PETE ALFANO
Interim Men's and Women's Cross Country Coach

Pete Alfano is in his fourth season on the cross country staff at Hofstra Universityin 2007-08. He was named the Interim Head Cross Country Coach in March, 2008 following the departure of James Sewell.  Alfano joined the Pride staff in 2004 after running on the Hofstra cross country team as a graduate student.

Alfano concluded his collegiate career in 2003 as a member of Hofstra's Collegiate Track Conference (CTC) championship team and being named to the All-CTC team. He is also a former school record holder in the 800 meter run. Alfano finished 18th at the Towson Invitational, 24th at the Stony Brook Invitational and 22nd at the CTC Championship.

The 2003 graduate of St. John's University was a four-year member of the Red Storm cross country and track and field teams, earned All-Metropolitan honors in 2002, and was a member of the Outdoor Metropolitan championship team as a senior. A solid student, Alfano was twice named to the Big East Academic All-Star team at St. John's.

Alfano Is a 1999 graduate of Monsignor Farrell High School on Staten Island, New York, where he lettered all four years in cross country and track and field, and served as captain in 1999. He was a member of the Lions' two-time Staten Island indoor track and field championship team, and the three-time Staten Island outdoor tack and field championship squad. He was named the Distance Most Valuable Runner as a senior. He also served as a volunteer assistant coach at Monsignor Farrell High School in 2002.

At the age of 19, Alfano became the youngest male to ever win Staten Island's Triple Crown Series in 2001, and he also captured two consecutive Forest Avenue Mile championships in 2001 and 2002. Alfano, who is completing a master's degree in physical education at Hofstra, is single and resides in Franklin Square, New York.

MATT SMITH
Assistant Coach

Matt Smith is in his first season as an assistant coach for the Hofstra Cross Country program. The 2004 Hofstra graduate returns to his alma mater after running for the Pride from 2000 through 2004.

The Londonderry, New Hampshire, native served as a Pride tri-captain during his senior season in 2003. He ran in 29 cross country meets during his Hofstra career. He posted a career-best 8K time of 27:31 twice, placing 16th at the 2003 George Mason Invitational, and finishing 46th at the 2001 Colonial Athletic Association Championship. He opened his career with a third-place finish at the 5K Stony Brook Invitational.

Smith was a member of Londonderry High School's New Hampshire State Championship teams in indoor and outdoor track and field in 1998, 1999 and 2000, and the state cross country championship squad in 1999.

Smith worked in the finance department of the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System from November 2004 through August 2007. He is currently student-teaching in the Harborfields School District. Smith, who earned a bachelor's degree in English from Hofstra in 2004, is also currently working on a master's degree in English education. He resides in Glen Head, New York with his wife, Jennifer.