Mark FitzPatrick begins his 15th season as the Head Men's and Women's Track & Field coach at Denison University in 2025-26 while the Fall will also mark his 11th season as Head Men's Cross Country Coach.
FitzPatrick oversees the recruiting efforts for each of the programs.
The Denison men's track & field team finished first overall at the 2023 North Coast Athletic Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championship, bringing home the seventh conference title for outdoor track & field in program history but the first since 1991. Denison scored in all 21 events and finished with 162 points, 33 points in front of second-place Wabash College with 129 points. As a team, Denison earned five individual conference championships and 12 total All-NCAC performances throughout the conference championship meet while Coach FitzPatrick and the rest of the Big Red coaching staff (Sarah Oprondek, Ethan Perry, Nicholas Gray, Gene Booher, and posthumously Phil Torrens), were awarded the NCAC Men's Outdoor Track & Field Coaching Staff of the Year award. It was the second NCAC Coaching Staff of the Year award for the Big Red in 2023 after closing out the NCAC Indoor Track & Field Championship in second place. Coach FitzPatrick was later named the 2023 Great Lakes Region Men's Outdoor Track & Field Coach of the Year as announced by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). In addition to winning the NCAC Outdoor Track & Field Championship, Coach Fitzpatrick and the Big Red won the All-Ohio Outdoor Track & Field Championship for the second year in a row and saw the team collect six All-Oho Championships and 10 total All-Ohio performances. The Big Red also had four All-Great Lakes Region performers for men's outdoor track & field in 2023: Jacob Brown (decathlon), Andrew D'Asaro (javelin), Ari Skolnik (110 meter hurdles) and Gabe Springer (discus). Brown was the NCAC champion in both the heptathlon and the decathlon while D'Asaro capped off his sophomore season with an 11-place finish out of 22 competitors in the javelin at the 2023 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field National Championship. On the women's side, Denison finished sixth overall at the 2023 NCAC Outdoor Championships and after earning conference titles in both the 4x200 and 4x400 meter relays, also concluded the NCAC Indoor Track & Field Championships in sixth place.
On the cross country course, the Big Red finished in third place at the 2022 NCAC Men's Cross Country Championship, hosted by the College of Wooster at the L C Boles Golf Course. It was the second straight third-place finish at the conference meet for the Big Red, who saw freshman Noah Cyr earn both NCAC Newcomer of the Year and First-Team All-NCAC honors as a rookie with a fifth-place finish and an 8K time of 27:05.2 in the field of 90 total runners. The men then concluded their 2022 season with a 15th-place finish at the NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regional Championship meet, hosted by Hope College at the Three Fires Golf Club in Holland, Michigan, and were paced by sophomore Nathan Bertman, who finished the 8K race at 25:15.1 to place 42nd out of 272 runners. The Denison women's cross country team finished in fifth place at the 2022 NCAC Championship. It was Denison's first top-five finish at the conference meet since Coach FitzPatrick's first season leading the Big Red in 2015. Denison was led by senior Anna Lindower, who earned Third-Team All-NCAC honors and finished in 16th place out of 72 runners with a 6K time of 24:44.1 before leading DU in 73rd place out of 247 total runners in the 6K race with a final time of 23:04.1 as Denison completed its 2022 season with a 17th-place finish at the NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regional Championship.
In the Spring of 2022, FitzPatrick coached the Big Red men's track & field team to a fourth-place finish at the NCAC Indoor Track & Field Championship, followed by a second-place finish at the NCAC Outdoor Championship, the best finish at the outdoor championship for Denison since winning its sixth conference title in seven years in 1991. The 10 All-NCAC performances Denison collected between both days of the outdoor championship and the decathlon were the most by the Big Red in a single outdoor championship since also earning 10 all-conference honors in 1998. Junior hurdler Charlie Webb went on to win a pair of conference championships in the 110 and the 400 meter hurdles, and was awarded as the NCAC Sprints/Hurdles Athlete of the Year for outdoor track & field. At the indoor conference championships, Senior Keanan Ginell won the conference title in both the 3,000 and the 5,000 meter runs en route to being named the NCAC Men's Distance Runner of the Year. Additionally, the Big Red men also won the 2022 All-Ohio Outdoor Track & Field Championship meet for the first time in program history. On the women's side, Denison finished fifth at the NCAC Indoor Championship and was fourth in the outdoor championship. Freshman Anaya Jolivette was named the indoor NCAC Newcomer of the Year after winning the conference championship in both the 60 and 200 meter dashes, and then she capped off her rookie campaign with a pair of outdoor conference titles in the 100 and 200 meter dashes to earn both the NCAC Newcomer and Sprints/Hurdles Athlete of the Year awards. FitzPatrick coached eight All-Great Lakes Region selections in 2022, including junior Gabe Springer (school record in the discus), sophomore Jacob Brown (school record in the Decathlon), freshman Andrew D'Asaro (javelin), freshman Chris Slater (hammer) and Webb (400 meter hurdles) in outdoor track & field, and freshman Catelyn Gagnier (school record in pole vault), Jolivette (60 meter dash) and Brown (school record in heptathlon) in indoor track & field.
In the Fall of 2021, FitzPatrick coached the Denison men's cross country team to a third-place finish in the NCAC, its best finish at the conference meet since 2008, while senior Keanan Ginell won the NCAC Individual Championship, was named NCAC Runner of the Year, made the All-Region team, and became the first Big Red men's cross country runner to compete at the NCAA National Championships since 2011, where he ran a new personal record and finished 93rd in all of Division III. Ginell was the first cross country runner to compete at nationals under Fitzpatrick's tenure as head coach. On the women's side, the Big Red placed seventh as a team while senior Emily Willson earned both first-team all-conference and all-region honors.
In 2019-20, FitzPatrick led both track & field programs to seven combined All-NCAC finishes during the indoor season, including the first-career conference title for Bryce Stricker (weight throw). The Denison men's team also left the 2020 NCAC Indoor Championships with a third-place finish, their best since 2009. He also helped the men's cross country team garner three All-NCAC performances, including a first-team honor for Adam Cromwell who placed fourth overall at the 2019 NCAC Championships.
During the 2018-19 season, the Big Red claimed 10 All-NCAC selections across the indoor and outdoor seasons, including indoor NCAC titles from James Dixie (long jump) and Ryan Fleming (high jump) and an conference championship from Esteban Sainz (javelin) during the outdoor season. During the cross country season, the Big Red men were highlighted by an impressive senior season from Niall Clancey who brought home All-NCAC second-team honors and was named to the USTFCCCA All-Great Lakes Region team. Adam Cromwell, Emily Willson, and Meagan Balch also garnered all-confernece accolades for the Big Red.
In 2017-18, both of Denison's track & field programs placed in the top-six within the NCAC, while Hannah Hall and Arlesha Cospy qualified for the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships in La Crosse, Wis. Cospy headlined Denison's performances as an All-American in the women's discus event, placing fourth overall.
In 2016, Denison's women's track & field team finished second at the NCAC Outdoor Championship, the program's best finish since winning the meet in 2004. Aedin Brennan was named the NCAC's Field Athlete of the Year and Ajai Brooks received Sprinter of the Year accolades. Brooks, Brennan, Hannah Hall and David Carter all qualified for the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships in 2016.
In 2014-15, FitzPatrick coached Aedin Brennan to a national championship in the heptathlon at the NCAA Division III. That marked the first national championship by a female track & field athlete in program history. In addition to Brennan's performance at the outdoor championship, Wallace Branche posted an All-American performance in the triple jump at the NCAA indoor championships.
In 2013-14, FitzPatrick led the Denison women's indoor team to its first second-place finish since the 2005 season. Led by All-Americans and NCAC Athlete of the Year honorees Aedin Brennan and Tiffany Davis, DU finished 20 points ahead of third-place Oberlin. In the outdoor meet, the Big Red posted its second-straight third-place finish behind performances by Davis, Brennan and Olivia Galano, who all earned All-American status at the NCAA Championship meet. In cross country, Galano, the NCAC Runner of the Year, helped the women's team finish fourth in the conference, while the men took eighth.
In his second season at Denison, FitzPatrick guided the Denison women's indoor and outdoor teams to a five-spot improvement in the NCAC standings. Led by Aedin Brennan and national qualifier and repeat NCAC Sprinter of the Year, Tiffany Davis, the Big Red placed third in the conference at the indoor and outdoor championship. In cross country, the DU women finished fifth while the men's team took sixth.
In 2011-12, FitzPatrick led the Big Red to eight NCAC individual titles and two All-American performances by senior Dee Salukombo. Salukombo posted his best finish at nationals during the indoor season with a third-place finish in the 5K. At the 2012 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championship, the senior battled through injury to take seventh in the 5,000-meter run. Senior sprinter Chris Roth and sophomore sprinter, Tiffany Davis, also qualified for the outdoor championship. At the conference level, Salukombo was named NCAC Distance Runner of the Year for the outdoor season after capturing conference titles in the 1,500, 5,000 and 10,000-meter events. The senior also won the 3,000-meter run during the indoor season. Davis was a two-time NCAC Sprinter of the Year in 2012. The sophomore won the 60 and 200-meter events during the indoor season and captured the 100 and 200-meter crowns at the NCAC outdoor meet.
FitzPatrick came to Denison from Washington & Jefferson College where he has spent eight years as the head cross country and track & field coach. A six-time Presidents’ Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, FitzPatrick led his squads to four PAC championships during his tenure.
In 2011, FitzPatrick led his women’s track & field squad to its third PAC title. The Presidents’ captured nine event titles en route to a 10-point victory over Westminster. Following the meet, FitzPatrick was presented with his sixth Coach of the Year award. At the conclusion of the 2011 season, FitzPatrick was named the USTFCCCA Mid-East Region Women's Track & Field Coach of the Year. He also guided the men’s track & field team to their first PAC Championship in 2010, powered by seven event championships. In 2008, he coached W&J’s first male All-American, Doug Melton, to an eighth-place finish in the discus at the national championship meet. A year later he coached the second female in school history to an All-American finish in the high jump.
Prior to accepting the position at Washington & Jefferson he spent three seasons as the head track & field coach at Hiram College. While at Hiram, he led the Terriers to their best finish in conference history and coached five individual conference champions.
Before taking over at Hiram, FitzPatrick served as the assistant women’s cross country and track & field coach at the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse from 1998-2000 where he coached seven Division III All-Americans and helped the Eagles to three Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles. FitzPatrick also spent two seasons as the assistant cross country and track & field coach at Allegheny College from 1996-1998, helping train five national qualifiers in cross country and track.
A 1995 graduate of Fairfield (Conn.) with a double major in philosophy and political science, FitzPatrick went on to earn a master’s degree in exercise and sports science from UW-LaCrosse.
