East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania Men's Cross Country

Koch works primarily with the Warriors' mid-distance and distance runners, while Merli handles the sprints, hurdles and jumps. Koch's athletes have enjoyed a tremendous amount of success over the past three decades. The track and field program has produced 61 All-America awards (32 men, 29 women) among 30 athletes since 1990. A total of 20 athletes have earned multiple All-America citations, including high jumpers Lynn Mayer, a 2011 graduate who was a six-time All-American, and four-time All-America high jumpers Karen (Way) Gaita, the 1991 NCAA Division II outdoor champion, and Christina O'Connor, a 2015 graduate. At the conference level, the Warriors have won 131 individual PSAC championships (78 men, 53 women) and 20 relay titles (13 men, 7 women) since 1990. The men's program has been PSAC runner-up in seven of the last 16 conference championships - 2009 outdoors, 2010 indoors/outdoors, 2011 outdoors, 2013 indoors and 2014 indoors/outdoors. Koch was named the PSAC and USTFCCCA Atlantic Region Coach of the Year following the 2009 outdoor season. Koch was also chosen as the NCAA Women's Regional Coach of the Year and ECAC Co-Women's Coach of the Year in 2001. He was the ECAC Men's Coach of the Year in 1990 when his squad won the ECAC indoor championships. In cross country, Koch has received the ECAC Women's Coach of the Year in 1995 and PSAC Coach of the Year in 1994. He has sent 20 individual runners and three teams, the 1989 and 2012 men and 1999 women, to the NCAA Division II Championships and Jan Blake (1996), Tina Vosper (1998), Vanessa Andes (2003-04), Mascoli (2010) and Frank Fezza (2012) have been All-Americans. The Hackensack, N.J. native ran track and field and cross country for four years at the University of Delaware and was captain of the Blue Hens' cross country team as a senior in 1979. Koch lives in East Stroudsburg with his wife Deborah, son Matthew Edward (20) and daughter Kristen Joann (18). 2016 outdoor - Travis Toth (Hammer) 2016 indoor - William Berry (HJ), Travis Toth (Weight) 2015 outdoor - William Berry (HJ) 2014 outdoor - Travis Toth (Hammer) 2014 indoor - Seth Bailey (HJ) 2013 outdoor - Matt Tholis (Javelin), Josh Hontz (Javelin) 2012 outdoor - Matt Tholis (Javelin), Dan Johnson (Decathlon) 2011 outdoor - Josh Hontz (Javelin) 2011 indoor - Negus Graham (400) 2010 outdoor - Negus Graham (400), Paul Wagner (Hammer), 4x100m Relay 2010 indoor - Negus Graham (400) 2009 outdoor - Paul Wagner (Hammer) 2009 indoor - Rusty Smith (60H) 2008 outdoor - Iuri Pinto (1500) 2008 indoor - Rusty Smith (60H) 2004 outdoor - Dan Gale (Javelin) 2003 outdoor - Barry Krammes (Javelin) 2003 indoor - Mike Newhard (HJ) 2002 outdoor - Barry Krammes (Javelin) 2002 indoor - Mike Newhard (HJ) 1998 indoor - Rob Stone (LJ) 1996 indoor - Rob Stone (LJ) 1994 indoor - Rob Stone (LJ) 1992 outdoor - Lance Branyan (Javelin), Al Yackenchick (Javelin) 1991 indoor - Martin Brans (1500) 1990 indoor - Martin Brans (1500) 2015 outdoor - Christina O'Connor (HJ) 2015 indoor - Christina O'Connor (HJ) 2014 outdoor - Christina O'Connor (HJ) 2013 indoor - Christina O'Connor (HJ) 2011 outdoor - Rose Mascoli (5,000; 10,000), Lynn Mayer (HJ) 2011 indoor - Lynn Mayer (HJ) 2010 outdoor - Lynn Mayer (HJ) 2010 indoor - Lynn Mayer (HJ) 2008 outdoor - Lynn Mayer (HJ) 2008 indoor - Lynn Mayer (HJ) 2007 outdoor - Leslie Martin (Hept) 2007 indoor - Leslie Martin (HJ) 2005 outdoor - Vanessa Andes (10,000) 2001 outdoor - Jenn Grube (Javelin), Quanette Jester (TJ) 2001 indoor - Shavanna Ross (HJ) 2000 outdoor - Jenn Grube (Javelin) 1999 outdoor - Tina Vosper (10,000), Jenelle Strine (Hammer) 1999 indoor - Tina Vosper (5,000) 1997 indoor - Jane Blake (mile) 1996 outdoor - Jan Blake (1500) 1995 outdoor - Jan Blake (1500) 1993 outdoor - Jenn Moyer (10,000) 1991 outdoor - Karen Way (HJ) 1991 indoor - Karen Way (HJ) 1990 outdoor - Karen Way (HJ) 1990 indoor - Jenn Moyer (3,000) 2012 - Frank Fezza 2010 - Rose Mascoli 2004 - Vanessa Andes 2003 - Vanessa Andes 1998 - Tina Vosper 1996 - Jan Blake (active T&F/XC coaches) (entering 2016-17)   t-1. Joe Koch

Enters 5th Season In 2025 • 15 All-PSAC Selections Adam Mengel was named the head coach of the men's and women's cross country programs on August 16, 2021 and is entering his third season on the ESU staff in 2023-24. Mengel will also serve as an assistant coach for the men's and women's track and field teams, where he will work primarily with the middle and long distance events. Despite the ESU men's and women's cross country teams being selected to finish eighth and 11th respectively in the PSAC preseason poll, the Warriors both turned in fourth place finishes at the 2023 conference championships. The men's squad matched their best performance since the 2019 championships as sophomore Landon Boyle garnered Second Team All-PSAC honors with a 21st place finish. The women's team marked the highest finish since 2017 as freshman Bri Hennett took fifth overall for the best finish by a first-year student in program history to earn First Team All-PSAC honors while Holly Chambers (26th) and Carla Bautista (29th) landed on the Second Team.  Hennett continued to re-write the record books at the Atlantic Region Championships as she notched the highest finish by freshman in school history after placing eighth to lead the Warriors to an 8th place finish. Hennett earned an at-large bid to the 2023 NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships, becoming the first freshman to qualify as an individual in program history as well as the first runner to compete at the championships since 2015. The Northumberland native placed 88th in the 6K with a time of 21:28.5 at the Tom Rutledge Cross Country Course in Joplin, Missouri.  Additionally, Hennett was a two-time PSAC Athlete of the Week, becoming the first Warrior to receive multiple weekly awards from the conference since 2017. On the track in 2023-24, Hennett became the fourth student-athlete in program history to be recognized as the PSAC Women's Track & Field Freshman of the Year after recording runner-up finishes the 3000m and 5000m at the PSAC Indoor Championships. During the 2022 cross country season, the men's and women's programs produced 9th and 17th place finishes at the PSAC Championships. Luke Valdevit earned All-PSAC honors in consecutive years as the graduate student finished 26th to land on the Second Team. The men's team opened the campaign in impressive fashion, claiming first place overall at the Adelphi Panthers XC Invite to capture the program's first top-finish since October 12, 2019. In his first season at the helm of the men's and women's cross country programs, the Warriors earned 12th and 15th place finishes respectively at the PSAC Championships. Luke Valdevit shined for the men's squad by earning All-PSAC First Team honors with an 11th place finish in the individual standings. Valdevit also garnered PSAC Athlete of the Week laurels on Oct. 11 for his performance at the DeSales Invitational.  Mengel brings nine years of coaching experience to the Poconos, including a stop at PSAC member IUP for two years. He most recently served as the cross country head coach and track and field assistant coach at Indiana University East from 2018 until this spring. Under the direction of Mengel, the Red Wolves' men's indoor track and field team captured the River States Conference championship in 2020 and finished as the runners-up in 2019. On the women's side, both the track and field team (2020) and cross country squad (2019) earned runner-up finishes at their respective conference championships. Also, three cross country runners were national qualifiers during Mengel's time. Prior to coaching at Indiana University East, Mengel served as assistant cross country and track and field coach at Duquesne. With the Dukes, Mengel produced four A10 Conference champions in track and field, one in cross country and four NCAA Regional/National qualifiers. Mengel began his coaching career as an assistant coach at IUP in 2012, where he helped train one PSAC champion and two national qualifiers in track and field. For cross country, the women's team qualified nationally twice, and one male student-athlete punched his ticket to nationals. As a student-athlete at Saint Francis (Pa.), Mengel was a four-year letter winner in cross country and indoor/outdoor track and field. Mengel is a native of Monaca, Pa. and earned his bachelor's degree in biology along with minors in math and chemistry from Saint Francis (Pa.) in 2012. He added a master's in science in education from Indiana University in 2020. He is a certified USTFCCCA strength and conditioning coach and USATF Level 2 coach in endurance. PSAC Overall Award Winners 2024 - Bri Hennett - Indoor Track & Field Freshman of the Year 2023 - Bri Hennett - Freshman of the Year (Cross Country)