Athletics Welcomes Two New Head Coaches

HAVERFORD, Pa. - Haverford College Director of Athletics Danielle Lynch has announced the hiring of Grace Elliott as head coach of the women's basketball program. Elliott joins the Fords after spending the 2021-22 season as the Head Women's Basketball Coach at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio. 

"I would like to thank Danielle Lynch, John McKnight, and the members of the search committee for this exceptional opportunity to lead the women's basketball program at Haverford College, a program with such rich tradition at an institution that shares my values," Elliott said. "I am so excited to lead this amazing group of young women and to continue the team's commitment to excellence both on and off the court at one of the most prestigious liberal arts colleges in the country. I'm looking forward to getting started and making the Haverford community proud. Go Fords!"

In Elliott's one season at Kenyon, she inherited a team that featured two classes worth of student-athletes that had never played a full collegiate season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Competing against some of the top programs in the nation in the always strong North Coast Athletic Conference, her squad overcame those challenges, coming together through adversity to notch six wins, including back-to-back triumphs over Muskingum and Earlham. The team was named a special mention to the WBCA Academic Top 25 Honor Roll, a distinction given for posting one of the top 40 cumulative team GPAs in the nation. 

"We are thrilled to welcome a coach with Grace's experience and skillset to our athletic department," Lynch said. "She stood out in the search process as a leader that will foster an inclusive, supportive, and welcoming culture within the women's basketball program here at Haverford. I am confident that her comprehensive and varied background of leadership experiences within the game of basketball will serve as a guide to continuing the on and off the court success of the program." 

Before her year at the helm of the Kenyon program, Elliott was the Head Women's Basketball Coach at nearby Rosemont College for two seasons. After inheriting a roster of just nine players, Elliott guided Ke'Alohilani Naone-Carter to a season in which she garnered all-conference and all-region honors after ranking fifth in the nation with a scoring average of 23.2 points per game. As the head coach at Rosemont, Elliott simultaneously served as the college's sports information director, providing coverage for the Ravens' 13 varsity sports teams.

Prior to her arrival at Rosemont, Elliott served as an Assistant Coach at Amherst College during the 2018-19 season, helping guide the squad to a 25-4 record and a berth in the NCAA Division III "Sweet 16" That team also featured two All-American performers. 

Elliott also adds professional playing experience as she made the trek overseas to both play and coach professionally for Team Newcastle while pursuing a graduate degree during the 2017-18 season. At Newcastle, Elliott was the starting center and led the team in rebounding and blocked shots. 

Elliott began her collegiate playing career at Division II Adelphi University before transferring to Ramapo College, where she played her final two seasons, scoring 378 points, adding 247 rebounds, and 96 blocked shots. In her senior year, she was voted team captain and went on to earn NJAC all-conference honors.

A native of Detroit, Michigan, Elliott is a 2016 graduate of Ramapo College with a bachelor's degree in communication arts. She earned her Master's degree in Leadership and Management Studies from Newcastle University in 2018.

HAVERFORD, Pa. - Haverford College Director of Athletics Danielle Lynch has announced the hiring of Annick Lamar '08 as the next head coach of the Women's Cross Country and Track & Field programs. Lamar returns to her alma mater as just the third coach in program history following the illustrious 32-year tenure of Fran Rizzo. 

"I am thrilled to be Haverford College's next Head Coach of Women's Cross Country and Track & Field." Lamar said. "Having previously been a student-athlete and assistant coach at Haverford, this opportunity marks my return to an institution that has shaped me personally and professionally. I am excited to work with such dedicated student-athletes and continue this program's long tradition of excellence."

"Throughout an extremely competitive search process, Annick stood out as a transformative leader who holds a strong familiarity and appreciation of Haverford College and its mission and values," said Haverford Director of Athletics Danielle Lynch. "She brings a proven track record of both recruiting and coaching a diverse group of student-athletes, and we are confident that she will lead our program to success both academically and athletically."

Lamar most recently served as Director of Coach Development and Education for the New York Road Runners (NYRR), a position she assumed in 2020. In this role, she leads education and training for NYRR coaches, designing curriculum focused on core coaching competencies. She also manages NYRR's educational content on training plan design, skill development, exercise physiology, and sport psychology for runners of all skill levels. Lamar serves as a forward face of the organization for broadcasts and NYRR Coach Chats, and is a frequent contributor on social and traditional media for outlets such as Women's Health and Runner's World. 

She  took over the role after previously serving as Coach and Manager of Run for the Future, NYRR's sports-based youth development running program for young women, beginning in 2015. 

In that five-year stint, Lamar managed all aspects of Run For the Future, a program which creates opportunities for a diverse group of New York City young women in an inclusive environment, providing the necessary resources and support to help young women meet their running goals. Lamar designed and managed program operations, training plans, donor engagement and strategy while leading a team of 30 coaches, staffers, and volunteers. During her tenure, Lamar grew the program from less than 50 runners annually to over 130 runners and worked with over 500 Run for the Future athletes. 

The Trenton, N.J. native got her start in coaching at the collegiate level, as she thrived as an assistant coach under Rizzo between 2008 and 2011, helping to guide the program to four consecutive NCAA Division III National Championship appearances for an individual or team, two Centennial Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships (2009, 2010) and one Centennial Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships (2009) in that tenure. 

A professional runner in the 800m (2:05.42) and 1500m (4:14.36), she made a US Senior Team representing the United States in XVI Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico in the 1,500 meters, appeared at five USA Track & Field national championships, and was a USATF Olympic Trials "B" Qualifier in the 1,500 meters and 800 meters in 2012. 

As a student-athlete at Haverford, Lamar was a four-time NCAA Division III All-American. She is a two-time All-American in the outdoor 800m with finishes of eighth (2007) and third (2008) at the outdoor track & field championships. In 2007, she earned All-America status with a 26th-place finish at the D-III cross country championship. During the 2008 indoor season Lamar placed fourth in the mile at the NCAA championship and was named an All-American.

Lamar graduated with the school record for the indoor mile (4:57.84), the outdoor 1,500m (4:34.70) and in both the indoor (2:15.72) and outdoor (2:08.15) 800m, setting the Centennial Conference record for the outdoor 800m and running the fastest Division III time that year. She was Haverford's Varsity Cup winner after the 2008 season, the department's highest athletic award presented annually to the outstanding athlete in the senior class. Those plaudits lead to a spot on the Centennial Conference Silver Anniversary team in 2018. 

In addition to her Bachelor of Arts from Haverford, Lamar earned a Master of Science in Nonprofit Leadership from Fordham University in 2018 and a Master of Science in Exercise and Sport Studies from Smith College in 2022 where she was a Fulbright Semi-Finalist for her project investigating gender equity for Canadian women coaches. She is a USATF Level I & II certified coach with specializations in youth and endurance as well as Lydiard™ I & II certified.

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