KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On Wednesday, head coach and director of cross country/distance Sean Carlson announced the addition of Judy Pendergast and Danny Kilrea to the distance staff.
“I am thrilled to welcome Danny and Judy to our staff,” Carlson said. “They were both decorated athletes in their careers, but more importantly, are great people. Both of them will be tremendous resources for our student-athletes.”
Pendergast comes to Rocky Top after spending a year on the coaching staff at Harvard. While with the Crimson, she assisted in coaching the men’s and women’s middle distance and distance runners to one of their best years in school history. She assisted in the development of two cross-country All-Americans, ten total individual conference champions, three indoor NCAA championship qualifiers and twelve outdoor NCAA first-round qualifiers.
She also helped foster the development of Maia Ramsden in her breakout 2023 season as she finished 11th at the NCAA cross country championships, placed fifth in the NCAA indoor mile and capped it off with an NCAA title in the 1,500-meter run.
“I could not be more excited to join the incredible and talented staff here at the University of Tennessee,” Pendergast said. “Coach Carlson and Coach Jacobsen have already made a huge impact on this team and I am thrilled to be part of a program that is building momentum at a national championship level. I am looking forward to learning and growing as a coach and helping our student-athletes develop into consistent conference and national title contenders.”
A Harvard graduate, Pendergast earned her degree in psychology in 2022. She was captain of the Harvard Cross Country team in 2021, where she helped lead the team to an Ivy League conference title, an NCAA Northeast Region first-place finish and the women’s program’s best NCAA championship finish in modern history.
In her Harvard career, she was a conference champion in the indoor 5,000 meters, an NCAA Indoor Finalist for the 5,000 meters, a three-time NCAA Cross Country Championships participant with the team and the former Harvard Outdoor 5,000-meter record holder with a time of 15:58.54.
Kilarea joins the coaching staff after serving for a year at Notre Dame – his alma mater. While with the Irish, he assisted in coaching the men’s and women’s distance runners.
“I am thrilled to join the coaching staff at the University of Tennessee and am thankful to Coach Carlson for the…
“I am thrilled to welcome Danny and Judy to our staff,” Carlson said. “They were both decorated athletes in their careers, but more importantly, are great people. Both of them will be tremendous resources for our student-athletes.”
Pendergast comes to Rocky Top after spending a year on the coaching staff at Harvard. While with the Crimson, she assisted in coaching the men’s and women’s middle distance and distance runners to one of their best years in school history. She assisted in the development of two cross-country All-Americans, ten total individual conference champions, three indoor NCAA championship qualifiers and twelve outdoor NCAA first-round qualifiers.
She also helped foster the development of Maia Ramsden in her breakout 2023 season as she finished 11th at the NCAA cross country championships, placed fifth in the NCAA indoor mile and capped it off with an NCAA title in the 1,500-meter run.
“I could not be more excited to join the incredible and talented staff here at the University of Tennessee,” Pendergast said. “Coach Carlson and Coach Jacobsen have already made a huge impact on this team and I am thrilled to be part of a program that is building momentum at a national championship level. I am looking forward to learning and growing as a coach and helping our student-athletes develop into consistent conference and national title contenders.”
A Harvard graduate, Pendergast earned her degree in psychology in 2022. She was captain of the Harvard Cross Country team in 2021, where she helped lead the team to an Ivy League conference title, an NCAA Northeast Region first-place finish and the women’s program’s best NCAA championship finish in modern history.
In her Harvard career, she was a conference champion in the indoor 5,000 meters, an NCAA Indoor Finalist for the 5,000 meters, a three-time NCAA Cross Country Championships participant with the team and the former Harvard Outdoor 5,000-meter record holder with a time of 15:58.54.
Kilarea joins the coaching staff after serving for a year at Notre Dame – his alma mater. While with the Irish, he assisted in coaching the men’s and women’s distance runners.
“I am thrilled to join the coaching staff at the University of Tennessee and am thankful to Coach Carlson for the…
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