ST. PAUL, Minn. - Macalester College Director of Track & Field/Cross Country Dan Schofer has announced the hiring of Rachel Leonard as Head Track & Field Coach. Leonard joins the Macalester staff after serving as Assistant Track & Field Coach at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth for the 2024 indoor and outdoor seasons.
"We are excited to welcome Coach Leonard to our program," Schofer said. "We had a deep pool of outstanding coaches who applied for this position, and Rachel rose to the top during the interview process in particular with the way she aligned with our program and institutional values and in her vision for where our team is headed. Her experience as a coach, recruiter, and operations specialist will be a boost to our program. We have a lot of momentum as a team, and I look forward to working with Rachel as she helps lead us to new heights.
While at UMass Dartmouth, Leonard worked with the sprinters, hurdlers and jumpers. Her athletes turned in three All-America performances, earned 19 All-Conference honors and posted 15 top-10 marks in the program's history. She also coordinated the team's travel operations, including meals and travel arrangements.
Prior to her time at UMass Dartmouth, Leonard worked at the Division I level at the University of Iowa and Florida State University. At Iowa she was the Director of Track & Field/Cross Country Operations, coordinating the Hawkeyes' recruiting visits, including a 120-prospect Junior Day. Leonard oversaw travel arrangements, camps and clinics and other events on campus. At Florida State, where she was the Track & Field/Cross Country Operations Assistant, Leonard worked with the women's distance runners while also coordinating recruiting, visits and travel.
Leonard began her coaching career at her alma mater, Colby College in Waterville, Maine. She served as an Assistant Track & Field Coach and Recruiting Coordinator for two years before moving on to Ripon (Wis.) College in a similar role.
"I'm very excited to join the Macalester College Track & Field program, and I want to thank Dan, Donnie, and the search committee for this opportunity," Leonard said. "I am looking forward to this next chapter with the Scots."
A 2019 graduate of Colby, Leonard qualified for the Division III national meet in the 400 meters both indoors and outdoors as a senior. She also was a member of Colby's 4x400-meter relay team that qualified for the national indoor meet in 2017. The school record holder in the 500 meters, Leonard earned All-NESCAC and All-Region honors and earned a spot on the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team. She was given the Patty Valavanais Award that recognizes athletic and academic excellence and personal leadership and sportsmanship.
Leonard received her B.A. in Latin American Studies from Colby. She earned a USTFCCCA Track & Field certification and is also certified in USTFCCCA Strength & Conditioning and Meet Management.