Coaching Staff
Saint Mark's Cross Country, Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field Coaching Staff
2024 Cross Country
Mike DiGennaro- Head Coach
Milena Procope- Assistant Coach
Naim Robinson- Assistant Coach
Kaitlyn Kramer- Assistant coach
Connor Hessler- Assistant Coach
Deirdre Lego- Assistant Coach
2024 Outdoor Track & Field
Mike DiGennaro- Head Coach Boys and Girls Outdoor track & Field- Distance
Rashaun Davis-Assistant Coach- Sprints, Long Jump/Triple Jump/High Jump
Ron Smith- Assistant Sprint and hurdles coach
Sam Yarrington- Assistant Throws Coach
Dan Frydrych- Assistant Middle Distance Coach
Naim Robinson- Assistant Coach Sprints
Kaitlyn Kramer- Assistant Distance coach
Natalie Morris- Assistant Coach Sprints and hurdles
Dierdre Lego- Assistant Coach- Distance
Sheri Pinchin- Assitant Coach- MD and jumps
Connor Hessler- Assistant Coach Middle Distance
2024 Indoor Track & Field
Rashaun Davis- head Coach Girls- Sprints, Long Jump/Triple Jump/High Jump
Ron Smith- Head Coach Boys- Sprint and hurdles coach
Sam Yarrington- Assistant Throws Coach
Dan Frydrych- Assistant Middle Distance Coach
Naim Robinson- Assistant Coach Sprints
Kaitlyn Kramer- Assistant Distance Coach
Mike DiGennaro- Head Coach XC and Outdoor Track & Field, Head Coach Boys Indoor Track & Field
-Middle Distance and Distance Running
Email- mdigennaro@stmarkshs.net
Instagram @mikeadigennaro
Team Twitter @spartanrunner_xctf
Team Instagram @spartanrunner_coach
Team Tiktok @spartan_runner
Delaware Coach of the Year-
2019 Girls XC
2021 Girls Outdoor Track & Field
2021 Girls XC
2022 Boys Outdoor Track & Field
2024 Boys Outdoor Track & Field
US Track and Field Coaches' Association Delaware Coach of the year 2024
Coach DiGennaro is the head coach of the boys’ and Girls’ XC and outdoor track & field programs at Saint Mark's High School. He is also head coach of the boys’ indoor track & field program. Coach DiGennaro is originally from Essex, MA, where he attended Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School (1996 graduate). He attended the University of Delaware, where he majored in English and ran twelve seasons of XC, indoor track & field, and outdoor track & field as a distance runner.
Coach DiGennaro began his coaching career at the Charter School in XC in 2002, where his focus was on coaching distance runners. He was appointed head coach of Indoor Track and Field at Charter in 2004. In 2005, after three seasons at Charter, he arrived at St. Mark’s and began his coaching career as an assistant in cross-country, indoor, and outdoor track and field. He helped coach the girls’ XC team win a State Championship in 2006 and the boys’ XC team win in 2007. Most recently he has guided the team to the following titles:
2024 Boys Outdoor Track & Field State Champions
2022 Girls and Boys Outdoor Track & Field State Champions
2021 Girls XC State Champions
2021 Girls Outdoor Track & Field State Champions
2024 Girls Outdoor Runner-up
2023 Boy XC Runner-up
2022 Girls Indoor Track Runner up
2019+ 2020 Girls XC Runner-up
Coach DiGennaro also holds a solid resume as a competitive distance runner. Coach DiGennaro set six school records at The University of Delaware. He was a team captain, three-time Conference Champion, three-time All-East, IC4A Cross-Country Champion, and a four-time Most Valuable Athlete. In 2001 DiGennaro qualified for his first US Championships in the 3000m-Steeplechase and finished #20 in the nation. In 2004 DiGennaro qualified automatically for the United States Olympic Trials in the 3000m-Steeplechase (8:35). He finished in 15th and was ranked #14th in USA. He has been ranked as high as #3 in the USA. He also held the record for the fastest 5K by a Delaware resident, and has the fastest 5K in the 30-34 and 35-39 age groups.
Coach DiGennaro began a career as a college counselor in the fall of 2023. . He is married to Dani DiGennaro, and they have a 7-year-old son named Michael Alton Jr.
Rashaun Davis- Head Coach Girls' Indoor Track & Field
- Sprints and Jumps
email-rashaundavis25@gmail.com
Twitter @sofarshaun
Instagram @sofarshaun
Delaware Coach of the Year-
2022 Girls Indoor Track & Field
Delaware Assistant Coach of the Year-
2022 Girls Outdoor Track & Field
Head Coach, Girls' Indoor Track & Field- 2015-Present
Coach Davis completed his eighth season as the girls' indoor track & field head coach and the outdoor track & field sprint coach. Coach Davis is a 2010 graduate from Saint Mark's High School, where he excelled in 100M, 200M, 4x100M, 4x200M, and the horizontal jumps. Coach Davis also played football, where he set the bar as one of the premier running backs in Delaware.
Coach Davis is an extremely valuable asset to the program. His enthusiasm, expertise, and commitment to the success of all of his athletes make him a well respected coach. He has grown the Saint Mark's sprint and jumps squads into one of the most competitive programs in Delaware.
Coach Davis is currently the Dean of Students at Saint Mark's High School!
- Ron Smith- Assistant Coach Track and Field
-Sprints and Hurdles
Coach Smith has been the Saint Mark’s sprint track coach and football coach for 20 years. He is responsible for turning out 15 state champions in track, multiple school record setting athletes, and working with the youth in becoming bigger, faster and stronger for over the years.
Kaitlyn Kramer- Assistant Coach XC, Track & Field (2019)
Distance and Middle Distances
Kaitlyn is a graduate of NC State where she was a member of the Wolfpack! Her team finished #4 in the nation in 2014. Kaitlyn currently works at Gore and is a Strava enthusiast.
Kaitlyn's other secret hobby is as a legendary cookie maker. You can follow her designs @kk_cookies_ on instagram.
Sam Yarrington- Assistant Coach Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field (2010-Present)
-Shot put and discus
Coach Yarrington began coaching the throwers in 2009. Coach Yarrington has built a very successful throws program, and his athletes have gone on to win county and state championships. He he one of the more successful throws coaches in Delaware, with his athletes competing every year at counties, states, and the meet of champions.
Sam threw shot, discus, and hammer at the University of Delaware (2001 graduate), where he was recognized as captain of the team. He had strong credentials in the throwing events, and led UD to very strong finishes at the Conference Championships and IC4A's. He was a key member of the 1999 America East Indoor Conference Championship and the 2000 Outdoor Track and field Championships, along with Coach DiGennaro.
Naim Robinson - Assistant Coach Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field
-Sprints
Naim is beginning his second season as the sprints coach at Saint Mark's. This season he is also coaching the XC program, where he is specializing in speed and strength training.
He has experience as the head coach of Christiana High School, and he is a fantastic addition to the program!
Milena Procope Assistant Coach XC
Distance Coach
Coach Procope is entering her second season with the Spartans. She brings an energy and new enthusiasm to the sport. Coach Procope was a captain of the team and took the throws program to another level!
Coach Procope is also the Chair of Blue-Gold and teaches in the Emmaus Center.
Connor Hessler- Assistant Coach XC and Outdoor Track & Field
Distance and Middle Distances
Coach Hessler is entering his second season with the Spartans. Hessler is a former Spartan, having run impressive times in the 800m and 1600M at Saint Mark's. Coach Hessler finished runner up in the 800M at the DIAA Indoor State Championship.
He was recruited to run for IUPUI!
Coach Hessler just recently got engaged to his fiance, Amanda. Amanda and Connor were both captains of the track and field teams at Saint Mark's.
Natalie Morris- Assistant Coach Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field
Sprints and Hurdles
Natalie has begun her first season as a hurdles and sprint coach with the Spartans. Natalie is originally from California where she competed in high school and college as a 100M and 300M hurdler.
Natalie now resides in Bear, DE, and excited to work with the Spartans!
Deirdre Lego- Assistant Coach Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field
Distance
Coach Lego is entering her second season with the program. Coach Lego was the former head coach of the St. John the Beloved XC and Track & Field program before volunteering at Saint Mark's.
Coach Lego is a legacy coach, as she was a member of the 1995 XC State Championship team at Saint Mark's.
FORMER COACHES
Dan Frydrych- Assistant Coach, XC and Outdoor Track & Field
-Coaches Distance and middle distance runners
Coach Frydych retired after 18 seasons as an assistant coach in XC and Outdoor Track and Field at Saint Mark’s. Coach Frydrych graduated from South Allegheny High School outside of Pittsburgh, PA. His love for track and field began during his senior year in high school when his chemistry teacher convinced him to go out for the team for the first time.
Coach Frydrych’s coaching career started with CYM cross-country and track and field at Corpus Christi parish, when his daughter Sarah was in the third grade. He continued to coach at Corpus Christi for the next nine years, eventually becoming the head coach of the girls’ cross country and track and field teams.
Coach Frydrych focuses on training distance runners, but he also has experience with short and long sprinters. From 2007-2010 he worked primarily with the sprint team.
Coach Frydrych attended University of Pennsylvania and obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering and a Master’s degree and Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering. He currently works as a Materials Scientist at W. L. Gore and Associates where he does research and development on new membranes.
Coach Frydrych continues to run regularly, and his results have been spotted in local races throughout DE. He is also frequently seen running laps around the track after practice.
In Coach's final season the boys 4x800M indoor and outdoor teams both broke school records and were invited to the prestigious New Balance National meets.
Tom McCartan- Former Head Coach Boys’ XC (2009-2017) Indoor and outdoor Track & Field (2002-2017)
Coach McCartan stepped away from coaching after 16 seasons as head coach of the program. Coach McCartan was a graduate of Saint Mark’s, where he excelled as the #1 runner his senior season. He went on to coach individual and team state champions in track & field and XC over 16 seasons.
Coach O’Neill, Coach McCartan, and Coach DiGennaro are the only head coaches of the XC program in its 55-year history.
Coach O'Neill- Head XC Coach from 1969-2008.
Coach O'Neill was the only head coach at Saint Mark's for 40 seasons. He was a legendary coach who won 4 state titles for the girls and 3 state titles for the boys! He was named Coach of the Year 5 Times! Coach O'Neill is a legend at Saint Mark's, and is remembered for his compassion, enthusiasm, and commitment to our program.
Mark Hannagan- Assistant Coach XC, Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field (2016-2018)
-Distance, Sprints
Email: mhannagan@stmarkshs.net
Instagram: @mhannag
Coach Hannagan coached for three seasons as the girls’ assistant Cross Country coach and his third season as the girls’ Track & Field coach at Saint Mark’s.
Coach Hannagan began his running career at St. Mary Magdalen as a sprinter. He attended Salesianum for high school where he was told he wasn’t fast enough to be a sprinter and got moved to the distance team. This was both a huge change and challenge for him but he worked hard and helped the team win a cross country state championship in 2008.
Coach Hannagan would go onto attend the University of Delaware where he ran as a redshirt freshmen and also on the club team. He helped the club team to two consecutive NIRCA Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships in 2011 and 2012. He was the 2010 CNR champion. In 2013, he would graduate with a degree in History and minor in Secondary Education.
After graduating from Delaware, he attended graduate school at Wilmington University where he was part of a very successful cross country team which made a NCAA DII National Championship appearance in 2013. In 2014, he was named CACC All-Conference and NCAA DII Academic All-American. After he completed his eligibility for Wilmington University, he served as an assistant coach for the Wildcats. He helped coach the team to a men’s CACC Conference Championship in 2015 and individual, Megan Ferrick, to an individual CACC Conference victory. In 2015, Coach Hannagan received his Master’s degree in Secondary Education.
Currently, Coach Hannagan teaches in the Saint Mark’s Social Studies Department. He spends most of his free time running and eating ice cream, preferably Ben & Jerry’s. His favorite part of coaching is seeing athletes set goals and working hard to achieve them. “Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible” - Tony Robbins
Ryan Carter- Assistant Coach XC, Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field (2021
-Short and long Sprints, XC
Ryan began his coaching career as the head coach of Glasgow High School.
Gary Schmelz- Assistant Coach Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field (2016-2021)
-Long Jump, Triple Jump, High Jump
Jumps coach for Indoor since the 2012 - 2013 season. Appointed jumps coach for Spring Track & Field in 2016.
Hannah Falchuk- Assistant Coach XC, Track & Field (2019-2021)
Hannah is a 2014 graduate of Saint Mark's and former captain of the XC team. In 2010 and 2011 her teams finished 2nd overall in the DIAA state meet.
Alyssa Rudawsky- Assistant Coach, XC, Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field
-Distance Coach (Fall 2018)instagram - alyssa_rudawsky
Alyssa attended Garnet Valley High School and just graduated from NC State University where she ran competitively for the Wolfpack for 5 years. She wasn't heavily recruited out of high school as she collected good but not stellar track and cross country times; however, NC State was one of the few universities that saw her potential.
At NC State, she accepted honors including 2x All-ACC for cross country and track, All-Region for cross country, and was an NCAA East Regional Qualifier for the 5,000m for outdoor track. She was also a member of the team that placed in the top 10 at the NCAA Championships for cross country 3 years in a row, one of those years being a podium finish. She has PR's of 16:26 for 5k on the track, 4:32 for 1500 meters, and 20:24 for 6k. Despite battling various injuries, Alyssa would like to continue to train and hopefully begin competing again sometime in the near future. She graduated from NC State with a major in Psychology and a minor in Sport Science. She looks to attend graduate school for Health Psychology and eventually earn her PhD.
This is Alyssa's first year as an assistant coach. You could say she's had a little bit of practice, as she was team captain all throughout high school and for the last 3 years of her college career. Alyssa has always found joy in being a leader for her team and doing whatever she could to offer advice and guidance.
The term 'Wolfpack' has a special place in her heart coming from NC State, so she's excited that Saint Mark's also has chosen to embody what that means. "For the strength of the pack is the wolf... and the strength of the wolf is the pack" - Rudyard Kipling
Sarah Frydrych- Assistant Coach, XC and Outdoor Track & Field
-XC, sprints (2016)
Sarah is a 2008 graduate of Saint Mark's High School. She excelled as a middle distance runner, competing in the 200,400, and 800M. Sarah went on to compete for Saint Francis University (PA) as an XC and track and field runner. She currently works as Physical Therapist at ATI in Pike Creek.
Hannah Worsh- Assistant Coach, XC and Outdoor Track & Field.
-Distance and middle distance coach- 2014-2016
Twitter @hannahworsh
Instagram @hannahworsh
Coach Worsh joined the coaching staff in November, 2013, as an assistant coach for indoor track and field and outdoor track and field. She will now continue to work with the program as an assistant with the XC team in the fall of 2014. Coach Worsh graduated from St. Mark's in 2012. Her distance career began during XC in 2011 when she joined the team as a senior. She quickly rose to varsity status, and was a key member of the runner-up team at the state meet. On the track she competed in the 1600 and 3200M.
John Molina-Moore
Former outdoor track & field sprint coach, 2012-2013.
Lexi Ambrogi
Former distance coach for XC and Track & Field. 2010-2011.
John Lannutti
Head coach of girls' indoor track & field team until 2009.
Barry Zavislan
Former jumps coach.