Jacob Phillips is in his 19th year as the Head Coach for the DBU Cross Country and Track & Field programs. Over the past 18 seasons, Phillips has led the Women’s Cross Country team to 15 conference championships which included a span of 12 consecutive titles in the Heartland Conference from 2007-2018, while the Men’s Cross Country team has won seven conference championships.
Reaching the NCAA Cross Country National Championships has become a common thread in the history of the DBU Women’s Cross Country program. Dating back to 2009, Phillips has guided the Lady Patriots to seven trips to the NCAA National Championships where they have finished the season in the top 25 all seven years including a program-best 14th place showing in 2022. On the men's side, Phillips led a Patriots team comprised of non-scholarship runners to a school-best 18th place finish in 2017.
During his 18 years at the helm, Phillips has been named the conference’s Coach of the Year on 11 occasions including eight times in the Heartland Conference and has been tabbed the Lone Star Conference Coach of the Year each of the last three years. 13 Cross Country athletes have garnered Runner of the Year honors in the conference, nine have been named the Freshman of the Year in the league and 161 have earned All-Conference recognition under Phillips’ direction. Since DBU joined the Lone Star Conference in Track & Field in 2019, the Patriots have also produced 77 All-Conference performers.
NCAA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP APPEARANCES UNDER PHILLIPS
2009: DBU Women (22nd Place)
2015: DBU Women (23rd Place)
2017: DBU Men (18th Place)
2017: DBU Women (22nd Place)
2018: DBU Women (24th Place)
2021: DBU Women (17th Place)
2022: DBU Women (14th Place)
WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY CONFERENCE TITLES UNDER PHILLIPS
2007: Heartland Conference
2008: Heartland Conference
2009: Heartland Conference
2010: Heartland Conference
2011: Heartland Conference
2012: Heartland Conference
2013: Heartland Conference
2014: Heartland Conference
2015: Heartland Conference
2016: Heartland Conference
2017: Heartland Conference
2018: Heartland Conference
2020: Lone Star Conference
2021: Lone Star Conference
2022: Lone Star Conference
MEN’S CROSS COUTNRY CONFERENCE TITLES UNDER PHILLIPS
2007: Heartland Conference
2010: Heartland Conference
2011: Heartland Conference
2012: Heartland Conference
2013: Heartland Conference
2016: Heartland Conference
2018: Heartland Conference
YEAR-BY-YEAR
Under Phillips’ leadership during the 2022-23 season, the DBU Women’s Cross Country team reached the NCAA National Championships for the second consecutive year and seventh time in program history. Led by Madison Brown, who earned All-American honors with her 21st place finish, the Lady Patriots recorded their top finish in school history placing 14th overall at the NCAA Division II National Championships in Seattle, Washington.
In track and field, Phillips led the DBU Women’s Indoor squad to a third place finish at the LSC Indoor Track & Field Championships, marking the program’s highest finish since DBU joined the LSC. Madison Brown set school a record in the 3000 meters and qualified for the NCAA Championships in both the 3000 and 5000 meters. Marissa Insinna recorded a school record in the mile and qualified for the NCAA Championships in the 5000 meters. Marissa Insinna, Ellie Frye, Emme O’Donnell, and Madison Brown also set a school record in the Distance Medley Relay.
During the Outdoor Season Angel Luera set school records in the 800 and 1500 meters and qualified for the NCAA Championships where he finished in fourth place overall to earn All-American honors. Madison Brown posted school records in the 1500 and 5000 meters and qualified for the NCAA Championships in the 5000 and 10,000 meters. Marissa Insinna also set school records in the 800 and 10,000 meters and qualified for the NCAA Championships in the 10,000 meters.
During the 2021-22 season, Philips guided the DBU Women’s Cross Country team to their second consecutive Lone Star Conference Championship and their fifth trip to the NCAA National Championships. Competing against the top teams in the nation in Tampa, Florida, the Lady Patriots posted a school-best 17th place finish on the national stage.
In track and field, Madison Brown registered school records in the 1500 meters, Mile, 3000 meters, and 10,000 meters and qualified for the NCAA Indoor (3000) and Outdoor (5000 & 10,000) Track & Field Championships. On the men’s side, Noah Metzger ran a school record in the 5000 meters and qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, while Angel Luera set a new school record in the 1500 meters.
In the fall of 2021, the DBU Women’s Cross Country team captured their first LSC Championship. It also marked their 13th overall conference title in school history. The Lady Patriots also posted their top finish as a team in their two years in the LSC with a fourth place showing in both the LSC Indoor and Outdoor Championships.
Several Patriots also posted standout performances in 2021 including Madison Brown who set the school record in the mile (indoors) and the 5,000 meters (outdoors). She also went on to compete in the 5,000 at the NCAA National Championships where she placed 16th. On the men’s side, Jared Gilley set the school record in the 800 meters (outdoors), while Noah Metzger established a new school record in the 3,000 meters (indoors).
In the spring of 2020, the DBU men’s distance medley relay team clinched the Lone Star Conference Indoor Championship, while Academic All-American, Trent Phelps, won the men’s one mile and Noah Metzger claimed first place in the 3,000 meters.
In 2018, Stetson Rayas was named an NCAA All-American in Cross Country. Rayas also went on to set school records in the 3,000 and the 5,000 meters and garnered Second Team All-American honors in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters. Rayas, Trent Phelps, and Leah Lewis also qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
The 2017 season saw Andrew Curry garner NCAA All-American honors in Cross Country. Curry also set school records in the 5,000 meters (Indoors and Outdoors) and the 10,000 meters. Fellow senior, Trent Phelps, also established a set of school records in the 1,500 meters and the 3,000 meter steeplechase. The trio of Curry, Phelps, and Rayas capped off the 2017 season by qualifying for the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
In 2015, Kelsey Bruce qualified for the NCAA Championships in the Women’s 5,000 meters (Indoors) and the Women’s 3,000 meter steeplechase (Outdoors). Following a sixth place finish in the Women’s 5,000 meters and a fourth place showing in the Women’s 3,000 meter steeplechase, Bruce was named an All-American in both events. After her stellar Cross Country season where she finished as All-American, Bruce qualified for the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials where she was the youngest finisher in the race.
In 2014, Bruce became the first All-American for Dallas Baptist University in Track & Field with her seventh place finish in the Women’s 3,000 meter steeplechase. Phillips oversaw a spectacular year from Bruce, which included qualifying for the NCAA Indoor Championships in the 5,000 meters, and winning NCCAA Championships in Cross Country, Indoor 3,000 meters and 5,000 meters, and Outdoor 3,000 meter steeplechase and 5,000 meters.
Bruce also qualified for the NCAA Championships in the Women’s 3,000 meter steeplechase in 2013, as she broke Laura Mucho’s previous record with a 10:38.78. Bruce qualified for the finals in the event at the NCAA Championships and finished 11th overall.
In 2011, Zach Braff stormed to a national leading time in the men’s 800 meter run under Phillips. Braff ’s time of 1:50.83 earned him the top spot in the NCAA Division II rankings for most of the season, before he finished sixth overall to round out the year. Braff ’s time is a school record. Braff also went on to win the NCCAA Indoor National Championship in the 800 meters and help the Men’s team to the distance medley National Championship.
Under Phillips’ leadership in 2010, Laura Mucho set the school record in the Women’s 3,000 meter steeplechase with her NCAA provisionally qualifying time of 10:52.30. Mucho was also a member of the school record setting 4 x 800 meter relay and the distance medley relay.
In 2009, Phillips coached the Women’s team to their first ever NCAA National Championship birth in Cross Country where they finished 22nd overall nationally. In 2015 the Lady Patriots made a return trip to the NCAA National Championships where Kelsey Bruce finished fourth overall as an individual and the team finished 23rd. Two years later, DBU notched a 22nd place showing, followed by a 24th place finish in 2018.
Phillips also led Hannah Steffan to the NCAA National Championships with qualifiers in the Women’s 5000 meters (2009, 2010) and the 1500 meters (2009). While running under Phillips, Steffan set school records in all of the distance events excluding the 10,000 meters and the 3,000 meters steeplechase. Her school records include the 800 meters, 1500 meters, one mile, 3,000 meters, 5,000 meters, 4 x 800 meter relay, and the Distance Medley Relay.
CROSS COUNTRY ALL-AMERICANS DURING PHILLIPS’ TENURE
Kelsey Bruce (2015)
Andrew Curry (2017)
Stetson Rayas (2018)
Madison Brown (2022)
TRACK & FIELD ALL-AMERICANS DURING PHILLIPS’ TENURE
Kelsey Bruce (2014 - Outdoor 3,000 meter steeplechase)
Kelsey Bruce (2015 - Indoor 5,000 meters)
Kelsey Bruce (2015 - Outdoor 3,000 meter steeplechase)
Stetson Rayas (2019 - 5,000 meters & 10,000 meters)
Madison Brown (2021 - 10,000 meters)
Angel Luera (2022 - 800 meters)
Growing up in Hull, Texas, and attending Hull-Daisetta High School, Phillips graduated the top-ranked male from his high school class. He completed his Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from DBU in August of 2006, and has his Masters of Education in Kinesiology from DBU. Jacob and his wife, Rachel, a 2011 graduate of DBU, attend Hillcrest Baptist Church in Cedar Hill.
