TORONTO - The Seneca Sting is excited to announce the hiring of Wesley Correa as the new cross country running head coach.
Correa brings a history of success to the Sting program, both as a student-athlete and as a coach.
Correa ran for four years with the Humber Hawks, winning an OCAA championship in 2006 following by a three-year coaching stint with the Hawks women's team, capturing an OCAA and CCAA championship in 2012.
In addition to running one year with the George Brown Huskies, Correa was instrumental in helping launch the University of Toronto Mississauga cross country running program in 2014.
After two years away from the sport, Correa is eager to get back into the sport he loves.
"Coaching has always been a passion of mine. The feeling you get when you watch an athlete you've coached achieve their goals is even better than achieving your own. I put a focus on my career a couple years ago and I think I've reached a point where I can add back a piece of my life that I had missed dearly the last few years. Even when I wasn't coaching, I would still find myself out on weekends watching races simply because of how infectious the OCAA culture is."
Correa is inheriting a Sting team who has been represented at the CCAA championship each of the past five seasons.
With that success, Correa recognizes that he will be fine-tuning each individual runner rather than a complete rebuild. The challenge of finding the one or two key pieces to deliver a championship team is something that he has embraced, although Correa has a few qualities he is looking for.
"Dedication is one of the most desired characteristics in a student-athlete. That applies to both in the classroom and out on the trails. A student-athlete that can excel in both the classroom and on the field/court/trails is an example we look to set amongst all our athletes."
Finding the "ideal" student-athlete will be important in building a championship team in a sport that is as individualized as cross country running.
"Each runner brings a unique skill set, experience, fitness level and mindset to the team. It is crucial to approach each athlete's training and development individually to ensure we as coaches are doing everything in our power to assist these athletes through their college years."
Less than a week on the job, Correa is already thinking long-term in where he sees the Sting program, with the support of administration.
"Seneca has great values and is very supportive of their athletes. It has the structure to support the winning culture I hope to establish on the cross country program."
Jason Kerswill, manager of athletics, recreation and sports centre operations is excited about the future of the Sting cross country running program with Correa at the helm.
"We feel that we are bringing in a coach that has exemplified excellence, character and leadership, which are the core pillars of our Seneca Sting approach to athletics and academics. Wesley's knowledge of the OCAA and the cross country circuit positions him for success from a technical standpoint and his passion for developing the 'student first' was exactly what we feel to ensure the success of our student-athletes."
The Sting will be hosting the fifth annual Sting Challenge on Saturday, Oct. 15 at King Campus as well as the 2016 OCAA championships on Saturday, Oct. 29 at King Campus.
Source: Seneca College