UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Head cross country coach John Gondak has announced the promotion of Angela Reckart to associate head coach of the men's and women's cross country programs, effective immediately.
"Coach Reckart has been instrumental in the success we have had with our cross country teams and our distance runners during her time at Penn State. Her commitment to our program and her knowledge of our sport is a great benefit for our student-athletes and her promotion to associate head coach is well earned." Head coach John Gondak said of Reckart's promotion.
Reckart enters her fifth season as a coach for the Nittany Lion cross country/track & field programs following coaching at North Carolina for three years.
Angela Reckart said of her promotion, "It has been an honor to be a part of the success of this program for the past four years and I am thrilled to receive this promotion. I appreciate John giving me this opportunity for professional growth and for providing me with this platform to continue to impact and develop student-athletes. I look forward to having many more successful years in the Blue and White."
Reckart has helped guide the Penn State women's cross country team to three Mid-Atlantic titles and a Big Ten championship in her first four years in Happy Valley and has mentored three All-Americans.
In 2018, the Penn State women advanced to its fourth consecutive top-20 finish at the NCAA Championships. Reckart coached eight all-region performers and three All-Big Ten cross country performers.
In 2017, the Penn State women won its third straight Mid-Atlantic Regional title en route to its third consecutive top-20 finish at the NCAA Championships. The Nittany Lions placed five runners in the top 10 at the Mid-Atlantic regional meet. Individually, Colin Abert and Tim McGowan advanced to the NCAA finals for the men's cross country program. Eight Nittany Lions earned all-region honors with a pair of Nittany Lions earning All-Big Ten honors.
Year two in Happy Valley saw Reckart help lead the Nittany Lion women to a second-place finish at the Big Ten Championships. The second-place finish by the women's team included three All-Big Ten honorees in Tessa Barrett (First-Team), Hunsberger (First-Team) and Elizabeth Chikotas (Second-Team).
The women's team would go on to win the Mid-Atlantic Regional title for a second-straight season that saw six Penn State student-athletes earn Mid-Atlantic All-Region honors (Tessa Barrett, Elizabeth Chikotas, Jillian Hunsberger, Kathryn Munks, Greta Lindsley and Tim McGowan.
The women's team went on to finish 18th as a team in the NCAA Championships. Led by two Nittany Lions who teamed up to provide a program first with Penn State team that fielded two All-Americans at the NCAA Cross Country Championships for the first time in the NCAA era.
During her first year in Happy Valley in 2015, Reckart was instrumental in the run to the 2015 Big Ten Championship by the Penn State women's team.
