by Claire Cutting

The Bellbrook girls’ cross country team hit the ground running with new head coach, Ann Alyanak, who replaced former head coach Shelby Herlihy this season after coaching Bellbrook’s middle school team.

Growing up in Bluffton, Ohio, Alyanak, attended Bluffton High School, running cross country and track, as well as playing basketball. “I had more success in running. That was my favorite,” Alyanak said.

After high school, Alyanak went to college at Purdue on an athletic scholarship, where she continued running cross country. “I made some of my best friends there. It was such a great team atmosphere,” Alyanak said.

Alyanak became the University of Dayton’s head women’s cross-country coach after graduating from college. “I loved it,” Alyanak said. “I just had a great team and great girls. It was fun.”

After having children, Alyanak stepped away from coaching to focus on her family. In 2022, Bellbrook offered Alyanak a job as head middle school cross-country coach. “I said, ‘Sure, I’d love to get back in the game,’” Alyanak said.

Now, as head coach of the high school girls’ team, Alyanak has a developmental coaching style. “I want everyone to continue wanting to run. We have to train to get better, but that can be enjoyable,” Alyanak said.

Lily Conway, a junior and third-year cross-country runner, agrees that coach Alyanak makes running fun. “She is so kind and knows so much,” Conway said. “She helps us improve and helps us enjoy cross country. She makes it a very positive environment.”

Alyanak has goals in mind for this upcoming cross-country season. “I want to win SWBL, have some individual state qualifiers, and continue seeing constant improvement,” Alyanak said. The team is already seeing success and placed first at the Richard and Iris Black Bellbrook Invitational on August 30, and earned runner-up at the Bob Schul Invitational on August 24.

“Coach Ann always encourages us to try our hardest and run our fastest,” freshman Arya Schumann said. “That helps improve my times.” 

Alyanak said the attitude of the team is her favorite part of coaching. “Everyone comes with a smile, and there’s very few complaints. It’s like a family,” Alyanak said.

Molly Janus, a senior captain and two year varsity runner, also thinks the team atmosphere is the best part. “I love the girls. They’re fun and encouraging,” Janus said.

Going forward, Alyanak is looking forward to seeing everyone improve. “I’m just excited to see everyone’s hard work pay off. I hope to continue coaching at Bellbrook for years to come.”