Former University of Virginia runner Chelsea Ley has been selected as the new head coach for men's & women's cross country and track & field at Mary Baldwin University."

"Chelsea Ley has significant experience as a competitor and coach on the scholastic, collegiate and adult/club levels, and we believe she has the ability to recruit and train MBU student-athletes to reach the peak of their abilities," said Director of Athletics Tom Byrnes.  "We're very excited to add her to the Fighting Squirrels coaching staff."

Ley, a 2014 UVA graduate with a bachelor's degree in sociology, was a distance runner for the cross country and track & field teams for the Cavaliers.  During her collegiate career, she finished in the top 20 at the ACC and NCAA Southeast Regional cross country championships and competed in the NCAA Championship meet. 

In outdoor track & field, she posted career-best times of 16:12.62 in the 5,000-meter run, which at the time was the UVA record for freshmen and the fourth-best in team history.  She finished in the top 10 in the 5K at the ACC and NCAA East regional to earn a berth in the NCAA championship meet.  She also crossed the finish line with a time of 5:04.26 in the indoor mile in a meet at Virginia Tech.

Ley is originally from southern New Jersey, across the Delaware River from Wilmington, DE.  During her scholastic career at Kingsway High School, she was a three-time national champion in the 5K or two-mile run and an eight-time All-American.  Among her many other honors, she was a three-time Footlocker Cross Country national championship finalist and the Gatorade New Jersey girls cross country runner of the year during her senior season. 

During the outdoor season, she was posted the top times in 2008 and 2009 in the 3,200-meter run and won the N.J. Meet of Championships title as a senior.

Her coaching career began at UVA for one season, then included stops at St. Anne's-Belfield in Charlottesville, several camp counselor positions, program director and head coach of the Tread Happy
LLC running programs in Charlottesville, Richmond and Charlotte, NC.  Her most recent coaching position was running coach of the Bozeman Running Club in Bozeman, MT.

"I am incredibly excited and grateful for the opportunity to lead the cross country and track & field programs at MBU," Ley said.  "From my first conversations with the administration, it was clear that this is a place with tremendous potential, and I'm honored to be entrusted with helping shape its future."

The Fighting Squirrels will open the 2026 cross country season on Tuesday, Sept. 1, at the Bridgewater Open.  The regular-season competition is geared toward preparing for the USA South Championship meet Oct. 31 at Brevard College in Brevard, N.C., and the NCAA regional meet Nov. 14 at Lynchburg, Va.

"We have a lot of work ahead of us as we continue to build these programs, and I embrace that challenge with enthusiasm," Ley said.  "Success isn't built overnight, but through consistency, commitment, and a shared belief in what we're working toward. My goal is to create a culture where our student-athletes are excited to come to practice each day, compete for one another, and take pride in representing the college both on and off the track.

"I want to build a team that not only competes at a high level but is connected by trust, accountability, and a genuine commitment to each other's growth. When athletes enjoy the process, support one another, and strive to be their best every day, success naturally follows. I'm looking forward to getting to work with our student-athletes and building something special together," she said.