The 2000 Patriot League Men's Coach of the Year, Laura Nardelli, is in her 10th season as the head coach of the women's track and field program, and her sixth season as the head women's cross country coach at Colgate University.
Nardelli coached both the men's and women's track and field teams at Colgate before taking over as the women's cross country and track and field coach in 2001.
In 2006, Nardelli mentored three members of the indoor and outdoor track teams to five all-league awards, including two first-team honorees. Lisa Germain '06 captured the Patriot League long jump title in both the indoor and outdoor championship meets under Nardelli's tutelage. Colgate's outdoor track and field team finished fifth at the Patriot League Championship in 2006, up one spot from the previous season.
In 2000, she was named the Patriot League Men's Indoor Track and Field Coach of the Year after leading the Raiders to a third-place team finish, their best since the first league meet in 1991. At Colgate, Nardelli has produced 81 All-Patriot League performers, four Patriot League Athletes of the Meet, five ECAC medalists, and three NCAA qualifiers. In addition, her cross country team has been honored as an NCAA All-Academic squad twice.
Prior to arriving in Hamilton, Nardelli had nine years of coaching experience at West Virginia, Eastern Michigan and Cortland. Nardelli began her coaching career in 1983 at Cortland. In 1985, she was named SUNY Athletic Conference Coach of the Year while leading the Red Dragons to first place at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track Championship and second place at the NCAA Division III Indoor Track Championship.
In 1986, she became the assistant track & field coach at Eastern Michigan University where she helped the Eagles to a second-place finish at the Mid-American Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championship.
Nardelli was appointed head cross country and track and field coach at West Virginia University in 1987. During her five years at the helm of the Mountaineers' program, she coached 68 ECAC all-conference athletes and four NCAA All-Americans. Her cross country teams finished in the ECAC top 10 twice, while her indoor track team placed among the top 10 three times, including a third-place finish in 1991.
A 1982 graduate of Syracuse University, Nardelli served as captain of the Orangewomen track and field and cross country teams in 1981 and 1982. She earned a master's degree in physical education while serving as a graduate assistant in the Syracuse athletic department's academic advising office in 1984.
A professional bicycle racer since 1995, Nardelli competed in the 1996 Olympic trials. She resides in Hamilton with her husband, Ray, and their three children.
