DePaul University Athletics
CROSS COUNTRY
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Email:
- ddopek@depaul.edu
- Phone:
- (773) 325-4474
The greatest sprinter in DePaul history, Dave Dopek was named head coach of the track and field programs on July 13, 2010. He enters his 29th year on staff in 2025-26, his 16th season at the helm, and his first as Director of Track and Field & Cross Country.
The 2024-2025 season was a milestone year, marked by historic performances, national success, and unprecedented team finishes. For the first time in program history, both the men’s and women’s teams placed second at the BIG EAST Outdoor Championships, signaling a new era of competition excellence. The Blue Demons set over 20 school records across sprints, hurdles, distance, throws, and jumps, with a record 11 athletes qualifying for the NCAA West Preliminary Rounds. Darius Brown led the way with a BIG EAST Championship record in the 110m hurdles (13.40), and a school record at regionals (13.37), and a sixth-place finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, earning his fourth career All-American honor. Alex Bernstein joined him at the NCAA finals, placing 18th in the hammer throw. Standout performances included Demetrius Rolle’s breakout in the 60m and 100m, Dustin Hudak’s 800m school record, and Sade Miller’s standout season in which she earned the High Point Performer award at the BIG EAST Outdoor Championships with 20.5 points - these moments helped created one of the program’s most successful campaigns to date.
From 2021 to 2024, the Blue Demons experienced unprecedented success, marked by record breaking performances and national recognition. The 2021-22 season featured multiple school records across event groups, highlighted by Olivia Borowiak’s distance dominance, Tori Carroll’s sprint and jump wins, and relay titles at the BIG EAST Championships. Five athletes advanced to the NCAA West Regionals, and Noelle Malkamaki won the U.S. Paralympic National Championship with a national record in the F46 shot put. In 2023-24, DePaul shattered 20 school records and qualified in 10 events for the NCAA West Prelims. Darius Brown earned All-American honors in the 60m and 110m hurdles and qualified for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, while Malkamaki won Paralympic gold with a world record 14.06m throw. Borowiak again broke multiple school records, and Jetta Mays led the sprints with BIG EAST and school-record wins. The team set several relay records, and earned top-four finishes at the BIG EAST Championships, solidifying DePaul’s national and international impact.
From 2019 to 2021, the team saw standout performances, particularly in sprints and throws. The 2019-20 indoor season ended with six BIG EAST titles, 23 All-Conference honors, and a No. 12 Midwest Region ranking for the men, before the outdoor season was canceled due to COVID-19. Jade Gates shined in the weight throw, setting a school record and earning two BIG EAST Field Athlete of the Week honors. In the 2020-21 season, both the men’s and women’s teams finished ranked 17th in the Midwest, led by a dominant sprint group. Kyle Mastangeli set the 100m school record (10.38), Ashton Colaire broke the 110m hurdles record (14.25), and the men’s 4x100m relay ran a program-best 39.91. The team secured titles in the men’s 4x400m and women’s 100m, while eight athletes qualified for the NCAA West First Round, solidifying DePaul as an emerging sprint power in the region.
During the 2017-19 seasons, both DePaul track and field teams consistently ranked among the BIG EAST’s top performers. In 2017-18, the men placed third and the women fourth at the indoor championships, with Kyle Decker continuing his dominance in the 60m hurdles and later earning the 2018-19 BIG EAST Michael Tranghese Postgraduate Leadership Award. The 2018-19 season saw the women finish second at both conference meets, led by Jade Nolan, who swept the long and triple jump titles indoors and outdoors, earning Most Outstanding Field Performer and High Point Performer honors. The men placed fifth indoors and third outdoors, highlighted by Brendan Van Voorhis winning the 200m and contributing to two relay victories, earning him Most Outstanding Track Athlete and High Point Performer. Overall, the team collected 16 event titles and 44 All-BIG EAST honors, while six athletes advanced to the NCAA West Preliminaries. Notably, Henry Larkin broke the 400m school record (46.18), and Alexia Brooks set a new 100m hurdles record (13.38) in the quarterfinals.
From 2015 to 2018 the team saw continued success. In the 2015-16 season, the Blue Demons earned 15 All-Conference honors at the BIG EAST Indoor Championships, with the men finishing third and the women achieving fifth. That outdoor season, they claimed nine BIG EAST titles and sent three athletes - Sattler, Whittler, and Mada - to the NCAA West Preliminaries. The 2016-17 season was historic as the men won their first ever BIG EAST Indoor and Outdoor Championships, with Trevor Kintyhtt advancing to the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the discus. In 2018, the women finished second and the men third at the BIG EAST Outdoor Championships, while Brian Mada broke the school triple jump record (15.89m) and earned Second Team All-American honors after finishing 12th at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
Between 2012 and 2015, the Blue Demons steadily built a strong track and field program marked by standout performances and national appearances. In 2012, DePaul had four NCAA qualifiers, including Tim Nedow (shot put), Matt Babicz (shot put), Melissa Fraser and Alana Kovacs (javelin). Nedow earned BIG EAST Most Outstanding Field Performer honors twice in this time, before representing Canada at the 2016 Rio Olympics. The 2013-14 season featured a third-place men's finish at the BIG EAST Indoor Championships and a runner-up spot outdoors, with six individuals qualifying for the NCAA First Round, including Babicz, who advanced to the NCAA Finals. The women placed fourth at the BIG EAST Outdoor Championships and fifth indoors. In 2014-15, the team earned four first-place finishes and 12 All-Conference honors at the BIG EAST Indoor Championships. Babicz capped his stellar career with a seventh-place finish at the NCAA Indoor Championships (First Team All-American), a 19th-place outdoor finish in Eugene, and a resume that included four BIG EAST shot put titles, four national qualifications and two All-American honors.
Before beginning his coaching career, Dopek inked his name into the DePaul history books. He became the school's first individual (or team) to win an NCAA championship when he captured the 200-meter title at the 1995 NCAA Indoor Championship at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis. Dopek also finished second in the 200 meters at the 1995 NCAA outdoor championships.
Dopek's success on the national scene continued when he won a gold medal in the 200-meter dash and was a member of the title-winningÂ
4x100-meter relay team at the 1995 United States Olympic Festival. Dopek's experienced success continued on the international level when he took home gold at the World University Games in Fukuoka, Japan as a part of the 4x100-meter relay team. While there, Dopek also took home a silver medal in the 200-meters. The following year he participated (qualifying on to the semi-final round) in the 1996 U.S. Olympic Trials in Atlanta. In 1997, he claimed gold medals in both the 4x100 and 4x400-meter relays at the 1997 World University Games in Sicily, Italy.Â
During his four years as a member of the Blue Demons, Dopek was the staple of the program, winning seven individual Great Midwest Conference championships. The sprinter claimed individual titles in the indoor 200-meter dash in 1993 and 1995, indoor 400-meter dash in 1994 and 1995, the outdoor 400-meter dash in 1994 and 1995, and the outdoor 200-meter dash in 1995. He was also a member of the 4x400-meter relay team that took the outdoor titles in 1992 and 1995 and was a part of the 1995 4x100-meter relay championship squad. For his efforts, he was named the Outstanding Athlete of the 1995 Great Midwest Conference Outdoor Championships. He also earned DePaul's Most Valuable Performer in indoor track three times and was the outdoor MVP in 1995.Â
Dopek was also a member of the Great Midwest Conference All-Academic team in both the 1993-94 and 1994-95 school years.Â
On Jan. 30, 2010, Dopek was inducted into the DePaul Athletics Hall of Fame.
Dave Dopek By The Numbers (2025)
| BIG EAST Conference Event Champions (Individual/Relay) BIG EAST Team Championships        BIG EAST Team Runner-Up NCAA Regional Qualifiers NCAA Final Qualifiers             All-Americans        BIG EAST Most Outstanding Performers of the Meet Academic All-Americans BIG EAST Team Academic Excellence Award BIG EAST Scholar Athlete-Sport Excellence Award    DePaul University School Records    |
148 2 7 82 30 12 20 3 9 8 106 |
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