Andy Ronan Position: Head Coach Experience: 11th Season Alma Mater: Providence '86

Since joining Stony Brook University in 2000, Andy Ronan has built one of the most successful programs in Seawolves' history. Not only are his teams competitive within the America East Conference, but they are also starting to make a name for themselves nationally, making NCAA Championship appearances in both cross country and track in 2007-08.

Ronan's cross country team experienced unprecedented success during the 2007 season, when the women's team qualified for the NCAA Division I Championships for the first time in program history.

The women's team also claimed it's first-ever America East Championship in 2007, while Alex Felce won the individual conference title on the men's side. For his efforts, Coach Ronan was awarded both America East Coach of the Year and Northeast Division I Coach of the Year.

In the spring, Ronan led the track and field teams to five individual conference championships. The Seawolves also posted 11 NCAA qualifying times, including Dana Hastie who participated in the NCAA Championships in the women's 10,000-meter. Between the indoor and outdoor seasons, Stony Brook had 20 names on the America East All-Conference lists, including the Women's Most Outstanding Rookie in Holly Van Dalen.

In 2006, Ronan led the women's cross country team to a second-place finish at the America East Championships and coached Leonora Joy to an individual championship en route to being named America East Women's Cross Country Coaching Staff of the Year.

A successful 2005-06 Track and field season saw five school records broken, and five individuals qualifying for ECAC/IC4A Championships in nine events, as well as the women's distance medley relay team. The 2006 season also saw Shaun Krawitz qualify for, and compete in the 3000m steeplechase at the NCAA Regional Championship.

During the 2004 cross country campaign, Ronan led the men's team to its first-ever IC4A title in program history, while also posting a No. 13 ranking in the Northeast Region, marking the team's highest rank in school history. The women's team captured its third straight top three finish at America East Championships, while the men's team posted its best showing ever, also finishing third. Dale Summerville and Leonora Joy both captured America East All-Conference honors, while Joy went on to earn All-Northeast Region accolades as well.

Stony Brook track and field also had a solid showing in 2004-05 as the Seawolves shattered several school records while taking home a pair of America East titles and five Metropolitan Championships and qualifying eight members for ECAC/IC4A Championships in nine different events. The season was highlighted by record-breaking performances in the 3000-meter steeplechase by Leonora Joy, who shattered her own school record at NCAA Regionals to improve her regional ranking from 26th to 13th in the event.

The 2003-04 track season saw several outstanding performances as the Seawolves swept the men's and women's distance medley relays at the America East Indoor Championships. Individually, Jackie Nunez captured the America East outdoor title for the second straight year in the 1,500 in an NCAA Regional qualifying time, while Leonora Joy shattered her own school record, also qualifying for Regionals, finishing third in the 3,000 steeplechase.

In 2002-03, Ronan received Stony Brook Women's Coach of the Year honors, one season after being named the top men's coach in 2001-02. Ronan was acknowledged for good reason, as he led several Seawolves to individual records and saw two of his cross country athletes earn honors never before received in Stony Brook history. Jenny Payne became the program's first NCAA qualifier and achieved All-America status, while sophomore Leonora Joy became the school's first ECAC individual champion. In addition, the women's team as a whole grew its reputation both regionally and nationally. The team climbed to as high as fifth in the Northeast Regional poll released by the Women's Intercollegiate Cross Country Coaches Association, while receiving as many as six votes in the NCAA national poll.

Ronan stresses success in the classroom as well. Jonathan Brims was named as a first team Academic All-American by the College Sports Information Directors of America in 2002-03, while Payne was named as a second team Academic All-American in addition to receiving an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship and a Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence. For her tremendous efforts on and off the track, Payne was honored as the Stony Brook Female Athlete of the Year in 2001-02 and 2002-03. Both the men's and women's cross country programs have been named to the Intercollegiate Cross Country Coaches Association Academic All-American Teams, the men in 2002 and the women in 2004.

In just his second year in 2001-02, Ronan received Stony Brook Male Head Coach of the Year accolades after leading the Seawolves to a stellar campaign. Not only did the men's team set eight new school records under Ronan's tutelage, but several individuals broke their own records more than once during the season. He also helped Stony Brook qualify for the esteemed Millrose Games for the first time ever in both the men's 4x800m relay and the men's 3,000m. The relay team of Chris Hunt, Mike Thompson, Dale Summerville and Jonathan Brims placed second in the relay by just eight-tenths of a second.

During Ronan's first year at the helm in 2000-01, he pushed Stony Brook to a successful season despite a thin roster. The Seawolves broke eight school records and competed at both the indoor and outdoor ECAC/IC4A Championships.

Prior to joining the Stony Brook staff, Ronan spent six years at Providence College as the associate head coach for the men's cross country and track and field programs, while taking on assistant coach duties for the women's programs. Known for his expertise in middle and long distance running events, Ronan assisted the Friars' programs in winning six Big East cross country titles. The men's team won back-to-back conference championships in 1995 and 1996 and captured another title in 1998, while the women's program won three straight Big East rings from 1995-1997. The 1995 women's cross country team garnered the Division I national championship.

During the 1999-2000 season, the Providence women's program won the NCAA regional, defeating 34 teams at the meet, and secured a 10th place finish in its 11th consecutive appearance at the NCAA Championships. The men's team finished second regionally and finished in 19th place in its fifth consecutive appearance at the NCAA Championships.

While at Providence College, Ronan was associated with the development of two NCAA individual champions, two Olympians, 37 All-Americans and six Big East champions. Ben Noad won the 1998 Big East cross country championship, posting the second-best performance in the conference's history with a time of 23:37. In 1996, Marie McMahon posted a time of 16:36, which still stands as the third-best women's time in Big East history.

Before his time with Providence, Ronan spent 1994 as the assistant coach of the men's and women's track and field program at Denison University in Granville, Ohio, and served as head coach of the men's cross country/track and field team at Our Lady of Providence High School from 1986-1988.

A 1986 graduate of Providence, Ronan was an outstanding cross country and track and field athlete. He was among the many All-Americans in Friars' history, receiving the honor in 1983 and 1985. A native of Wexford, Ireland, Ronan won four Big East titles, capturing the 5,000m indoor title twice and the 10,000m outdoor championship twice. Ronan competed at a world-class level after graduation, finishing third at the 1991 Boston Marathon (2:11.27) and fourth at the 1989 Twin Cities Marathon (2:13.49). He also represented his native Ireland in the marathon at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and competed in the World Cross Country Championships in 1982 and 1989.