Laura Nardelli Named Head Cross Country Coach

SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – Bringing an extensive and successful Division I background to campus, Laura Nardelli has been named the head men's and women's cross country coach at Union College, Director of Athletics Jim McLaughlin '93 announced this week. "I am very excited to have Laura Nardelli as our next men's and women's cross country coach," McLaughlin said. "She brings years of successful Division I experience to our program and will be an incredible asset to our runners and our department. I look forward to seeing the positive impact she will have on our student-athletes on and off the course." "I'm incredibly excited and honored to be named to this position and I'm grateful to Athletic Director Jim McLaughlin for this opportunity to join the Union College coaching staff," said Nardelli. "Union College is known throughout the country as a top academic and athletic institution, and has a history of fine cross country teams going back many years. Cross country has always been my favorite sport to coach, and I'm really looking forward to working with the student-athletes, the talented support staff, and the administration." Nardelli previously served as head coach at Division I Colgate University, leading the women's track & field program for 16 years, the women's cross country team for 13 years and the men's track & field team for three years between 1998-2014. She was named the Patriot League Coach of the Year for the third time and also earned Colgate's Coach of the Year honor in 2010-11 after leading the women's cross country team to its first Patriot League championship and junior Elise DeRoo to her second straight individual title and the program's first individual NCAA Championship appearance. In all, she coached 42 Patriot League individual champions, 13 NCAA qualifiers and more than 150 All-Patriot League performers as well as five Patriot League Scholar-Athletes of the Year during her time in Hamilton.

After leaving Colgate, Nardelli served as head cross country coach at Brewster Academy from 2014-16, leading the girl's team to a Lakes Region championship in her final year. She most recently was a teacher and coach at Susan Odell Taylor School in Troy. Nardelli began her coaching career in 1983 at SUNY Cortland, and in her third year led the Red Dragon women's track team to a Division III Outdoor Track national championship and a runner-up finish at the Division III Indoor Track Championships in 1985. She also served five years as head cross country and track & field coach at Division I West Virginia University beginning in 1986, where she coached 68 All-ECAC selections and four All-Americans. Nardelli graduated from Syracuse University in 1982 and captained the Orange cross country and track & field teams in 1981 and 1982. She also earned a master's degree in physical education from Syracuse in 1984. Nardelli will lead the Dutchmen and Dutchwomen into their first competition of 2018 on September 8, when the teams head to Vassar College's Ron Stonitsch Invitational.