COD Cross Country: Hlavin to lead the Roadrunners

College of the Desert Women's and Men's Cross Country programs have hired D'Arcy Hlavin to helm the Roadrunners program.

Coach Hlavin (the "H" is silent) was born and raised in a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio. She began running her freshman year of high school and qualified for the cross country state meet her senior year. She continued her running career with the Baldwin Wallace Yellow Jackets of Berea, Ohio, qualifying for the DIII NCAA Cross Country meet in 2008 and 2009, and in track for the 1500-meter run in 2010.

"It is so exciting! Albeit a bit daunting, rebuilding always takes considerable time and effort. However, the athletes, my assistant coach, and I all have the opportunity to collaborate and put our mark on the program and shape it into what we want," Coach Hlavin said in a recent interview with COD Athletics.com. "I hope that we can refine and solidify the foundation that exists, build from it a dynamic team that interests future recruits, and promote the growth of the program for years to come."

In her career at Baldwin-Wallace, she was a three-time All-OAC (Ohio Athletic Conference) honoree in cross country, a two-time All-Great Lakes Region honoree, and was named OAC runner of the year in 2008-09 after winning the individual title at the OAC cross country championship. She held her college school record in the 1500-meter run for 12 years, until it was broken in 2022.

"As head coach, I plan to develop relationships with the high school coaches and athletes in the area, and be a presence at their meets and in the community. More importantly, I hope to facilitate a strong team atmosphere at COD and incorporate the team into the recruiting process. I hope that becoming a familiar face and allowing high school athletes to connect with the current team will increase their likelihood to choose COD over other options, or to continue running collegiately. My high school shared a track with my future college, and, for me, having that familiarity with the coach and my future teammates made the transition between high school and college comforting and easy," commented Coach Hlavin.

After college, she attended Chatham University, Home of the Cougars, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and earned her Doctorate in Physical Therapy. In 2012, she graduated and moved to Indio, California, where she completed an orthopedic residency program, and earned the designation of Orthopaedic Clinical Specialist in 2017.

"This program belongs to the athletes, not me. I am a facilitator who can help the athletes achieve their goals. Ultimately, I want them to be able to get what they want and what they need from the program. I do not believe in running athletes into the ground, and my training philosophy is holistic in nature. My career as a physical therapist has allowed me to view the sport from a different lens. I have spent over a decade learning how to train more effectively while also reducing the risk of injury," continued Coach Hlavin.

Through her career as a physical therapist Coach Hlavin has guided countless runners through injury rehabilitation and return to running. With 20+ years of competitive running experience and 10+ years as a rehabilitation specialist, Coach Hlavin believes she will add a unique perspective to training that will allow her athletes to stay injury free and succeed.

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For additional information, please contact the COD Sports Information Office at 760.423.6641.

Information, Photos & Story provided by COD Sports Information.