Ciara Kissane (pronounced Keer-ah Kiss-ann) was hired in July of 2020 to lead Kenyon's men's and women's cross country programs. Kissane, who last coached at Lake Forest College, will also serve as an assistant coach with the Owls track and field programs.
Prior to coming to Kenyon, Kissane spent three seasons at Lake Forest, an NCAA Division III institution in Illinois. She was an assistant her first season and then head coach of both cross country and track and field for two seasons.
During that time, she helped cross country runners gain 13 all-conference honors, as well as set program records for top individual placements in conference championship competition. Additionally, under her watch, Lake Forest produced its first all-region honoree and NCAA Championship qualifier. In her work with track and field, more than 20 college records were established. Two individual-event conference champions were crowned and 11 all-conference performers were recognized.
Kissane departed Lake Forest after the 2019 season to take a position as assistant director for the Drake Relays, one of the largest track meets in the country. Prior to both those jobs, she spent a year as head cross country coach and assistant track and field coach at Coe College, as well as two seasons of work at Canisius College, where she was an assistant coach with both the cross country and track and field programs.
A 2012 graduate of the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, Kissane also gained athletics administrative experience at her alma mater, at the University of Buffalo and at Sacramento State University. In 2013, she earned her master's degree in sport management from Florida State University.
