Marques Barosso, Cal State Fullerton's head track coach, grew up in Stockton in California's River Delta area. Two years ago, he was intrigued by the sprint times of a teenager from Elk Grove, just south of Sacramento. "I know the area well. I hadn't seen times that fast from anyone up there in 10 years," he said.

Barosso reached out the sprinter, Ian Dossman, a Franklin High School senior who had personal bests of 10.47 seconds in the 100 meters and 21.2 in the 200. The pair chatted by phone, and Barosso sized up Dossman as a track athlete with limited experience and unlimited potential.

"I told Ian that I could teach him a few things that could help him run much faster," Barosso said.

Two years later, Dossman is doing just that. The Fullerton sophomore has shattered his school outdoor 200m record twice this season and is unbeaten at that distance in collegiate and open division competition. Dossman also has anchored a record-breaking Titans 4x100 men's relay team and would have smashed a 100m record if his time hadn't been wind aided.

"As a freshman without a lot of training under his belt, Ian broke the school 200m record and established personal best at almost every meet. This season, he's continued to make huge strides. Ian's top-end speed is a real strength. Once he gets going, he is one of the best sprinters in the country," said Barosso.

The 20-year-old Dossman, whose has a conference-best times in the 100m and 200m, will lead Fullerton at the Big West Championships on Friday and

Saturday at Long Beach State's Jack Rose Track. The Fullerton men placed second and the women finished sixth at the 2024 championships.

Dossman has already qualified in the 100m and 200m for the NCAA West Prelims, which will be held at Texas A&M University in College Station on May 22-25. The Titans' 4x100 men's relay team also has qualified.

In his second meet of this season, Dossman pulled off an amazing triple at the Texas Relays in late March. He established personal bests with a 10.16 in the 100m and 20.56 in the 200m at the meet, which was held at the University of Texas at Austin. Dossman broke his school 200m record for the second time this season. His 100m time would have been a school record, but it was wind aided.


At the Texas Relays, Ian Dossman is cheered on by his uncle, Craig Dossman Jr., and his grandparents, Carol and Craig Dossman. 

Dossman also anchored the Titans' 4x100 relay. He and teammates John Clifford, Carter Birade and Dominic Gates clocked a preliminary race time of 39.61, which was the second best in school history.

"It was cold and rainy on the day I competed in the prelims. I was thinking, 'Do I really have to run in this weather?' But for the finals, we had warm weather and a packed stadium." said Dossman.

"I just wanted to have fun, praise to God, and keep my composure. "I had a PR in the 100, though it was wind aided. In the 200, I felt good attacking the curve and kept my knees and arms pumping and pumping and my core straight while standing tall."

The 6-foot, 200-pound Dossman said he reached for the 200m finish line early and ended up tripping after the line. "I stood up and saw my name with the 20.56 time. I was ecstatic as I walked back to the tent but too tired to show it," said Dossman. "When Coach B said it was wind legal and that I had almost shaved a second off my 200, that was the most wonderful thing about that day."

His grandparents, Carol and Craig Dossman Sr., were on hand in Austin. Craig said they often travel across the country to support their grandson. "It was exciting, but it's not unusual to watch Ian do well. He makes us proud because he is just a thoroughly lovely person."

After the race, Barosso and Dossman began talking about ways to whittle down the sprinter's 200 time even more. "Coach B is always trying to elevate me as well as the team. That's what I really appreciate about him," Dossman said.

"The 200 has always been my better race. There is something satisfying with coming off the curve and moving so fast. I'm still trying to master the 100, where there is less margin for error.

"I'm starting to love the relay way more. My teammate Abel Jordan has been teaching me tactics, tricks and skills that have allowed me to become a better relay runner," said Dossman.

The lessons seem to be paying off. The quartet of Isaiah Emerson, Jordan, Gates and Dossman broke the 4x100 school record with a 39.23 clocking at the Friday Night Lights meet at Fullerton in mid-April. A week later, the foursome of Clifford, Birade, Gates and Dossman clipped the new record by one-hundredth of a second with a 39.22 effort.

Barosso, who is in his sixth season as head coach, praised Dossman for his attention to detail, ability to break down his races into segments and improvements running anchor legs. "He is still a young sprinter and can get a little tense during a race. But he is learning to trust himself more and more and has really put it together this year," he said.

Gates, who runs the third leg in the 4x100m relay, rooms with Dossman on road trips. "Ian brings a very nice air to him. He is quiet at times and reserved. But when you start talking to him, he flowers and opens up. And on the track, Ian pushes everyone to be great."

Dossman got his start in athletics as a basketball player. He competed on an AAU team in middle school. Soon after, he competed in track.


Ian Dossman prepares for a race at a middle-school track meet. 

As a freshman, he was a 5-foot-10 center on Franklin High's basketball team. "I was one of the taller and stronger guys. I could run fast, jump high, grab rebounds and dunk," he said.

Later that school year – in March 2020 to be exact -- Dossman had just finished a 200m race when Franklin High shut down all sports because of the pandemic.

In fall 2020, Dossman switched solely to football. The school only played three games that season because of the pandemic.

In his junior year, Dossman competed in both football and track. In the former, he was a two-way starter, playing running back and outside linebacker and earning all-league honors. But he also experienced multiple concussions and decided to participate in track only as senior.


Wearing the No. 13 jersey, Ian Dossman started at running back and outside linebacker for Franklin High School in Elk Grove. 

"Ian broke every sprint record in his high school division," said his grandfather. "In fact, during his senior year, he was the only track and field student to receive a full scholarship in track in the El Grove Unified School District.

"During his senior year, UCLA offered a full scholarship to play football and track, but he remained focused on track."

Dossman's mother, Cari Dossman, is a career health-care worker. She has worked at a psychiatric hospital in Sacramento for the past 10 years.

He has three younger siblings – a brother, Ethan, 16, and sisters Taylor, 15, and Carter, 12. Cari's parents, Craig and Carol, live nearby.

"We have a very close family. My mom and my grandparents have really supported and inspired me. I want to make them proud and appreciate all they have done," he said.

A business major, Dossman has taken accounting and management classes and plans to concentrate on finance. He envisions a career in investment banking but would first like to try racing on the professional level.

Dossman said he keeps his life pretty simple. He and his girlfriend Janelle Wilson, a fellow Fullerton student, enjoy sampling different cuisine at local restaurants and attending Friendship Baptist Church in Yorba Linda.

Looking back, Dossman said Cal State Fullerton was the only serious track-only scholarship offer he received. "I had no idea where Fullerton was. I went home and Googled it. I'm grateful for the opportunity to be here and get an education. It was a blessing."