Running Down the Lane with Kendall Luy

Head Track and Field Coach Kendall Luy talks strategy with an assistant coach. (Photo: Sherry Saccoliti)

In the spring of 2021, it was announced that the DIII Devils would be adding a new set of programs to their offerings — men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track and field. With the completion of the Elizabeth Ruth Hennessy Field, it became vital to find a head coach with the experience and drive to build these programs. Kendall Luy joined the Devils as the first head coach in program history in the summer of 2021. Take the time to get to know Coach Luy as she kicks off the inaugural seasons of track and field!

Where are you from originally?

Kendall Luy: I’m originally from Bainbridge, Pa. It’s a small town just outside of Elizabethtown.

What does a typical practice look like for your team?

KL: Track and field is seen as an individual sport and it’s always been important for me as a coach to bring that team feel into practice. A typical practice will always start with the entire team warming up together. Then we’ll split up into event groups. The focus of our practices throughout the indoor and outdoor season starts with more general-based workouts/exercises and then we start to get more specific with workouts, fine-tuning the technical side of running, jumping, and throwing.

What do you expect of your student-athletes?

KL: Our expectations are pretty simplistic. We expect our student-athletes to be students first and foremost. Our expectation is that they are putting in the same effort in the classroom as they are on the track, runway or circle. It may be cliché to say, but we expect our student-athletes to give 110%.

As a brand-new program, it’s important for us, as coaches, that the team feels like a family. In track and field, it’s so easy to have different groups form – but our hope is that our team is a family. We want everyone to support each other, respect each other and communicate with each other. Communication is vital for us – in a sport where you can have people all over the place, it’s important that we’re talking with each other and knowing what’s happening. 

During a meet what does your team look like while they are waiting to compete?

KL: Track and field meets can be rather long and there will be points during the meet where it’s possible that none of our student-athletes are competing. But when we do have student-athletes competing, the team is yelling and cheering on each other. They’re always supporting each other – whether their teammate is running on the track or on the runway long jumping.

Where would be your dream location for your student-athletes to have a meet?

KL: Indoor dream location would be either Virginia Beach Sports Center or the Track at New Balance in Boston. Outdoor dream location would be Hayward Field.

To learn more about the track and field team visit FDU Devils Track and Field.