Corning’s Cornfield to lead NAU as cross country coach

ELMIRA, N.Y. (WETM) – Corning’s Jarred Cornfield has been rewarded for years of hard work in cross country.

Monday, Cornfield was named the future director and head coach of Northern Arizona University cross country. The move comes after longtime coach Michael Smith announced he will be stepping down at the end of the upcoming sports year.

Cornfield, who has been the associate head coach since 2016 at NAU, will take over the reigns starting in July 2025. Smith will be pursuing other coaching opportunities after being the leader of the Lumberjacks since 2017. Cornfield, a Corning High School grad, has seen great success in his coaching role for the program.

The Lumberjacks have won a staggering six men’s national championships since 2016, most recently in 2022. Both the men’s and women’s programs finished second in the D-I Championships this past season. Also of major note, Cornfield had the opportunity to coach distance runner Elise Cranny in the 2024 Olympics in Paris for Team USA.

Cornfield is also a proud graduate of Liberty University where he competed in track & field. Cornfield also earned a master’s degree from Northern Arizona in educational leadership while serving a graduate assistant coach.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WETM - MyTwinTiers.com.