Grace Richardson was brought on as an assistant coach of the New York University men’s and women’s track & field and cross country teams in September 2024.
The 2024-25 season produced an outstanding set of results as NYU’s cross country and track & field teams reached new heights. The 2024 cross country campaigns resulted in top-five national finishes for both squads. The women posted a fourth-place finish, while the men took fifth, with the combined result being best among all Division III institutions.
There were many other highlights during the cross country seasons as the men won the University Athletic Association (UAA) Championship and the NCAA Niagara Regional. The women also won the Niagara Regional, placed second at the UAA Championship and finished no worse than third place at any meet.
Individually, Janie Cooper (14th place) and Lucy Gott (39th) on the women’s side, and Ryan Tobin (26th) on the men’s, all earned USTFCCCA (U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association) All-America honors with those performances at the NCAA Division III Championships.
For their efforts, NYU received UAA Men’s Cross Country Coaching Staff of the Year honors.
On the track, a record nine individuals qualified for the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships, with three (Tobin – 5k, Cooper – 5k, and Stella Kuttner – 1500m) earning USTFCCCA All-America honors. Indoors, Tobin won the UAA 3k and achieved All-America honors in both the 3k and 5k, while Katherine Cochrane was also a 5k All-American.
A two-year member of NYU’s cross country and track & field teams, Richardson is currently pursuing her PHd in Occupational Therapy.
As a member of the Violets, Richardson earned two All-America honors in cross country, including a national ninth-place finish in 2023. That season, she also won the UAA Championship.
On the track, Richardson produced several All-America performances. She was the National Runner-up in the 5,000 meters at the 2024 NCAA Division III Indoor Championships and finished eighth in the 3,000m. Outdoors, she had another runner-up showing in the 10,000m and finished seventh in the 5,000m.
Richardson added the UAA 3,000m Indoor Championship in 2024 and was recognized as the NCAA Niagara Region Indoor Track Athlete of the Year.
During her time at NYU, Richardson established team records in the indoor mile (4:49.24), 3,000m (9:27.12), 5,000m (16:26.75), and distance medley relay (11:44.84). Outdoors, she set marks in the 1,500m (4:26.88), 5,000m (16:38.19), and 10,000m (34:06.21).
In addition to her athletic prowess, Richardson’s academic achievements included selections to the UAA President Council Scholar-Athlete Team, CSC (College Sports Communicators) Academic All-America Second Team, and USTFCCCA All-Academic honors.
Prior to arriving at NYU, Richardson attended University College Cork in Ireland, where she was a member of the cross country team.
A native of Kilkenny, Ireland, Richardson resides in Manhattan, NY.
