The Concordia Stingers cross-country program is looking for a new coach for the 2013 season. Earlier in the month, coach John Lofranco announced his resignation as the leader of the school’s program.
Lofranco has been at the helm of the school’s cross-country program since 2004. During these eight years, he has not only revived Concordia’s cross-country program, but also helped establish the current seven-team Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec conference. The RSEQ conference started with only three teams which soon became seven, with the Université de Montréal about to become the eighth school in the conference.
“As far as the Concordia University program goes, I can only thank you all for participating in such an historic and exciting time,” he said in a statement. “We set an example and many followed. I think we can be proud of that legacy.”
Along with his time as a Concordia coach, Lofranco is also the founder of Montreal Endurance. According to the club’s website, Montreal Endurance is “a non-profit sports organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of its members through endurance sport, specifically the distance events of athletics.”
In 2013, Montreal Endurance will be merging with the McGill Olympic Club. As a result, Lofranco has been hired by McGill.
“I have been hired as an assistant coach in the McGill program, responsible for the post-collegiate group, as well as race direction,” Lofranco explained in the same statement. “I will also lend a hand to the varsity program as needed. It will be exciting to help build on the strong Martlet/Redmen tradition.”
Under Lofranco’s guidance, Concordia finished the 2012 RSEQ Championship in fourth place. Stingers runner Ryan Noel-Hodge finished the men’s 10-kilometre race in third place, six seconds behind the leader. Concordia’s Elizabeth Mokrusa finished the women’s five-kilometre race in 13th with a time of 19:59.
