Jon Molz - Cross Country Coach - University of Richmond Athletics

Jon Molz

Title:
Associate Head Coach
Email:
jon.molz@richmond.edu
Phone:
614-6616

Jon Molz is in his 12^th year with the Spider Cross Country and Track and Field programs, and his 6^th year as Associate Head Coach. Molz works primarily with long sprints, middle distance, and relays during the Track & Field seasons, assists the Head Coaches during Cross Country, and is also the team’s recruiting coordinator.

Since 2012, Molz has coached:

43 Atlantic 10 Champions (13 individual, 30 relays)
- Kyra Keurentjes – 1000m – 2024 Indoors
- Rachel Helbling – 400m – 2022 Indoors; 2021, 2022 Outdoors
- Brooke Fazio – 800m – 2020, 2022 Indoors; 2021, 2022 Outdoors
- Haley Preschutti – 1000m – 2017, 2018 Indoors
- Taylor Clevinger – 1000m – 2013, 2015 Indoors
- Alyson McGonigle – 800m – 2013 Indoors
- DMR – 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023
- 4x800m Indoors – 2012, 2013, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024
- 4x800m Outdoors – 2013, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023
- 4x400m Indoors – 2022, 2024; Outdoors – 2021, 2022, 2024

81 Atlantic 10 Podium Finishers (44 individuals, 37 relays)

9 ECAC Champions (since 2019)
- Brooke Fazio – 800m – 2019, 2021 Outdoors
- Maria Acosta – 800m – 2019 Indoors
- 4x800m – 2024 Indoors; 2021, 2023, 2024 Outdoors
- 4x400m – 202, 2024 Outdoors

28 ECAC Podium Finishers (20 individuals, 8 relays)

41 ALL-EAST Performances (Top-8 at ECAC Championships – 31 individuals, 10 relays)

3 USTFCCCA ALL-AMERICANS
- Brooke Fazio – 800m – 2020 Indoors
- Brooke Fazio (2^nd Team) – 800m (10^th) – 2021 Indoors
- Brooke Fazio (1^st Team) – 800m (8^th) – 2021 Outdoors

15 NCAA PRELIMINARY / NCAA INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFIERS
- Brooke Fazio – 800m - Indoors 2020, 2021
- Brooke Fazio – 800m – Outdoors 2018, 2019, 2021
- Maria Acosta – 800m – Outdoors 2018, 2019, 2021
- Kayla O’Connell – 800m – Outdoors 2021
- Rachel Helbling – 400m – Outdoors 2021
- Marisa Ruskan – 1500m – Outdoors 2017, 2018
- Amanda Corbosiero – 1500m – Outdoors 2016, 2017
- Alyson McGonigle – 1500m – Outdoors 2013

11 Program Records
- Brooke Fazio – 800m – Indoors & Outdoors
- Rachel Helbling – 400m, 500m, 600m – Indoors
- 4x400m, 4x800m, DMR – Indoors & Outdoors

4 Atlantic 10 Championship Records
- Brooke Fazio – 800m Indoors & Outdoors
- 4x800m, DMR – Indoors

During Coach Molz’ tenure, the Spiders Middle Distance group has been the class of the Atlantic 10, highlighted by a streak of 17 consecutive relay victories indoors and outdoors in the 4x800m and Distance Medley Relay from 2017 - 2024. The Spiders have won all but one A10 Championship distance relay since 2017 and hold the A10 records in the 4x800m indoors. Coach Molz has also coached 43 A10 Champions and 81 podium finishers, 9 ECAC Champions and 28 podium finishers, 15 NCAA Qualifiers, and 3 All-Americans. In 2021, Brooke Fazio finished 8^th at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon, running 2:02.97 in the NCAA Final.

The Spiders 800m group has particularly thrived of late under Coach Molz. Richmond’s 800m group has finished the season ranked in the Top-20 among all NCAA Division 1 schools in the USTFCCCA Event-Squad Rankings three times since 2019. The Spiders were ranked 16^th in 2019 (outdoors), 19^th in 2020 (indoors), and 10^th in 2021 (outdoors). Additionally, the Spiders have ranked top-10 in the NCAA among non-power 5 schools every year since 2019 outdoors (5^th in 2019, 3^rd in 2021, 6^th in 2022, and 10^th in 2023).

During their time at Richmond, Brooke Fazio and Maria Acosta formed one of the most formidable duos in the NCAA at 800m. In 2019, both Fazio and Acosta finished the season ranked in the Top 30 in the NCAA, one of only three programs in the country to do so. The pair combined to qualify for the NCAA Championships 8 times and boasted personal bests of 2:02.76 (Fazio) and 2:05.13 (Acosta) upon graduating. Kayla O’Connell also qualified for the NCAA East Preliminary Championships in 2021, along with Fazio and Acosta, to make the Spiders one of only four teams to qualify three individuals.

In the last five years, 10 different Spiders have combined to run under 2:10 a total of 101 times, sub 2:08 54 times, and sub 2:06 36 times. The Spiders finished 6^th in the Penn Relays Championship of America 4x800m in 2022 and 2023 – running the current school record of 8:34.14 in 2022. The Spiders have run under 8:40 in four consecutive years in the 4x800m.
Additional impact at the national level in recent years include: Brooke Fazio was a three-time All-American, having earned USTFCCCA First-Team All-America honors outdoors in 2021 after finishing 8th at the NCAA Finals in Eugene, Oregon; USTFCCCA Second-Team All-America indoors in 2021 after finishing 10th at the NCAA Championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas; and USTFCCCA All-American indoors in 2020 after qualifying for NCAA’s in the 800m. Rachel Helbling ranked #2 in the NCAA in the 500m in 2021, and Richmond’s 4x800m ranked 3rd outdoors in 2021. In 2018, the Spiders 4x800m finished the season with the 2nd-fastest time in the country indoors after running a school record of 8:44.52 at the ECAC Championships. Amanda Corbosiero also ranked #11 in the nation in the 1000m in 2017, after running 2:44.52 at the Armory. Fazio and Kendra Smither also both qualified for the U20 Championships in the 800m, where Fazio advanced to the final in 2018.
Since 2012, the Women’s Cross Country team has notched eight top-three team finishes at the Atlantic 10 Championships, including team victories in 2015, 2016 and 2018. In addition to team accomplishments, the women’s team has earned 19 individual All-Conference honors in Cross Country since 2011, including a 2011 victory by Jill Prentice. The Spiders entire top-5 finishers earned All-Conference honors en route to a dominant victory in 2018. The Men’s Cross Country team won the 2020 Atlantic 10 Championship, with four men finishing in the top ten overall to earn All-Conference honors.
Prior to working full-time with the Women’s Track & Field teams, Molz was a volunteer coach for the Men’s Cross Country & Track and Field teams from 2008 - 2011. During that time, Molz helped guide the men to unprecedented levels of success; highlighted by the team’s first-ever Atlantic 10 Conference Championship and 24^th-place finish at the NCAA Cross Country Championships in 2010. Andrew Benford (3000m Steeplechase, 2011) and Matt Llano (10,000m – 2010) also earned All-American honors on the track while Molz was volunteering.

In 2013, Molz co-founded the Collegiate Running Association with Men’s Head Coach Steve Taylor. The Collegiate Running Association was established to promote healthy lifestyles among college students through running and to establish national championships in road racing, mountain running, and trail running for college students. Since 2014, the Spider-men have competed in these national championships, amassing numerous top-10 finishes.

Prior to his coaching career, Molz enjoyed a standout running career with the Spiders from 2004-2008, during which he earned two Atlantic 10 championship titles in indoor track and a total of five all-conference honors between cross country, indoor track and outdoor track. During his senior year, Molz turned in a third-place individual finish to lead the men's cross country team to, at the time, its highest-ever team finish with a second-place showing at the 2007 Atlantic 10 Championship. Molz also qualified for the NCAA East Regional Championship in the 3,000m steeplechase in outdoor track in 2008.

Molz graduated from the University of Richmond in 2008 and earned his Master's from VCU's Center for Sport Leadership in 2009.