Gannon University Women's Cross Country

Carrig begins his 27th year as the mens cross country coach at Gannon University in 2016. A highly respected running coach in the Erie area, Carrig begins his 22nd season in charge of the womens cross country program. Carrig has stressed a combined effort on the course and in the classroom. His mens program produced the nations highest team grade point average among NCAA Division II schools in 1998, 1999, 2010 and 2015. His womens team finished No. 1 in 2011. The Lady Knights were second in 1999, 2005, 2007 and 2010. Both teams earned NCAA Division II Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic Team honors in each of the last 13 seasons. The selection of the all-academic teams is based on cumulative grade point averages submitted by member head coaches for the fall academic term. All teams above a cumulative 3.00 grade point average are honored for their performance. The womens team posted its 12th consecutive top-10 finish last season, ranking 10th among all NCAA Division II programs with a 3.7 cumulative grade point average. The Lady Knights placed second nationally in 1999, 2005, 2007, 2010 and 2011. The squad was third in 1998, fourth in 2006, fourth in 2013, fourth in 2014, fifth in 2008 and fifth in 2012. The mens squad ranked No. 1 among NCAA Division II programs in 2015 for its fourth consecutive top-four finish with a 3.8 cumulative grade point average. The Golden Knights' recent streak includes a top ranking (3.64) in 2010, a second-place nod (3.60) in 2011, a third-place finish (3.58) in 2012 and another third-place ranking (3.69) in 2013. Individually, four Gannon cross country student-athletes were named to the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic team last season. The list included Veronica Bujdos, Bobby Danielson, Gabby Kennelley and Grace McGrath. A student-athlete must finish in the top third of the NCAA regional race and have a 3.00 cumulative GPA or better to qualify for the team. Gannon runners have received the honor 28 times since 2007. Bujdos (2012-15) was a four-time honoree. Emily Reinhart (2011-13) follows with three selections. Nicole Bubie (2012-13), Brittany Zaborowski (2007-08), Rosie Cooper (2009-10), Andy Hellmann (2011-12) and Bobby Danielson (2014-15) are two-time winners. The list of runners who received the honor once includes Carter Denne (2010), Madison Steward (2009), Jenna Szczepanski (2008), Shayna Weir (2007), C.J. Kennett (2012), Joe Wisniewski (2012), Kailyn Bentley (2014), Eric Boring (2014), Brian Svoboda (2014), Kennelley (2015) and McGrath (2015). On the course, Carrig has guided runners to All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) and all-region performances during three of the last four seasons. Kennelley captured both honors last season during her first year with the team, earning all-conference honors with a runner-up finish at the PSAC Championships. It was the highest PSAC finish ever by a Lady Knight. She then secured all-region accolades by placing 12th out of 156 runners at the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional. Much like her PSAC finish, it represented the highest regional finish in program history. Bujdos was named all-region in 2013 after improving 46 spots from her freshman regional run with a 14th-place time of 21 minutes and 21.1 seconds. She missed a bid to the NCAA Division II National Championships by two spots. In 2012, Bubie was named all-region with a 19th-place finish. Bujdos also earned all-conference accolades in 2013 with a 15th-place finish of 22 minutes and 55.4 seconds at the PSAC Championships. The performance was 34 places and 1:23.3 better than her freshman finish in 2012. In 2014, Carrig guided the mens team to its best PSAC finish since joining the league in 2008 and its best NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional finish since at least 1997. Last season, the womens team recorded its best regional finish since 2008. Nineteen Lady Knights and nine Golden Knights were named 2015 PSAC Scholar-Athletes, bringing the programs all-academic selections to 216 over the last 13 seasons. Another 13 Gannon runners received the Division II Athletics Directors Association (DII ADA) Academic Achievement Award last year, bringing that total to 79 during the last six seasons. Carrig built his reputation as the head coach at Cathedral Prep (Pa.) High School from 1983-89. During his six years, the Ramblers showed an astounding 59-1 dual meet record, with the 59 wins coming in a row. His tenure included four District 10 titles, five Metro League championships and four Section crowns. Carrig coached a total of five all-state runners. A veteran of the U.S. Army, Carrig graduated from Gannon in 1981 with a bachelors degree in social studies. He earned his masters degree as a reading specialist in 1988. Carrig and his wife, Kathy, reside in Erie. They are the proud parents of one daughter, Megan (25). He is retired after a long tenure as an Erie School District employee.

Cooper begins her sixth season as a member of the Gannon cross country coaching staff in 2016, extending a 10-year affiliation to the program. A four-year letterwinner from 2007-10, Cooper excelled on the course and in the classroom. She was named a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Scholar-Athlete the first three years after Gannon entered the league in 2008. Cooper received the NCAA Division II Athletics Directors Association (ADA) Academic Achievement Award as a junior. Her top academic achievement is arguably being named to back-to-back U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) NCAA Division II All-Academic teams as a junior and senior. The Falconer, N.Y., native was Gannons top female runner at four of seven events during her senior campaign in 2010. Coopers top performances as a senior were an eighth-place finish at the California (Pa.) Invitational, an 11th-place finish at the Roberts Wesleyan Invitational and a 13th-place finish at the Gannon/Mercyhurst Invitational. She concluded her collegiate career as Gannons top runner at the 2010 PSAC Championships. Cooper earned her bachelors degree in sport & exercise science from Gannon in 2010 with a minor in athletic coaching and sport behaviors. She later received her doctorate in physical therapy from Gannon in 2013.