Laura (Roach) Albares '10 returned to the Knights in August 2012 after a successful collegiate career at Carleton College. Albares currently serves as assistant coach with the women's cross country and track & field programs. Prior to returning to her alma mater, she spent two years as an assistant at Hamline University.
“As a student-athlete it was evident through Laura’s hard work and dedication, she had a passion for the sport and the desire to coach, Laura has been a tremendous asset to the Knights program, the transition from athlete to coach was smooth as Laura understood what it took to be a student-athlete at Carleton”, said Head Coach Donna Ricks.
During Albares coaching time at Carleton the Knights have seen great success as the cross country program has qualified for every NCAA Championships since 2012, including multiple top 5 finishes and the 2023 national championship.
Albares was a captain and four-year letter winner for the Knights in cross country, indoor track & field, and outdoor track & field. In cross country, she helped the Knights capture the 2009 MIAC crown and earned a trio of All-MIAC honors. She also ran three times at the NCAA Championships, improving her placement each instance and culminating with an All-American performance in 2009. On the track, she earned all-conference distinction four times and added All-MIAC honorable mention in eight additional events. She still holds all-time top-10 performances on Carleton's outdoor performance list in the steeplechase (4th) and the 4x800-meter relay (7th).
