Cross country welcomes two new coaches

by ENYA CEA-LAVIN

Staff Writer

The University of Mary Washington’s cross country program has seen team improvement in aspects like fitness, morale and competitiveness during the Fall 2024 semester following the hiring of two new assistant coaches. 

Both new coaches, Bill Stearns and Dave Davis have been working together for four decades, most recently in 2016 at Colgan High School. Stearns and Davis, alongside the current Head Coach Asia Hart, have made changes to the team’s dynamic that have continuously supported and uplifted its athletes over this semester. 

“The biggest change I have noticed is holding the team accountable on all levels,” said Hart. “Not just athletically but also as people and leaders within the team. The knowledge and experience of these coaches has been game changers.”

Athletes such as Jacob Lohr, a senior social environmental science major and captain of the cross country team, say that they feel supported by the coaching staff and have noticed improvements in performance as a result. 

“They’re very caring and they’re intentional with everything they do,” Lohr said.

Maddie Binkley, a freshman applied mathematics and environmental science double major, spoke on her appreciation for the coaching staff. 

“I’ve noticed that I’ve improved a lot since last year, and I think that is due to the workouts and the mileage that I’ve been doing. And they did a really good job of easing us into that,” she said. 

Similarly, to help improve performance,  the coaches give each runner individual attention by allowing athletes to understand their performance better through race evaluation sheets. The athletes plan the times and splits they want to hit for a certain point in the race, which allows them to understand how to efficiently run their races.  

“Every meet we have the student-athletes fill out race sheets for before and after the race they complete, that way they are thinking about their racing strategy and able to reflect on their performance,” Hart said.  

Hart continued, “Being able to make changes and constantly improve is how we are going to keep moving the program forward.”

These race sheets show the care given by the coaches as they make sure every athlete’s needs are being met.

“It kind of helps me get in the mindset of, like, what am I gonna do in this race? What am I going to focus on,” Binkley said. 

For Lohr, it makes sure that no athlete is left behind, even when timing is limited between races.  

“It ensures that even if they can’t catch up with everybody immediately after the race, that everyone gets feedback. Yeah, so that’s been really good to show their intentionality as well,” Lohr said. 

This semester, the cross country team is united in its determination to win and improve.

“This year, I’d say that the team is very driven, and we’re all focused on a common objective,” Lohr said. 

The biggest change with this season’s new coaches is a shift in mindset. Hart also believes that the current captains are a major reason for team success. 

“The biggest shift this year is with the mentality of our team and being more intentional with the little things,” said Hart. “We also have great leadership with our captains who have really found their footing and confidence.”

Not only is the team more confident in performances, but they are also placing during meets and improving their times. 

“A lot of the team have set personal records during this cross-country season,” said Hart.  

At the Hornet Harrier Invitational individual athletes on the men’s team took first, second, fourth, fifth and sixth place, aiding them in an overall first place ranking for the meet.

Freshman Lily Hoffman received the Rookie of the Meet award during their conference championships, making it the first time in five years anyone from UMW has won that title. 

With the new and improved coaching staff, the UMW men’s and women’s cross country team has seen great improvement in their confidence and morale which aids in their race performance both as a team and individually.