Bio

Cross Country and Snowshoe Team Coach

Jim’s path to coaching collegiate cross country is nothing short of unique.  He graduated from SUNY – Potsdam (BA in History, 1981) and then Virginia Tech (MAEd in Guidance and Counseling, 1983).  He has proven himself a successful high school track coach (1982, 1984 – 1987; 1990 – 1995) at Saranac Lake High School.   

He started the Paul Smith’s College Striders in September 1987 upon his arrival to the campus as the Director of the Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP), a professional position he retained until 1995 when he was offered a new position at the college as the Recreation and Intramural Programs Coordinator.  While volunteering to conduct the Striders, he patterned this campus – based organization upon his experience with the Virginia Tech Striders, preparing the student athletes to compete in a variety of endurance sports while conducting a broad range of events on the campus for athletes far and wide.  Triathlons, canoe races, duathlons, road races, trail runs, snowshoe races, Nordic ski races ~ he has coordinated all these and more at the campus over the years.  

He began the Paul Smith’s College Striders upon his arrival to the college in 1987, and the team has conducted the Sherpa World Cup of Amateur Snowshoe Racing (1988 and 1989) which soon after evolved into the North American Snowshoe Classic.  His snowshoe athletes have won the International Snowshoe Championship fourteen times since 2001, including 2001, 2004 – 2006, and 2008 – 2017.  He has been the President of the Empire State Snowshoe Racing Association (ESSRA) since 1999, and the Striders have been the hosts of the Empire State Games nearly every year since 1985.  

While coaching the Nordic ski team for three seasons (1990 – 1992), the men’s and women’s teams won the NJCAA National titles in 1990 ~ the final year of competition among two-year colleges.  His Nordic teams finished second in the Mideast Region of the USCSA in 1991 and 1992, and performed very well at USCSA nationals both seasons.  

After a life-altering knee injury in 1994, he diverted his attention to the development of the college’s Marathon Canoe Team in 1996 and developed an extremely strong paddling program.  Training and racing throughout the Northeast, he then conducted the Enviro-trek 2000 with the canoe team as they paddled 410 miles from the college campus to the Statue of Liberty over a dozen days.  The following year, he led a group of 18 paddlers and support crew as they paddled 385 miles from Lake Erie to the Hudson River in Enviro-trek 2001, and then Earth Trek 2003 paddling the entire length of the Connecticut River (380 miles) from the Canadian border to Long Island sound.  All three of these long-distance canoe treks were primarily opportunities to conduct environmental education programs with over 1,000 school kids each year.  

With the on-going success of his teams, it was only a matter of time before he became the cross-country coach.  The team experienced its re-birth in 2003, and by 2008, the team had seen a series of three head coaches.  Tucker got on the recruiting band wagon and the team tripled in size in preparation for the 2009 season.  

In his first year, the men’s team won the Sunrise Conference title (the fourth team title in a row) in Presque Isle, Maine, while Kyle Dash, Ashley Rokjer and Jessie Gardner all qualified to compete in the NAIA nationals in Vancouver, Washington.  Jessie Gardner capped off an outstanding senior season by winning the Southern Vermont College Invitational as well as the Sunrise Conference Championships.  

In 2010, the Paul Smith’s College athletic teams departed from the NAIA and the Sunrise Conference, and returned to the United States Collegiate Athletic Association.  Both the XC teams won the Yankee Small College Conference (YSCC) Invitational while the men’s team placed third at USCAA nationals and the women’s team placed fourth. Paul Smith’s College hosted the USCAA Cross Country Nationals in 2011 and 2012 at Lake Placid’s Mount VanHoevenburg’s biathlon trails featuring nearly 30 men’s teams and over 20 women’s teams both years.   

In 2011, the women’s team took a leap forward, with second place finishes at the SUNY – IT Invitational, the Southern Vermont College Mountaineer Invitational, and then the Yankee Small College Conference (YSCC) Championships.  Our men’s team placed second at the Southern Vermont College (’09 – ’12) Invitational before winning the YSCC in 2011 for the second consecutive year.  Both teams were runners up at the YSCC Championship in 2012, with NHTI fielding very strong teams to win the championships. 

Stressing academic success, it is quite an honor to know that in 2011, we had eight cross country athletes earn USCAA All-Academic Team honors, while in 2012, there were seven honored at nationals.  In 2013, the Bobcats had nine members of the cross country team who earned USCAA All-Academic Team honors, and seven runners made the YSCC All-Conference Team.  

Collegiate Cross Country Coach of the Year Honors

NAIA Sunrise Conference Men’s Cross Country (2009).

USCAA Yankee Small College Conference Men’s Cross Country Champions: (2011; 2014; 2015; 2018, 2022 - 2024).

USCAA Yankee Small College Conference Women’s Cross Country Champions: (2013 - 2015; 2021 and 2023 - 2024).

USCAA Cross Country All Americans (since 2010)

2011 – Kyle Dash (5^th) and Anastasia Hull (5^th)

2012 – Second Team All American:  Corey Roth (10^th)

2013 – Chloe Mattilio (4^th)

2014 - Chloe Mattilio (5th)

2015 - Corey Roth (7th); Rob Calamia (8th) and Chloe Mattilio (14th)

2021 - Jessie Church (8th) and Ellen Haas (14th)

2022 - Wes Burkit (10th)

2023 - Lily Rother (8th) and Eliot Soderholm (3rd) 

Sunrise Conference – All Conference Team Honors

2009

Men:  Kyle Dash, Matt Piper and Jacob Dillon.

Women:  Jessie Gardner (Conference Champion), Ashley Rokjer and Jessica Champagne.

Yankee Small College Conference – All Conference Team Honors

2011

Women:  Ashley Rokjer and Jessie Husmann; 

Men:  Kyle Dash (Champion), Matt Piper, Eric Kowalik, and Alex Kelchner.

2012

Women:  Jessie Husmann.  

Men: Cory Roth (Champion), Eric Kowalik, and Louis Ferrone III.

2013

Women:  Chloe Mattilio (Champion), Ashley Evans, Corrie Desilets, & Jessie Husmann.

Men:  Louis Ferrone III, Zach Davidson, and Jack Mulvihill.

2014

Women:  Chloe Mattilio, Ashley Evans, Jessica Setter and Jessie Husmann (first 4-time PSC student on YSCC All Conference Team); 

Men:  Jack Mulvihill, Joe St. Cyr, Tyler Dezago, and David Kucia.

2015

Women:  Chloe Mattilio, Ashley Evans, Corrie Desilets, and Jessica Setter; 

Men: Corey Roth, Rob Calamia, Louis Ferrone III, Tyler Dezago.

2016

Women: Chloe Mattilio (Paul Smith's College's second 4-time All YSCC Team member); Men:  Rob Calamia.

2017

Men: Joe St. Cyr (Champion); and Isaac Leach (4th place).

2018

Women:  Tessa White (4th).

Men: Matt Frye (4th), Jack Fogarty (6th), and Patrick Mullen Mechtly (7th).

2019

Men: Ray Derman IV (6th).

2021

Women: Jessie Church (Champion), Ellen Haas (4th), Melody Ascioti (5th) & Ellie Judice (7th).

Men: Zack Sprott-Scribner (4th).

2022

Women: Wesley Burkit (2^nd), and Ellen Haas (3^rd).

Men: Philp Matthews (3^rd), Logan Krahn (6^th), and Ryan Chiari (7^th).

2023

Women: Lily Rother (2nd), Ellen Haas (3rd), Joanna Kershner (4th), Brooklynn Shumway (6th).

Men: Eliot Soderholm (Champion), Tyler Kirschbaum (2nd). 

2024

Women: Ellen Haas (4^th), Joanna Kershner (6th), Brooklynn Shumway (7th)

Men: Eliot Soderholm (2^nd), Banyan Love (3rd), Wesley Burkit (7^th).

Paul Smith’s College Cross Country Runners

Members of the Yankee Small College Conference ~ All-Decades Team (2006 – 2019)

Women

Ashley Rokjer: In 2009, Ashley placed third in the NAIA Sunrise Conference Championship, and again in 2011 Rokjer placed third in the YSCC championships.  Ashley helped pace the Bobcats to back to back 4^th place team finishes at USCAA Nationals in 2010 and 2011.  

Ana Hull: Ana led the Bobcats to a 4^th place finish at USCAA Nationals in 2011, and earned First Team USCAA All American honors with a 5^th place finish.  

Jessie Husmann:  All Conference Team (2011 - 2014); and helped lead the team to the Women’s YSCC XC Team Champions (2013 – 2014).  

Chloe Mattilio:  Chloe won the YSCC Individual title (2013; 2015); All Conference Team (2013; 2014; 2015; 2016); USCAA All American First Team (2013, 2014); USCAA All American Second Team (2015) and led to the team to three consecutive Women’s YSCC XC Team Titles ~ (2013 – 2015). 

Corrie Desilets:  Corrie made the YSCC All Conference Team in 2012 and again in 2015.  Corrie was recognized in 2015 as the PSC’s Women’s Cross Country Most Improved Runner, and she helped the Women’s team win three consecutive conference titles (2013 – 2015).  

Jessica Setter:  Jessica earned All Conference honors (2014 and 2015), and was an integral part of the Paul Smith’s College women’s team that won the YSCC title both seasons.  Jess was recognized in 2014 with the Paul Roberson Memorial Award ~ Outstanding Paul Smith’s College Athlete and Campus Student Leadership.  

Ashley Evans: Ashley earned YSCC All Conference Team honors in 2013; 2014 and in 2015.  In 2016, Ashley received recognition from Paul Smith’s College with the Senior Scholar Athlete Award:  Leadership, Sportsmanship and Sports Competitiveness.  In 2014, Ashley was recognized by the USCAA as the XC Women’s Student Athlete of the Year.  Ashley was the Women’s Cross Country Team Captain (2015).  Ashley was an integral part of the Women’s YSCC XC Team that won three consecutive YSCC Championships (2013 – 2015).  

Men

Kyle Dash:  YSCC Individual Title (2011); USCAA First Team All American (2011). Kyle Dash took his first collegiate victory at the YSCC championship meet in 2010, the year prior to Paul Smith’s joining the YSCC.  Kyle placed third at the Sunrise Conference Championship in 2009 and competed in NAIA Nationals in Vancouver, WA to conclude the freshman season.   

Corey Roth:  YSCC Individual Champion twice: (2012; 2015); while also earning USCAA XC All American honors ~ (Second Team - 2012; First Team - 2015). 

Louis Ferrone III: Louis Ferrone earned YSCC All Conference Team honors (2012 - 2013; 2015).  Louis was the Men’s team captain (2015).  

Robert Calamia  Rob earned USCAA Second Team All American honors (2015) and was the YSCC All Conference Team (2015 and 2016 in runner up position both seasons).  

Joseph St. Cyr  YSCC Individual Title (2017); YSCC All Conference Team (2014) and was the Johnson State College Badger XC Invitational champion (2017). 

Paul Smith’s College – XC Individual Distance Records

Women’s 5K:  Chloe Mattilio – 20:11 at SUNY – IT, Sept. 28, 2013

Women’s 6K:  Chloe Mattilio – 23:58 at Jamesville Beach course, Cazenovia College Invitational, October 5, 2015. 

Men’s 8K:  Joe St. Cyr - 26:48 at Seneca Lake State Park, CCOC Meet, Oct. 2016. 

A message and lifestyle that Jim tries to convey to his students and colleagues goes as follows, “It is truly great to be alive. Convey your zest and enthusiasm to those you encounter. Make today count, not only for yourself, but for others as well. Leave a positive mark and a lasting legacy for those who will follow.”