Longwood University Athletics

FARMVILLE, Va. – Former All-Big South cross country runner Brooke Spencer Craig has returned to the Big South as assistant coach of the Longwood cross country program, Longwood head coach Daniel Wooten announced Friday.
 
A four-year letterwinner at Winthrop from 2005-09, Craig boasts an accomplished collegiate and post-college running resume that includes more than a decade of competition ranging from the Big South Championship to the Boston Marathon.
 
"We are very fortunate to have Brooke join our program," Wooten said. "Her knowledge and passion for cross country has been obvious to me from the start, as well as her genuine commitment to seeing our student-athletes excel in all facets, from personal growth to academics and athletics. From the first time I spoke with Brooke, I could tell she was in tune with what we are trying to accomplish with our programs.
 
"Brooke's time as a runner in the Big South and now as a marathoner will bring another layer of experience we need. I am looking forward to what both teams can accomplish as we continue to grow the program."
 
A former walk-on at Winthrop, Craig rose through the ranks during her four years in the Eagles program, earning Big South All-Academic Team honors, a scholarship and eventually a ninth-place finish in the 2009 Big South Championship that earned her all-conference honors as a senior. During her collegiate career, she went from a 19-minute 5K runner as a freshman to setting a PR of 17:49 during her all-conference senior year.
 
At Longwood, Craig will assist Wooten in coaching a program that includes a combined 13 returners from men's and women's teams that finished eighth and 10th in last year's Big South Championship, respectively.
 
"From the moment I stepped on campus I felt at home, and I am beyond blessed to take on this opportunity to coach at Longwood University," Craig said. "I began running when I was 16 years old and immediately fell in love with the sport. I love sharing my passion for running with others, and I look forward to helping develop Longwood's program as it continues to grow."
 
A native of Greenville, S.C., Craig was a latecomer to the sport in high school but has parlayed her collegiate success into a decorated competition resume since graduating with her B.A. in Spanish from Winthrop in 2009. She is a three-time finisher in the Boston Marathon, competing in the internationally renowned event in 2014, 2015 and 2016. She has 10 marathons under her belt, has run in eight states and is pursuing of a personal goal of running a marathon in all 50 states.
 
In addition to her running pedigree, Craig also has experience as a high school cross country and track coach at Nation Ford High School in Fort Mill, S.C.
 
Craig is also nearing completion of her Master's in Business Administration from the University of Lynchburg. She is married to her former collegiate teammate Michael Craig.
 
Craig will join Wooten in coaching the men's and women's cross country teams during their spring track season, which kicks off at the Trojan Challenge, hosted by Mount Olive, on Saturday, March 30, in Mount Olive N.C. That will be the first of three spring meets for the Lancers, who will follow with the Phoenix Invitational at Elon on April 6 and the Captains Classic at Christopher Newport on April 20.
 
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