UTICA, NY - The Utica track and field/cross country program has announced an array of staffing changes in the midst of an exciting 2026-2027 season.

Chief among those changes is the hiring of a new full-time assistant coach, Christian Noa, who will help with all facets of the program. 

Career Roadmap:
SUNY Oneonta Graduate (2020-2024) (Exercise Science Major)
Ithaca College Graduate (2024-2025) (Graduate Assistant with Cross Country/Track & Field)
Colgate University Assistant Cross Country/Track & Field Coach (January 2026 - September 2026) 

About Coach Noa
Noa was a 3-time SUNYAC Track & Field Championships Qualifier during his four years as an athlete at SUNY Oneonta. In his first year of his coaching career at Ithaca College, Noa served on the Liberty League Indoor Track & Field Coaching Staff of the Year during the 2025 season. During his time at Ithaca, Noa coached 2 national qualifiers, 7 Conference scorers at the Liberty League Championships, an AARTFC Champion in the 800m, and 3 AARTFC Scorers.

After a stellar performance at Ithaca, Noa was hired as the Assistant Cross Country/Track & Field Coach at Colgate University. The 2026 season added to his list of coaching accomplishments. Noa went on to coach 3 Conference Scorers at the Patriot League Championships.

Jim Lemieux, who was recently named the Director of Track and Field/Cross Country, expressed excitement at the hiring of Noa; "We are very excited to add Christian to the staff. He brings a wealth of knowledge regarding training distance athletes, as well as tremendous experience and knowledge of programs from within the region. Having competed at SUNY Oneonta, and then starting out as a Graduate Assistant with Ithaca College, Christian is knowledgeable of the region and has many contacts in the local high school community from which we hope to build on our already strong distance program. Christian experienced firsthand the growth of our program and is excited to become a part of it. With the addition of Christian, we hope to see our XC and distance athletes achieve new heights and continue to be a rising star in the region,"

Through his experience in past institutions, Noa provides a strong foundation in exercise science (M.S. & BA), athlete development, and coaching.

In addition to the hiring of Noa and the title change of Lemieux to Director of Track and Field, the program has also announced the hiring of Nick Lyndaker as an athletic assistant for the program.

Lyndaker, a 2026 graduate of St. Lawrence University, will immediately bolster the program's distance prowess, as the newly hired assistant brings in a stellar resume of competition, including taking home the 2025 NCAA Indoor Track & Field 1 Mile National Championship, and achieving a bevy of other accolades including 5 NCAA DIII All-American nods, 4 USTFCCCA Mideast Region Runner of the Year honors, 5x Liberty League Performer of the Year, and hauling in 11 Individual Liberty League Championships. 

The cross country team will head down the stretch of its season over the next few weeks, gearing up for the Empire 8 Championships and the NCAA Niagara Regional which will take place on October 31st and November 14th, respectively.