CHICAGO – UIC Director of Athletics Garrett Klassy announced on Wednesday, August 30, that Ashley Lucas has been named the interim head men's and women's cross country and track & field coach effective immediately. She has served as an assistant coach for the Flames since 2015.
 
"We are extremely fortunate that Ashley has shown a willingness to lead our cross country and track and field teams moving forward," said Klassy. "Though I have only known her for a short time, her passion for the Flames is evident and her dedication to enhancing the experience of the student-athletes is unmistakable. I know that she will serve the teams well and represent UIC with a great deal of integrity and class at all times."
 
"I'm really excited to lead this program," said Lucas. "I was honored that Garrett [Klassy] and [senior associate athletic director] Rick [Harrigan] approached me to fill this position. This is definitely going to be a new role for me, but I am up for the challenge of being able to lead both the track and cross country teams.
 
"I am excited to bring these teams – the distance runners, the sprinters, the jumpers and everyone – together to create a very family-oriented program," said Lucas. "I'm thrilled to get started, the kids are excited and I'm ready to go."
 
Lucas began at UIC in August 2015, and since that time she has worked closely with the women's distance and mid-distance runners. Multiple student-athletes have achieved personal-best times under her tutelage, while also cracking UIC's top 10 list at multiple distances. In only two seasons she has mentored four All-Horizon League performers in cross country, and in 2015, Lucas helped the women's cross country team finish as runners-up at the Horizon League Championship.
 
Prior to arriving in Chicago, Lucas coached at Northern Illinois from 2013-15. In DeKalb she coached Kelsey Hildreth to five school records, a 10K Mid-American Conference championship, and qualification to the NCAA Championship. While at NIU, Lucas earned a master's degree in kinesiology in 2013.
 
A former student-athlete herself, Lucas was a team captain of the cross country and track teams at Lewis University. She graduated from Lewis in 2012 with a bachelor's degree in sport management with a minor in athletic coaching.
 
The Flames open the 2017 cross country campaign on Saturday, Sept. 2, when they co-host the Flames/Flyers Challenge at Lewis University in Romeoville, Ill. The women's 4K race is slated to go off at 10 a.m., followed by the men's 6K event at approximately 10:30 a.m.