Vashchuk Named Cross Country Assistant Coach
8/23/2010 12:00:00 AM | Cross Country
Aug. 23, 2010
MALIBU, Calif. - Pepperdine men's and women's cross country head coach Robert Radnoti Monday announced that Iryna Vashchuk, an All-American and PAC-10 champion runner at USC and Ukrainian National Team member, has joined the program as an assistant coach.
"This job is great opportunity which will allow me to share my knowledge and experiences with serious, responsible and dedicated student-athletes who possess the talent to compete at the D-1 level," Vashchuk said. "It's an honor to work with this coaching staff and I hope to have our student-athletes running strong at the West Regionals Championship and possibly NCAAs. I want to help the program establish its name at the national level and attract the attention of future recruits."
Vashchuk, whose specialties include cross country running in addition to the 400, 800 and 1500-meter runs, completes Radnoti's 2011 coaching staff that also includes second-year volunteer assistant coach Cole Feldman, two-time Pepperdine All-WCC selection Dale Reicheneder and former Tulane letterwinner Greg Clayman.
"I am very excited to welcome Coach Vashchuk to Pepperdine, she brings the kind of enthusiasm that I like in our program. For her nothing is impossible," Radnoti said. "Iryna brings an interesting component to our team because she's a world-class athlete trained in the Ukrainian system, and so I want to combine the best of her coaching with what we've learned in America. I think this combination will produce a better model for our student-athletes."
Despite not speaking a word of English, Vashchuk impressed the coaches at USC so much they offered her a full scholarship and she did not disappoint, earning All-America and runner-up honors at the 2003 NCAA Cross Country championships and a pair of conference titles in the 1500m in 2004 and 2005. She went on to earn two additional All-America citations in the 1500, placing sixth at the 2004 meet in Austin, Texas and seventh the following year at Sacramento State.
Vashchuk's three-year post-collegiate career with the Santa Monica Track Club delivered her to dozens of international cities, including Boston, Los Angeles, Madrid, New York and Brasschaat, Belgium. In 2007 alone, she posted a trio of top-three showings in the 1500m in Eugene, Oregon, Salamanca, Spain and Madrid followed by a sixth-place run in the 800m at the Brasschaat Invitational.
The year previous in 2006, Vashchuk recorded her personal best 5K at the International Road Race in Carlsbad, California and placed ninth in the 1500m at the Adidas Classic.
Vashchuk's competitive career as an international level track and field runner started in 1997 as a 15-year-old with the Ukrainian National Team. She experienced her first successes during the summer of 1998, placing first in the 4x400m relay and second in the 800m at the Ukrainian National Championship followed by a seventh-place showing in the same event at the World Junior Games in Moscow.
She then went on to place fourth in the 800m at the 1999 World Junior Championships in Poland, and a year later finished ninth in the 1500m at the U20 World Championships in Santiago, Chile. Vashchuk won her first 1500m crown at the 2001 Ukrainian Championships in addition to her second 4x400 title. Also that same year, she finished seventh in the 1500 at the U20 European Championships in Grosseto, Italy.
Vashchuk speaks three languages: English, Ukrainian and Russian and has earned degrees from both USC (international relations) and the College of Physical Education based in Kiev. Her previous head coaching experience includes a season at New Roads High School in Santa Monica and two at East Los Angeles College. She also has served as a personal trainer for the Equinox Fitness Club.
Vashchuk is the daughter of Mykola and Nina and has an older brother, Valeriy. She resides in nearby Pacific Palisades and lists playing tennis, skiing and swimming among her hobbies.
