COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. - Ursinus Track & Field/Cross Country Head Coach Carl Blickle announced Monday the hiring of Maria Stickley to be the new Associate Head Coach of the Track & Field and Cross Country programs. Stickley comes to Ursinus after spending the last two years as the head coach of the Chestnut Hill Track & Field and Cross Country programs.
"We are thrilled to welcome Coach Maria Stickley to Team Ursinus," Blickle said. "Maria joins us with a great deal of knowledge and experience that will directly benefit all aspects of our track & field and cross country programs."
Stickley made an instant impact on the Chestnut Hill Track & Field and Cross Country programs as she coached six track & field and two cross country student-athletes to gain All-Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC). Seven track & field school records fell in her two seasons coaching the team and Stickley coached the 2022 CACC Women's Field Athlete Rookie of the Year in Anastasia Watson. The Griffins women's cross country team finished fourth at the CACC Championship meet in the fall of 2021, the second-highest finish in program history.
Before becoming the head coach at Chestnut Hill College, Stickley worked alongside Head Coach Melody O'Reilly of the St. Joseph's University Track & Field/Cross Country programs in the Fall of 2019. There, Stickley assisted Coach O'Reilly with the implantation of specialized workouts for the Hawks female sprint, jump, and hurdle student-athletes.
"I am extremely excited to be joining the Ursinus Bears for the 2022-2023 Academic Year," Stickley said. "Both the men and women's programs have had tremendous success under Head Coach Carl Blickle and Associate Head Coach Stargell Williams. I want to start by thanking them, along with the rest of the Ursinus Athletics Department, for giving me this opportunity to help lead the Bears towards future success as Co-Associate Head Coach. Again, I am very excited and ready to start working at Ursinus College with a great staff and a great group of athletes, GO BEARS!"
Stickley began her collegiate coaching career as a volunteer assistant coach with Temple University in 2016 before spending two years as an assistant at Xavier University. Stickley helped coach Xavier's middle- and long-distance runners, while often assisting Coach David Payne with the Musketeers' sprinters and hurdlers. She coached multiple All-Big East performers during her time at Xavier and each cross country team finished in the top five at the Big East Championships.
Stickley earned a bachelor's degree in health education and secondary education from Appalachian State in 2016 and was a member of the Mountaineer cross country and track & field teams. She helped her programs capture three SoCon team championships during her collegiate career.