Many athletes at Chatham University have a break or are involved in off-season training while a sport is not in season, but for Tresa Coon ‘22, her time was different.

Coon ran both indoor and outdoor track and field, as well as cross country. While doing this, she was studying media arts with a concentration in graphic design. Despite all these commitments, Coon was able to excel in the classroom and in athletics.

“I always wanted to run in school, and I found that Chatham was a great option for that because they balanced your academics very well with your sports. It was never that overwhelming,” said Coon, who completed her undergraduate degree in December.

She emphasized that, in her experience, Chatham was always mindful and caring about athletes and their academic goals. While Coon was on the fast track to graduation, she was also competing in a number of events in track and field – with the 800-meter run being her main event. Going into her senior season, she also began to run the 400-meter and 1500-meter races. She ran medleys in track and field and various events in cross country, keeping her plate full during her journey as a Cougar.

Life after Chatham

Although Coon’s time competing as a Cougar is over, she still has a large impact on the team.

“I see everything they are doing and I still want to be with my teammates. I want to be cheering for them and I still want to be on the track because I will miss the adrenaline I get before competing,” Coon said.

She still hopes to be a leader and a person to look up to for a young team.

“This year I mainly focused on trying to pass things on to my younger teammates because we didn’t have any other girls on the team that were upperclassmen, so I really wanted to try to teach the girls some things,” Coon said.

As Coon reflected on her experiences at Chatham, she said she learned how to build leadership through her time being a student-athlete.

“The sports were a great way to stay active, and it was a great way to start off my days and to make friends,” she said.

Women’s and men’s cross country ended its season with the women finishing 20th and the men 29th at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional in November. Coon said she will continue to show her support to the track and field team during the spring season and hopes the team will continue to grow.