe and supportive space where youth can build trust, whether they are experienced runners or trying the sport for the first time. One of Kelly’s favorite parts of coaching is watching athletes grow in confidence from their first race to their last and seeing the encouragement and support they give one another throughout the season.
Michael Gutierrez | Pueblo of Sandia
Michael is entering his first season coaching cross country with NB3FIT. What started as a fitness journey three years ago has now become an outlet to community, friendship and mental health. He has raced multiple half marathons, 10Ks, and 5Ks, developing a strong passion for endurance running and training. This fall, he will take on his first marathon and a 50K. Running has had a tremendous impact on Michael’s physical and mental well-being, and he is excited to share his passion and knowledge of the sport with the youth in his community. In his first season of coaching, he looks forward to helping young runners build confidence, challenge themselves, and discover what they are capable of both on and off the course.
Natalie Arellanez | Pueblo of Acoma
Natalie was a high school athlete in both cross country and track and field. As an adult, she continued her love of running, training on her own and completing marathons (26.2 miles!). She plans to complete three marathons to match her baba, a Marine who completed three marathons himself. “Coach Nat” has coached with NB3FIT Cross Country and Track & Field for the past four years. She looks forward to seeing returning runners each season and watching them grow in confidence, ambition and social skills. She’s also excited to welcome new runners and families to the program.
For Natalie, NB3FIT is more than sports. It’s an amazing community-based program rooted in culture, with coaches who bring that commitment into the way they support and encourage each athlete.
Jamell Sanchez | Pueblo of San Felipe
Jamell joined the NB3 Foundation coaching team in 2024. A recent graduate of Southwestern College, he earned All-KCAC Academic and All-NAIA Academic honors and was named a KCAC Champion of Character three times. He has been running for 16 years, with one of his favorite highlights being a win in the Open B race at the Metro Championships. He also brings three years of coaching experience to the team.
This season, he’s looking forward to coaching cross country and reconnecting with the athletes as they continue to grow, improve and gain confidence in the sport.
Shane Benally | Navajo Nation
Coach Shane was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and currently lives in Santa Fe. His family is from Klagetoh, Arizona, on the Navajo Nation. He works as an optometrist at Santo Domingo Health Center and will be coaching at the Kewa site this season.
He has been running recreationally since 2020, with highlights including the St. Jude Half Marathon in Memphis, Tennessee, and completing the Duke City Marathon in 2025. Coach Shane is looking forward to his second season coaching with NB3FIT Cross Country and helping young runners build confidence, enjoy the sport and realize they’re capable of more than they might think.
Jared Lesansee | Pueblos of Jemez and Zuni
Coach Jared has been running for more than 20 years, starting in middle school and continuing through all four years of high school cross country, college club competition and five marathons. Now in his seventh year of coaching runners, they also bring experience as a former high school head cross country coach. This will be Jared’s fourth season coaching NB3FIT Cross Country.
This season, he is looking forward to creating more opportunities for connection and strengthening relationships between coaches and runners, as well as among teammates.
