E-mail this pageMeet the Cross Country Staff
John Lynch, Head Coach
John Lynch, a former track and cross country standout at Cortland State, was named Plattsburgh State men's and women's cross country coach in August 2005. Then in September 2007, Lynch's formal title changed to Director of Track & Field and Cross Country to reflect assuming additional responsibilities with the Cardinals track and field program.
During the 2008-09 school year, the men's cross country team, under Lynch's tutelage, finished 28th in the nation and Mike Heymann earned his first All-American citation after finishing 20th at the NCAA Division III National Championship. It was the men's team first NCAA appearance since 1999. Heymann also qualified for the national meet in indoor track (5,000-meter) and outdoor track (5,000m & 10,000m), just missing All-American honors at both meets, and was named the SUNYAC Spring Chancellor's Scholar-Athlete for track and field too.
Also standing out for the Cardinals was Jenny Schaffhouser, who placed eighth at the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships during her third appearance at the event. She also joined Heymann for the trip to the national outdoor track meet held in Marietta, Ohio and competed in the 10,000m run.
Lynch led Plattsburgh to its best women's cross country season ever in 2007, when the Cardinals were the national runner-up in NCAA Division III. The program also set a school record with a No. 5 national ranking in the final poll and appeared in every poll during the season. The Cardinals captured their first Atlantic championship and third regional title in school history (1997 and '98). Allison Busby (6th), Toni Wiszowaty (7th) and Alyssa Recny (17th) garnered All-America performances. Busby and Recny, along with the entire team, were named to the All-America Scholar Team by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. For his efforts, Lynch was named the USTFCCCA Atlantic Region Women's Coach of the Year.
In 2006, Lynch guided the Cardinal women to its first appearance in the NCAA Championships in eight years. The team finished 29th in the nation and All-American Wiszowaty set a career-best with her fourth-place showing. The men's and women's teams combined for six invitational wins.
In his first season at the helm, Lynch piloted the Cardinals to championships in six men's and women's invitationals, coached All-Americans and Atlantic Region champions Matt DeShane and Busby, and saw both teams improve their standings at the State University of New York Athletic Conference Championships and NCAA regional meet from the previous year.
A certified personal trainer by the National Federation of Professional Trainers, Lynch has coached 16 NCAA All-Americans, 38 automatic and provisional qualifiers, 59 all-conference honorees and 20 league champions in cross country and track. In July 2007, he earned endorsement as a Level 1 coach by USA Track and Field.
A native of Clifton Park, N.Y., Lynch received a bachelor's degree in kinesiology and sport studies from Cortland in 2005. He was an accomplished distance runner for the Red Dragons' track squad, setting school records in the distance medley relay and 1200 meters while participating on several indoor and outdoor SUNYAC championship teams.
Click here for Coach Lynch's Webpage
Contact Information
For more information about Cross Country at Plattsburgh State, please contact:
Head Coach: John Lynch
Phone: (518) 564-4145
E-mail: john.lynch@plattsburgh.edu