Michelle Cross has come full circle.

In 2004, the track & field program at Waynesburg University officially became a varsity sport and Cross was one of the first athletes on the team. Now, over 10 years later, Cross has officially signed to be the second head coach in program history following the departure of Jason Falvo.

The fact that Cross has spent a greater part of the past two decades with Waynesburg’s track & field team, whether as an athlete or as an assistant coach, is a testament to just how highly she holds the program.

“I think what speaks to me the most is just how much this program is a baby of mine,” Cross said. “2004 was the very first year the track team came into existence – they resurrected it from its club status… it just feels like the continuation that I’ve had my hands in from the beginning.”

Falvo said Cross was a straight forward decision for the position.

“It’s hard to find good people; it’s hard to find people who are passionate like she is,” Falvo said. “It was a no brainer – any time you can bring an alumnus back… it’s a slam dunk.”

Larry Marshall, director of Athletics, said the goal of finding a new head coach was to start internally. During the process of finding a new head coach, Marshall said Cross quickly became the obvious choice due to her extensive history with the school.

“[For her] to go to school here and be helping for so long with cross country and track & field, it just seemed obvious this would be the person that we would want,” Marshall said. “That was something that President [Douglas G.] Lee wanted [too].”

One of the characteristics of Cross that sets her apart from other coaches, Falvo said, is her passion for the individual athletes.

“Her heart is for the athlete. She has great compassion for each of her athletes and she wants to get to know them on such a personal level that you just respect and feel her genuine love and respect for those athletes,” Falvo said. “It’s a gift, she really does a great job meeting those [athletes] on their level.”

A passion for leading others was what interested Cross in coaching to begin with.

“I had just really fallen in love with the idea of mentorship and particularly just the mentorship that coaching affords,” Cross said. “Right around the birth of my son, I kind of realized that if there was going to be a career that would pull me back into the work force, it would be coaching.”

Moving forward as the new head coach for both the mens’ and women’s the track & field teams, Cross said she hopes to continue the championship efforts of the women’s team.

“Obviously [I] hope to continue the legacy that the women’s team has had,” Cross said. “I fully believe we are fully capable of winning this upcoming indoor championship and outdoor championship – that is something we will have to work for and stay focused on.”

For the men’s side of the program, Cross said the growth the team has exhibited recently is a hopeful sign of the future.

“I’m seeing the growth, or the fruit, in [the men] that I saw in the women’s team like four years ago,” Cross said. “Really, just wanting to cultivate that and have them continue to improve. Improvement is the main thing I strive for and it’s always good to have little goals and things ahead of you.”

Through Cross’ new position as a head coach for the track & field teams, she said it was a height she had always strived to reach.

“Anybody who has dreams of being a coach, or working in the coaching business, obviously dreams of maybe one day becoming a head coach,” Cross said. “It is definitely surreal having this opportunity, but it is also something that I’ve been itching for years and I’m excited to put my own spin on it.”