Wil Zahorodny Joins Elon’s Cross Country Staff

ELON, N.C. – Wil Zahorodny, a four-time All-Colonial Athletic Association athlete and a NCAA Regional qualifier at UNC Wilmington, has joined the Elon University cross country staff as an volunteer assistant coach as announced by Phoenix head coach cross country Christine Engel on Thursday, July 24.

Zahorodny will assist Engel in coaching the both the men’s and women’s cross country programs as well as aiding her with the distance group during the track and field season.

“I am looking forward to Wil joining our staff,” said Engel. “I know he will have a positive impact on our student-athletes. Additionally, he brings a wealth of experience competing as a successful athlete in the CAA.”

As a cross country and track and field athlete at UNCW, Zahorodny was a four-time All-CAA athlete and a NCAA Preliminary Regional qualifier in the 800-meters. He broke six school records between indoor and outdoor track and field and still holds three program records in the indoor 1,000-meters and the outdoor 1,500-meters and the 4×800-meter relay.

The Damascus, Md., native was also a seven-time CAA Runner of the Week and the league’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2011 for cross country. He was also an NCAA Academic All-American and a Chancellor’s Cup winner.

Since completing his collegiate career at UNCW in 2012, Zahorodny worked as the assistant cross country and track and field coach at Northwest High School in Germantown, Md., the past two years. At Northwest, he helped both cross country programs to state qualifiers and the boys indoor and outdoor teams to 4A state championships.

“Coach Engel has done an excellent job with the cross country programs here at Elon,” said Zahorodny. “I am excited to be able to provide some support for her and our athletes this fall.”