Men's and Women's Cross Country

Joe Connelly '87
	Cross Country (M) - Head Coach Saint Michael's '87 10th season jconnelly@smcvt.edu 802.654.2616

Saint Michael's College graduate Joseph Connelly returns for his 10th year as the the College's men's cross country coach in 2010.

In Connelly's nine seasons at the helm of the Purple Knights, the team has placed in the top-three at the Vermont State Meet five times and has earned a top-eight or better ranking at NCAA Regionals four times. During the 2003 season, Saint Michael's qualified its first runner in program history to compete at the NCAA Championship.

In addition to coaching the men's cross country team, Connelly has also been at the helm of the College's Nordic ski program since 2001.

Connelly is active in the local running community, serving as the Technical Coordinator for RunVermont, Inc, producer of the KeyBank Vermont City Marathon, the second largest marathon in New England, and a Runner's World top-20 U.S. marathon.

A six time letter-winner at Saint Michael's, class of 1987, in both Nordic skiing and cross country, Connelly has run in 20 marathons, including 10 Boston Marathons. He has also competed in the U.S. Triathlon Series and has worked as a personal trainer for individuals who want to improve their long distance running.

A native of Glenville, N.Y., Connelly competed in nordic and alpine skiing, golf and tennis at Scotia-Glenville High School. Prior to joining the coaching staff of Saint Michael's, Connelly was employed as an accountant in the long-term care and software industries.

Molly Peters
	Cross Country (W) - Head Coach Middlebury '97 Fifth season mpeters2@smcvt.edu 802.654.2927

Molly (Enman) Peters, a former All-American and three-sport standout at Middlebury College, returns for her fifth season as the head coach of the Saint Michael's College women's cross country program in 2010. She is the seventh head coach in the program's 32-year history, and guided the 2007 Purple Knights to an eighth-place finish at the NCAA Regionals.

In 2008, the program had its first-ever individual champion at the Vermont State Championship, a field that includes elite programs such as the University of Vermont and Middlebury. And in 2009, she guided the Purple Knights to an 11th-place finish at the NCAA Regionals.

Peters has gathered a wealth of coaching experience since graduating from Middlebury in 1997 as an Academic All-American with a Bachelor of Arts degree in biology. Prior to joining Saint Michael's, Peters coached at Burlington High School as an assistant cross country coach, as well as a sprint and hurdle coach from 2003-08.

"We are very excited to have Molly joining our staff," said Geri Knortz, Saint Michael's Director of Athletics, upon her hiring. "Her impressive combination of experiences and skills gained both as a student-athlete and coach will be a wonderful asset to our women's cross country program."

In 2002, Peters served as the head men's and women's cross country coach at the Division III University of Redlands in California. Prior to working at Redlands, Peters spent four years as an assistant men's and women's cross country and track coach at her alma mater, as she was the head distance coach for the indoor and outdoor track teams and coached numerous All-Americans and NCAA Division III national champions.

While an undergraduate at Middlebury, Peters was a four-year member of the cross country, track and Nordic ski teams. She was an NCAA qualifier in cross country as a senior (pictured at left), and an All-American in track and field in the 1500-meter run in 1997. She also qualified three times for the NCAA Championships in Nordic skiing, earning All-American status once.

In addition to her vast coaching and playing experience, Peters trained in Nordic skiing in Park City, Utah, with aspirations of qualifying for the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. She currently works at Sleepy Hollow Inn in Huntington, where she serves as events coordinator and Nordic ski instructor, as well as coaching the Bill Koch junior ski program.