Carrig begins his 29th year as the men’s cross country coach at Gannon University in 2018. A highly respected running coach in the Erie area, Carrig begins his 24th season in charge of the women’s cross country program.
Carrig has stressed a combined effort on the course and in the classroom. His men’s program produced the nation’s highest team grade point average among NCAA Division II schools in 1998, 1999, 2010 and 2015. His women’s team finished No. 1 in 2011. The Lady Knights were second in 1999, 2005, 2007 and 2010.
Both teams earned NCAA Division II Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic Team honors in each of the last 15 seasons. The selection of the all-academic teams is based on cumulative grade point averages submitted by member head coaches for the fall academic term. All teams above a cumulative 3.00 grade point average are honored for their performance.
The women’s team posted its 14th consecutive top-10 finish last season, ranking fifth among all NCAA Division II programs with a 3.74 cumulative grade point average. The Lady Knights placed second nationally in 1999, 2005, 2007, 2010 and 2011. The squad was third in 2016, third in 1998, fourth in 2006, fourth in 2013, fourth in 2014, fifth in 2008 and fifth in 2012.
The men’s squad ranked No. 3 among NCAA Division II programs in 2017 for its sixth consecutive top-four finish with a 3.73 cumulative grade point average. The Golden Knights' recent streak includes a top ranking (3.64) in 2010 and (3.8) 2015, as well as a second-place nod (3.60) in 2011. The program has recorded third-place finishes in 2012 (3.58), 2013 (3.69) and 2016 (3.69).
Individually, eight Gannon cross country student-athletes were named to the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic team last season. The list included Bobby Danielson, Allie Domer, Sarah Fiorello, Grant Folgate, Eric Ingram, Meredith Morse, Garrett Sutton and Joseph Westrick. A student-athlete must finish in the top third of the NCAA regional race and have a 3.00 cumulative GPA or better to qualify for the team. Gannon runners have received the honor 42 times since 2007. Veronica Bujdos (2012-15) and Danielson (2014-17) were four-time honorees. Emily Reinhart (2011-13) follows with three selections. Nicole Bubie (2012-13), Brittany Zaborowski (2007-08), Rosie Cooper (2009-10), Andy Hellmann (2011-12), Grace McGrath (2015-16), Domer (2016-17), Sutton (2016-17) and Westrick (2016-17) are two-time winners. The list of runners who received the honor once includes Carter Denne (2010), Madison Steward (2009), Jenna Szczepanski (2008), Shayna Weir (2007), C.J. Kennett (2012), Joe Wisniewski (2012), Kailyn Bentley (2014), Eric Boring (2014), Brian Svoboda (2014), Gabby Kennelley (2015), Nick Samsel (2016), Fiorello (2017), Ingram (2017) and Morse (2017).
On the course, Carrig has guided runners to All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) and all-region performances during five of the last six seasons. Westrick earned all-conference first-team honors last year with an 11th-place finish out of 146 runners, representing the best individual conference performance in program history. In the process, Westrick helped the men’s squad produce its best PSAC team finish ever. Two weeks later, he earned all-region first-team accolades with a 19th-place finish at the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional which also set a new standard for Golden Knights. Again, Westrick’s performance guided the Golden Knights to their best regional placement in school history.
Kennelley captured both honors during her first year with the team in 2015, earning all-conference honors with a runner-up finish at the PSAC Championships. It was the highest PSAC finish ever by a Lady Knight. She then secured all-region accolades by placing 12th out of 156 runners at the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional. Much like her PSAC finish, it represented the highest regional finish in program history.
Bujdos was named all-region in 2013 after improving 46 spots from her freshman regional run with a 14th-place time of 21 minutes and 21.1 seconds. She missed a bid to the NCAA Division II National Championships by two spots. In 2012, Bubie was named all-region with a 19th-place finish. Bujdos also earned all-conference accolades in 2013 with a 15th-place finish of 22 minutes and 55.4 seconds at the PSAC Championships. The performance was 34 places and 1:23.3 better than her freshman finish in 2012.
Last season, Carrig guided the men’s team to its best PSAC finish since joining the league in 2008 and its best NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional finish since at least 1998. Both results top previous high marks set the year before in 2016. In 2015, the women’s team recorded its best regional finish since 2008.
Seventeen Lady Knights and 11 Golden Knights were named 2017 PSAC Scholar-Athletes, bringing the program’s all-academic selections to 267 over the last 15 seasons. Another 17 Gannon runners received the Division II Athletics Directors Association (DII ADA) Academic Achievement Award last year, bringing that total to 96 during the last seven seasons.
Carrig built his reputation as the head coach at Cathedral Prep (Pa.) High School from 1983-89. During his six years, the Ramblers showed an astounding 59-1 dual meet record, with the 59 wins coming in a row. His tenure included four District 10 titles, five Metro League championships and four Section crowns. Carrig coached a total of five all-state runners.
A veteran of the U.S. Army, Carrig graduated from Gannon in 1981 with a bachelor’s degree in social studies. He earned his master’s degree as a reading specialist in 1988.
Carrig and his wife, Kathy, reside in Erie. They are the proud parents of one daughter, Megan (27). He is retired after a long tenure as an Erie School District employee.
