Simmons University

Zach Joachim enters his third year as head cross country coach and his first year in charge of the indoor and outdoor track and field programs in 2024-2025.  
 
In Joachim’s first two years at the helm, the cross country team has consistently performed best at the biggest meets of the season. In the last two NCAA East Regional Championships, 11 out of 13 Simmons runners have run personal bests, including all seven Sharks who competed in the 2023 edition. And, each of the athletes who competed in both the 2022 and 2023 Regionals improved upon their times from the 2022 race by over two minutes in 2023.  Additionally, at the 2023 GNAC Championships, senior Sara Hornak earned All-Conference honors in her first NCAA cross country season, and Hannah Bergeron posted the best finish at the conference championship by a Simmons first-year since 2018.  
 
The team has also excelled academically in the last two years, with median GPAs above 3.6 in every semester, including two semesters over 3.8. The Sharks have also had 10 runners earn Academic All-Conference recognition in the last two years.
 
Joachim came to Simmons following a stint as the head coach at Massachusetts Bay Community College, and he has also coached cross country as well as sprints and hurdles at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School. In 2024, L-S sprinters produced three individual Massachusetts All-State championships, four individual Division I state championships, three All-State and two Division I runners-up and one third place finish; one outright state record and three sophomore state records; several individual and relay national qualifying marks; and three Boston Herald and two Boston Globe All-Scholastic berths.   
 
Joachim has also worked with several post-collegiate athletes, in particular coaching Benjamin Macdonald to victory at the 2021 Manchester City Marathon and to 46th place in the 2022 Boston Marathon in a time of 2:25:16.
 
Joachim holds USTFCCCA Specialist Certifications in the Endurance Events, Sprint, Hurdle, & Relay Events, and Strength & Conditioning, as well as a USATF Level 1 certification.  He ran cross country and track & field at Trinity College, where he earned USTFCCCA All-Academic and All-New England honors and received a bachelor’s degree in public policy and law.