Indira Avila will begin her second year as the Head Coach of the Men’s and Women’s Cross Country and Track and Field programs in 2018-19.
In her first year as coach, Avila was named York College’s Co-Coach of the Year. She had three athletes qualify for ECAC Championships in Track and Field (Hezekiah Corbin, Alana Johnson, Dammon Trimmingham), while two of her student-athletes (Gregory Klimaytis, Alana Johnson) were named CUNYAC Scholar-Athlete Honorable Mentions. In addition, the cross country/ track and field team took home seven of the 10 major awards at York’s Athletic Awards Banquet, including Athlete of the Year (Dammon Trimmingham/Nicole Ovelheira) and Scholar-Athlete of the Year (Deloris Taylor).
Avila currently works for the New York City Department of Correction as a Fitness Instructor/Coach. She trains potential candidates to pass the agility test, which consists of specific tactical components related to being a correctional officer.
In 2016, Avila took the initiative to revive the NYC Department of Correction Boldest Running Club after its 10-year hiatus from the athletic program. Along with her presidential and coaching duties, she is responsible for all of the administrative duties, event scheduling, and recruiting for the club.
Avila worked along the commissioner of operations in hosting and bringing back the Rikers Island 5k; a race that was annually held for employees, family, and friends. In addition, every summer, she coaches some of the top New York City high/middle school runners at The Running School.
Avila was a member of the Queens College Cross Country and Track and Field team from 2008-2013 and part of the soccer team from 2008-2010. Additionally, she served as the cross country/ track and field team’s captain for her entire collegiate career.
During her time in Queens College, she racked up a laundry list of accolades. She was the 2011 East Coast Conference (ECC) Cross Country Champion; named to the NCAA Division II All-East Region Cross Country Team, was the Queens College MVP of the year and won several Indoor and Outdoor East Coast Conference Championships in the 1,500-meter, 3k, and 5k events.
In 2009, she helped the team win its first ever ECC Cross Country Championship. In 2011, Indira became the first athlete in Queens College history to qualify for the NCAA Division II Cross Country National Championship. Indira was ranked fifth in the East Coast for Cross Country NCAA Division II and was named the 2011 ECC Cross Country Women’s Runner of the Year. In 2012, Avila was named to the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Indoor Track All-Region squad.
She also still holds the Queens College records in the 1,500m, mile, 3k, 5k, and 6k for Indoor/Outdoor and Cross Country. For all her success, she was interviewed by NY1 as “Athlete to watch for in Track and Field this year”.
Avila is a graduate of the 2018 NCAA Women Coaches Academy class #44 that was held in Denver, CO. The NCAA Women Coaches Academy, hosted in partnership between the Alliance of Women Coaches and the NCAA, is a 4-day educational training available to NCAA coaches of all experience levels, and is designed for women coaches who are ready to increase their individual effectiveness by learning advanced skills and strategies that directly affect their personal and team success.
Updated 6/11/2018
