Howdy & aloha! Airey Bros Radio laces up with Coach Chase Englestead, Head Men’s & Women’s Cross Country Coach at Snow College (Richfield/Ephraim, UT). Hired in 2024 to launch the Badgers’ program, Chase already has the men ranked #6 and women #7 in the NJCAA national poll. We dig into Utah’s deep distance culture, JUCO recruiting, elevation training (5,300–10,000 ft), Lydiard-inspired aerobic development (with selective double-threshold), the benefits of a tight small-campus setup, LDS mission maturity, and why Snow wants to make D1s nervous at invites—then points to Fort Dodge in November and the NJCAA Half Marathon.What you’ll learn

• How to build a brand-new JUCO XC program into a national Top-10 in two years
  
  
• Why Snow College’s elevation, trails, housing, and price are a recruiting cheat code
  
  
• Training philosophy: big aerobic base, thresholds, strength, and when double-thresholds make sense
  
  
• Culture > times: selecting athletes who raise the standard and stick with the process
  
  
• How roster caps + Utah’s pipeline are reshaping the JUCO → D1 pathway
  
  

Links

• Snow College XC/Track: https://snowbadgers.com/sports/mens-cross-country
•  Snow XC: @snowcrosscountry
• Airey Bros Radio (YouTube): https://youtube.com/aireybrosradio
• Airey Bros Radio @aireybrosradio 
• Fueled by Black Sheep Endurance Coaching: https://www.blacksheependurance.com

Show notes & timestamps: 

• 0:00 Howdy & aloha + ABR mission (shine light on JUCO/NAIA/D2/D3)
  
  
• 2:36 Guest intro: Coach Chase Englestead — hired 2024; Men #6 / Women #7 NJCAA
  
  
• 5:08 Origin story: small-town Utah → discovering running → ownership & accountability
  
  
• 8:12 JUCO roots at UVSC/UVU: mileage jump, All-American, steeple/1500 records; D1 transition & probation
  
  
• 11:01 Choosing coaching: family of coaches; HS first to build & learn
  
  
• 12:26 Riverton HS culture build; Nike Cross regionals rise
  
  
• 15:25 Why Snow College: home state, elevation & trails, giving back; late hire & Year-1 scramble
  
  
• 20:50 Year-2 jump: full recruiting cycle; Top-10 expectations in Utah’s distance scene
  
  
• 22:31 Stigma shift: JUCO in Utah post-Isaac Wood; roster-cap effects
  
  
• 24:44 “Diamonds in the rough” development stories
  
  
• 25:54 Roster size realities; culture-first recruiting
  
  
• 28:05 A week in the chair: early mornings, Tue/Thu recruit calls, summer team runs
  
  
• 30:01 One year vs two years at Snow? Athlete-first pathways to four-year programs
  
  
• 31:06 Form check: confidence high; “make D1s nervous when Snow shows up”
  
  
• 32:07 Long run workout (pace toggles) + pack fitness
  
  
• 33:14 Training philosophy: Lydiard base, aerobic strength; when double threshold fits
  
  
• 37:05 Individualization; safe volumes before doubles
  
  
• 37:58 Campus fit: two campuses, on-campus housing, track ~200m, pool ~600m, bike path & mountain singletrack
  
  
• 39:58 Why a small campus helps serious runners (sleep, routine, fewer distractions)
  
  
• 41:25 Roster mix: Utah core + out-of-state; Americans-only pride vs international budget realities
  
  
• 44:30 Value case: ~$2k tuition/semester + ~$2.5k housing
  
  
• 46:09 Athletes to watch (W: Rhys Moss, Brighton Gold; M: Made, Tim, Carter Day, David Barlo, Brett Bailey, Von Wallace)
  
  
• 48:35 Slick transfers; NJCAA Half Marathon plans
  
  
• 49:36 Weather & Fort Dodge readiness; altitude advantage
  
  
• 50:35 Elevation menu: dorms ~5,300 ft; quick access to 8k–12k ft
  
  
• 52:00 Fall schedule: SUU (10/4), Utah State (10/10), hosting SWAC at Palisade State Park
  
  
• 53:48 LDS mission benefits: discipline, perspective, adversity skills
  
  
• 56:45 Final Four: no soda since 2000, routines, 60 mpw streak, books/pods, spikeball

• 1:03:37 Wrap: Badgers links; ABR back Wed with Ranger College