Chelsea France recently completed her first season as an assistant coach for the University of Pennsylvania's cross country/track & field programs. She works with the men's and women's cross country programs, as well as the distance/middle distance portion of the track and field squads.
In her first year with the Red and Blue, France oversaw a record-level of championship performances, with the women's track and field program sweeping the Ivy League indoor and outdoor titles for the first time since 1988. Sophomore Nia Akins advanced to the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Ore., earning honorable mention All-America status in the 800m under France's watch.
The men's team also boasted a strong season in both cross country and track & field, finishing third in the Ivy League during the fall and posting runner-up performances during the indoor and outdoor seasons.
France joined the Quakers after serving the past three seasons as an assistant coach at George Washington University. With the Colonials, France was in charge of the daily operation of both the men's and women's cross country and track teams. France instilled a recruiting strategy that led to both the largest and most talented incoming freshmen classes each of her three years in the nation's capital. Under her watch, GW produced three Atlantic 10 champions, 16 All-Atlantic 10 Conference honorees, numerous top-15 NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional rankings for both men and women, and numerous All-Academic student-athlete honorees.
Prior to George Washington, France spent 2013-14 as the manager and volunteer assistant coach for the University of South Carolina track and field and cross country programs. At USC, France was responsible for assisting in the planning and coordinating of travel and athletic events while coaching and developing the student-athletes to academic and athletic achievement.
France is no stranger to the landscape of collegiate cross country/track and field, spending four years herself as a student-athlete for the cross country and distance programs at the University of Virginia. France was a four-year member of the Atlantic Coast Conference Academic Team (2008-2012) for cross country while at UVA and competed at the NCAA Cross Country Championship in 2011. France also was an accomplished athlete on the track, running in events ranging from the 1,500m to the 5K as well as the steeplechase.
France earned her Bachelor's degree from the University of Virginia in 2012 before earning a Master of Science in Sport & Entertainment Management from South Carolina in May 2014.
