Carlow University Department of Athletics tabs Ashley Soske as Cross Country Head Coach

PITTSBURGH --- The Carlow University Department of Athletics is excited to announce the hiring of Ashley Soske as the new Head Coach of Men's and Women's Cross Country.

Soske is currently a tenure-track assistant professor in the School of Social Work at Carlow and has been coaching cross country for five years.

"Now that I'm full-time faculty at Carlow, I wanted to use my passion for running and love for teaching to coach at the collegiate level," Soske said.

She joins the Celtics having previously coached at Fox Chapel School District and Pittsburgh Public Schools for a combined five years.

Soske previously taught in the School of Social Work at the University of Pittsburgh for five years prior to joining Carlow University in January.

"We are excited to have Ashley join the Carlow Athletics family," Director of Athletics Lou Zadecky said. "She will bring great energy and knowledge to the cross country program. We are looking forward to the team competing and what they can accomplish under her direction this year and for years to come."

Soske said she is most excited about bringing more awareness to the sport and creating a collaborative environment for the student-athletes.

"I'm looking forward to utilizing my skills as a teacher and coach to provide a positive environment for our athletes to grow and develop," she added.

Soske earned a Bachelor's degree in psychology from Allegheny College. She earned dual Master of Social Work and Master of Business Administration degrees from the University of Pittsburgh and holds a Doctoral degree in Social Work from the University of Southern California.

Outside of the classroom, Soske qualified three separate times for the USA National Championship in sprint triathlon and successfully completed an Ironman triathlon.

Soske's goal for the cross country program is to provide student-athletes with an environment where they can focus on academics while also competing in a sport they enjoy.

"I want the athletes to remember that running is supposed to be fun," Soske said. "While it is a competitive collegiate-level sport, I don't want them to get burnt out. Our athletes are competing at the NCAA Division III level because they love it."

Soske also stated she wants the student-athletes to feel seen and heard in the program. Her main goal as the season quickly approaches is to establish consistent communication with the team and start building relationships with the student-athletes "so they know they have a voice."

She set up a shared drive where athletes can post workouts and challenges for the day with a space to provide feedback about their perceived efforts during training.

"I want them to be able to understand that not every day is going to be a 'personal best' kind of day," Soske said. "I want them to continue their passion for running and take the skills they learned in college well into adulthood."

Any students interested in joining the cross country team can reach Coach Soske at absoske@carlow.edu, or complete the RecruitMe form online.

For an upcoming list of meets, visit the Carlow Athletics website at https://athletics.carlow.edu.