Angeles De Bastos brings a decorated athletic background and nearly a decade of coaching experience to her roles at both Nova Southeastern University and Pembroke Pines Charter High School. Since 2023, she has served as Assistant Coach at Nova Southeastern, and since 2020, she has led the program at Pembroke Pines Charter.
Her impact at Nova Southeastern has been equally transformative. Under her guidance, the women’s cross country team captured its first-ever Sunshine State Conference Championship and advanced to the NCAA Nationals for the first time in school history. Several of her athletes have rewritten the record books: Jillian Thorning set new school records in the 800m, 1500m, and 5K, earning Distance Athlete of the Year, All-SSC First Team, and Runner of the Year honors; Eden Toal broke the school record in the 1500m; and Jaime Blazquez set a new men’s 5K record.
At Pembroke Pines Charter, Coach De Bastos has guided the Jaguars to the FHSAA State Meet in Tallahassee for three consecutive years, captured the program’s first-ever BCAA Championship, and secured victory at the prestigious Spanish River Invitational in the 2024 season. She also trained her son, Alejandro De Bastos, who now competes at the University of Florida. During his time at Pines Charter, Alejandro placed second at the FHSAA State Championships in the 800m and was named BCAA Athlete of the Year for the 2024–2025 season.
Before coaching, De Bastos built an illustrious athletic career that continues to inspire her athletes today. A multiple-time Mexican National Champion in the 400-meter hurdles and 800-meter run, she represented Mexico at international and world championships, including the World Championships, Pan American Games, Central American Games, and Ibero-American Games. In 2004, she captured the Mexican Olympic Trials title in the 800 meters.
De Bastos’ athletic excellence began in high school, where she won a Texas state title in the 800m and still holds city records in the 300 hurdles (43.5) and 800m (2:12), set in 1997. She went on to compete for Texas A&M University, where she set school records in the 800m and 1,000m that stood for nearly a decade. As an Aggie, she specialized in the 400m hurdles, 800m, 1,000m, and 4x400 relay, capturing two Big 12 Conference titles.
Her accomplishments have earned her lasting recognition: she was inducted into the 2023 Latin American International Hall of Fame, and May 16 was officially proclaimed “Angeles Pantoja Day” by the mayor of Laredo, Texas.
Coach De Bastos holds a Bachelor’s in Business Administration and a Master’s in Educational Psychology, both from Texas A&M University. She is committed to developing student-athletes not only into competitors on the track and course, but also into leaders in life.
