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.
Both programs recorded historical finishes in 2025, with the women’s cross country team winning the Division III National Championship for the first time, and the men’s team placing fourth, the program’s best since 2009. The women’s top-five finishers all earned All-America honors, while three members of the men’s team also achieved the distinction.
Additionally, NYU was awarded University Athletic Association (UAA) Cross Country Coaching Staff of the Year honors for both the men’s and women’s programs, each of whom captured UAA Cross Country titles.
Team and individual success continued into the 2025-26 track & field seasons, with the women finishing 23rd at the NCAA Outdoor Championships and the men taking 34th, their best performance since 2005. The teams combined for 13 All-America honors between the two seasons.
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 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.
