A former UMass Amherst cross country and track student-athlete John Mantia enters his second season as the Massasoit cross country head coach for the 2017 season.

Mantia competed for the Minutemen from 2011-2015, racing in a number of different events during his time in Amherst.

A long distance specialist, Mantia ran anything from the 400-meter to the 10k and everything in between during his time with the Minutemen. He also raced on in the 4x400 relay team and in the 3,000m steeplechase, which he finished 11^th at the Atlantic 10 Championships in 2014 in a personal best time of 9:29.48.

Mantia graduated from UMass in 2016 with a degree in kinesiology and was an All-Scholastic All-Star at Coyle & Cassidy High School. 

In addition to coaching cross country for the Warriors, Mantia will enter his second season as an assist track & field coach this spring.