NEW YORK - The Yeshiva University Athletics Department is proud to announce Alex Petrecca as the new Yeshiva University women's cross country head coach. Petrecca spent the previous two years as assistant coach of the YU men's cross country program.

"I am very excited for my first year with the women's team," Petrecca said. "I hope to work this year to take them to the next level in their training, racing, and finishes at the conference and regional level. Working with the men's cross country team the last two years has been an incredible experience and I look to continue that in my work with the women's team this coming season." 

In Petrecca's first year with the Yeshiva men's cross country team, the Maccabees earned bronze at the 2021 Skyline Conference Championships, the highest team finish at the championship meet since 2015. Marshall Northman earned a spot on the All-Skyline first team. Yeshiva came in first place as a team at the Mount Saint Mary College XC Series and the SUNY Old Westbury Fall Invitational. Northman was the top individual finisher at the MSMC XC Series. 

In 2022, Yeshiva earned a dual-meet victory over Mount Saint Mary College and finished in first place at the SUNY Old Westbury Invitational. Northman was the top finisher at the Mount Saint Mary College Dual Meet, while Gadiel Polster earned the gold at the SUNY Old Westbury Invitational. Also during the year, Northman was once again named to the All-Skyline first team, while Jake Greenberg landed on the All-Skyline second team. 

In addition to Yeshiva, Petrecca currently serves as the head coach of the cross country and track teams at Riverdale Country School after starting off as the associate head coach in 2019. 

"We are extremely fortunate to have someone of Alex's caliber and ability lead our women's cross country program," said director of athletics Greg Fox. "He is an experienced runner in his own right, and proved the past two seasons as an assistant with the men that he both leads by example and communicates training techniques well."

Petrecca ran for the cross country and track programs for four years (2015-2019) at his alma mater, Gettysburg College. He served as the co-captain of the Bullets men's cross country team during his junior and senior years. During his track career, he helped set the school record in the indoor distance-medley relay.

At Fairfield Warde High School, Petrecca ran for the cross country, indoor track, and outdoor track programs where he earned a spot on the All-Conference team for each sport. Petrecca was a member of the school record-holding 4x800m relay team in indoor and outdoor track.

Petrecca currently competes for the Central Park Track Club with personal records of 4:10 for one mile and 24:47 for an 8k.