WORCESTER, Mass.— Richard L. Ahern '51 Director of Cross Country and Track and Field Egetta Alfonso has announced updates to the Holy Cross cross country and track and field coaching staff. Stephanie Reilly has been hired as the associate head coach of cross country and long distance for the cross country and track and field programs, while Shawn McCabe has been promoted to a full-time assistant role within the track and field staff.
 
Reilly joins the Crusaders after spending the last year as an online personal running coach with RunDoyen. Prior to that she spent six years at Providence College as the head women's track and field coach and assistant men's and women's cross country coach. During her stint at Providence, she helped lead the cross country teams to an ECAC Championship and IC4A Championship in 2019. Under her leadership she saw seven individual qualifiers for the NCAA indoor and outdoor track and field championships in 2018-19. The women's cross country team won three straight regional championships from 2015-17 as well as two Big East Championships in 2015 and 2016.
 
Before her time at Providence, Reilly spent eight years working with the Bryant University men's and women's cross country and track and field teams as their head coach. During her time at Bryant she oversaw the teams jump from Division II to Division I. She also coached 16 athletes to break records, and her women's cross country team placed second in the NEC Cross Country Championship in 2014, while the men's team placed third in 2014.
 
"Stephanie Reilly comes to us with a wealth of experience and passion for cross country and distance running," Alfonso said. "Her time as an athlete and coach at Providence College and helping to build an emerging Division I program at Bryant University, matched the needs of our program perfectly. Her philosophy of taking care of the whole athlete and individualization of training complements what we're building at Holy Cross. I'm excited to see where she takes our cross country and distance teams."
 
A graduate of Providence College, she earned her Bachelor of Science in health policy and management in 2001 and her Master of Education in guidance and counseling in 2004. She was named team captain of the track and field team, a member of the Big East championship women's cross country team 1999, and an NCAA provisional qualifier for outdoor track in the 3000 meters. Reilly also earned All-New England honors for cross country in 1998.
 
"I want to thank Coach Alfonso and the College of the Holy Cross athletic department for this exciting opportunity," Reilly said. "From the moment I stepped foot on campus I was impressed by the dedicated coaches and staff who care so much about helping student-athletes achieve their goals. To be a part of that team and have an opportunity to work with such talented student-athletes is a dream come true. I'm looking forward to getting to work."
 
Reilly has an extensive post-collegiate competition resume as she participated in the 2012 London Olympics in the 3000m steeplechase event. She also competed in the 3000m steeplechase at the World Championships in Daegu, South Korea in 2011, the European Championship in Barcelona, Spain in 2010 and Helsinki, Finland in 2012 where she was a finalist. Additionally, she competed in the European Team Championships in Izmir, Turkey in 2011.
 
McCabe was promoted to the full-time assistant coaching position after spending the last year and a half as the assistant throws coach at Holy Cross. During his time on The Hill, he
has coached nine individual conference event qualifiers, while also leading Jordyn Shubrick '22 to set the women's weight and hammer throw school records, in addition to her 2022 New England Championship and 2022 Indoor ECAC runner-up showings in the weight throw.
 
"I am looking forward to continuing to be a part of the Holy Cross community and continue
my work with the Holy Cross track and field team," McCabe said. "I'd like to thank Coach Alfonso and Director of Athletics Kit Hughes for this great opportunity. Coach Alfonso and the other coaches on the staff are building something special here on The Hill and I am excited to be a part of that building process and contribute to it in any way that I can. Holy Cross track and field has a long history of success on the New England track and field scene, and I am looking forward to helping develop athletes who will continue this legacy and help the program take that next step forward." 
 
Prior to joining the Crusaders, McCabe was the assistant track and field coach for throwing
events and the strength and conditioning coach at Worcester State University for seven years.
While he was at Worcester State, he coached 27 individual event conference champions and three New England DIII champions in men's indoor weight, shot put, and women's javelin. He led over 60 New England DIII individual qualifiers and 20 All-Region athletes. There were three
NCAA participants, three NCAA All-Americans and coached four athletes to school records in
women's hammer, women's shot put, and men's weight.
 
"Shawn McCabe, after serving one year as a volunteer and then as a part-time assistant coach, was the first person we asked to take on the new track full-time assistant coaching position at Holy Cross," Alfonso said. "Anyone watching Shawn with his throws squad last year knows that he's a caring coach that connects well with his athletes. He has a great deal of knowledge about the throws but also in strength and conditioning. He's an enthusiastic recruiter and I'm looking forward to seeing where he takes our throws squads in the future."  
 
ABOUT HOLY CROSS: 
The College of the Holy Cross, in Worcester, Massachusetts — the second-largest city in New England — is among the nation's leading liberal arts institutions. A highly selective, four-year, exclusively undergraduate college of 3,100 students, Holy Cross is renowned for offering a rigorous, personalized education in the Jesuit, Catholic tradition, and is one of only 85 colleges in America that meets 100% of students' demonstrated financial need. Holy Cross has made a positive impact in society since its founding in 1843 by graduating students who distinguish themselves as thoughtful leaders in business, professional and civic life.
 
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