SARNIA – Cross Country Head Coach Scott Burns has announced that local running coach Mark MacDonald will join the Lions coaching staff as an Assistant Coach for the 2023 season.
“There’s a lot of experience coming in here that’s going to help our program,” said Burns on the addition of MacDonald to the coaching staff. “When there’s someone that’s this good in our community, I thought that it was important to get him involved if he was available.”
“The more energy and experience that our coaches can bring, the more the athletes feed off that and I can feel that already with Mark on board.”
“I’ve been away from the sport for a good amount of time, but it was the right time for me to get back into it,” added MacDonald. “On the heels of last year’s successful return to cross country for Lambton College, I wanted to be part of that positive energy going forward.”
“Scott and I go way back, and him and I both have similar philosophies when it comes to athlete development. I’m here to support Scott and our student-athletes in any way that I can.”
MacDonald brings with him an extensive resume in the running community in Sarnia-Lambton and across Southwestern Ontario, both as an athlete and as a coach. MacDonald attended the University of Windsor, where he graduated with an honours degree in Human Kinetics with a specialization in teaching and coaching. While at Windsor, MacDonald was a two-sport athlete, competing in cross country as well as track and field.
He was a two-time All-Canadian in Indoor Track and Field, as well as a two-time member of the Canadian University Team Champions.
After his time at Windsor, MacDonald began his coaching career, both in track and running. For more than a decade, he was the Head Coach and General Manager of the Sarnia Athletics Southwest Track and Field Club. In 2000 and 2001, the Junior Women’s team won the Canadian Cross Country Team Championships.
In addition to his local resume, MacDonald’s coaching career has taken him across the World. He has served as an Assistant Coach with the Canadian National Team at various World Championships in China, Belgium, and Ireland.
One of the many highlights of MacDonald’s coaching career was when Hilary Stellingwerff, one of MacDonald’s former athletes, competed in both the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games for Team Canada in the 1500m running event.
The 2023 season gets underway on Tuesday, September 5th for the Lions as they host their first open try-out session at 5:00 p.m. near the Lambton College Centre of Excellence (beside Parking Lot #2). Interested runners are asked to fill out a Prospective Student-Athlete Form prior to attending the session.