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Men's Cross Country 5/19/2022 9:31:00 AM Bob Shreve, Assistant Director of Athletics Media Relations

John Carrig Retires after 32 Years as Cross Country Coach

ERIE, Pa. – Long-time Gannon University cross country coach John Carrig has announced his retirement. He steps down after a long and successful tenure in which he built the Golden Knight harriers into one of the better programs in the PSAC.

"We would like to thank John for his years of service to the men's and women's cross country teams," commented Director of Athletics Lisa Goddard McGuirk. "Our student-athletes have consistently achieved success both in the classroom and on the course over the years."

Carrig took over the men's cross country program in 1990 and added the women's coaching responsibilities in 1995. Over those 32 years he not only built the Golden Knights into one of the better cross country programs in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, but they also enjoyed tremendous success in the classroom.

Gannon prospered the most in recent years. His men's team had its first national qualifier in 2018, with Joseph Westrick finishing fifth at the NCAA Atlantic Regional, the highest finish ever for a Gannon runner, to qualify as an individual for the National Championships. He would place 81^st out of 260 runners. He had earlier finished fourth at the PSAC Championships.

A year later Westrick was joined at Nationals by Ryan Garich (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep). Westrick was Gannon's first PSAC champion and went on to finish fourth at the Atlantic Regional. He also became Gannon's first PSAC Athlete of the Year in cross country. Garich, meanwhile, was sixth at the PSAC Championships and followed that with an All-Region performance thanks to an eighth place showing. He would earn an at-large berth to Nationals.

The women's team also enjoyed success under Carrig. In 2018, Grace McGrath became Gannon's first All-Region performer since 2015 and helped the Golden Knights to a ninth place showing at the Atlantic Regional, the best showing in team history at the Atlantic Regional.

Carrig's last team bettered that mark as the 2021 women's team placed sixth after a seventh-place finish at the PSAC Championships. In 2020-21, both the men and women enjoyed their highest finish at the PSAC Championships, with the women finishing fourth and the men fifth.

Three women have earned All-PSAC honors each of the last two years while two men achieved all-conference recognition in 2020-21 and 2019.

Academics have always been a strong part of the fabric of Carrig's program. Westrick was the 2019 NCAA Elite 90 recipient to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative GPA competing at the national championships. He was the first Gannon student-athlete to earn the honor. In addition, he won the PSAC Champion Scholar Award and is the only runner to win the PSAC championship and earn the conference's top academic award in the same year.

Carrig's men's and women's cross country teams consistently earned USTFCCCA All-Academic honors. He had over 50 USTFCCCA Academic All-Americans during his tenure. In addition, the Gannon men's team has won the PSAC Champion Scholar six years in a row, and this past year both the men and the women garnered the award as Caleb Mandel (Harborcreek, Pa./Harbor Creek) won the men's award for the second straight year while Jeanne Peters (Ankeny, Iowa/Ankeny Centennial) won the women's award this past year.

"After 32 years of coaching Gannon cross country there are an incredible amount of people I need to thank," Carrig explained. "First, I would like to thank my wife, family, and friends for their loving support and encouragement through good times and bad. Next, I would like to thank the late Bud Elwell, who hired me with a handshake, and my two assistants, Sandy Ruhlman and Rosie Williamson. Also, my fellow coaches, Sports Information Directors, Athletic Trainers, and business personnel, especially long-time assistant athletic director and fellow retiree Kathy MacMurdy. Last, I would like to thank and heap praise on all of the student-athletes who have come through our program and helped establish the culture of GUXC. You have made these years most enjoyable.

"Cool Runnings/ Peace be the Journey."

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Players Mentioned

Ryan Garich: Senior; Pre-Medicine

Caleb Mandel: Sophomore

Jeanne Peters: Freshman; Biomedical Engineering

Players Mentioned

Ryan Garich
: Senior; Pre-Medicine

Caleb Mandel
: Sophomore

Jeanne Peters
: Freshman; Biomedical Engineering