The Highlanders are proud to announce the hiring of a new Head and Associate Head Coach for the decorated Cairn Cross Country program. After leading the Highlanders to multiple CSAC Championships, Coach Natalia Parker stepped down for a happy reason, the birth of her new daughter. We are thrilled to see Chris Palladino and Allyssa Hampson, two incredibly successful and experienced runners in their own right, take up the mantle and lead Cairn Cross Country into a new decade.

Christopher Palladino has taught at Cairn since 2006, and currently serves as Chair of the History Department.  Years ago, he began running in as a means for training for soccer, which blossomed into a love of running.  Since then, he has run several marathons (Boston included), and has finished over 50 Ultra-Marathons, as a top 20 finisher in many of them.  He has run the Hellgate 100k ten times, and has completed two 100 mile races, the Lynchburg Ultra Series, and the BEAST Ultra-Marathon Series (6 races from 50k to 100 miles in one calendar year).  He has also volunteered at many race events, and served as a pacer for friends.

Christopher played soccer for a nationally ranked high school team (Archbishop Ryan), was eventually named to the Hall of Honor at Cairn University, and was selected for the Pennsylvania State U-23 team.  His soccer experiences led him to coach soccer in one capacity or another at the youth, junior, and high school level since 1994.

Due to his increasing interest in distance running, Christopher was named the head coach of the Boys and Girls Cross Country team at Heritage High School in Lynchburg, Virginia.  Under his direction, both teams made numerous regional meets, and several individual runners competed at the state level; one of his runners won the individual state championship.  During his tenure as Cross Country coach, he was named the Seminole District Coach-of-the-Year, and became director of a city-wide cross-country camp for several years.  In his first two years of coaching cross-country, the team grew from less than 6 to over 45 runners.

Allyssa Hampson is a 2017 MS.Ed. graduate of Cairn University.  Currently Allyssa serves as an English Teacher and Chair of the English Department at MaST Community Charter School II in Philadelphia and as an adjunct professor in the History Department at Cairn University.  She is pursuing an MA in History at Villanova University.

A swimmer in high school, Allyssa transitioned to Cross Country while an undergraduate at Cairn.  Allyssa was a four year Cross Country runner and three time MVP while posting the second fasted time in the history of the women's program.  She earned Second Team All-CSAC in 2015 and First Team All-CSAC in 2016.

Since graduating, Allyssa has continued her pursuits as a runner.  She has finished a number of half-marathons and marathons qualifying for Boston in 2016.  In 2020, Allyssa completed her first ultra-marathon at the Holiday Lake 50K+ in Virginia.
Allyssa has shared her love of running by serving at races and leading her high school students in the Running Club.  She looks to extend this love of running with current Cairn students by serving as the assistant coach.  
 
Athletic Director Jay Butler had this to say about the hirings,
 
"We are excited to announce the hiring of Professor Christopher Palladino as our Head Men's and Women's XC Coach.  Christopher has been a valuable member of the Cairn Community and we look forward to his leadership, mentorship, and love for running permeating the Athletic Department."
 
With the hiring of Alyssa we return one of the fastest runners in Cairn history. I am thrilled to have Allyssa on board as she will bring a fresh perspective to the program and form a perfect duo with Coach Palladino.  I am impressed with her love of Cairn, running and her desire to give back to her alma mater.
 
Cairn XC is in fantastic hands and we look forward to building on the success of both programs."
 
The Cairn Cross Country coaching staff is committed to the development of student athletes in an integrated environment, where growth is measured in more than just wins or race results, but in fulfilling the mission of the University "to serve Christ in the church, society, and the world as biblically minded, well-educated, and professionally competent men and women of character."  While running can rely heavily on individual interests, goals, and determination, it is from the community of runners that the individual draws her strength. We want students to experience running in a way that transcends sport and becomes a lifestyle that is glorifying to God.