Bio

Russ De Lap finished his 20th season as head coach of the CUW men's and women's cross-country programs in 2024. De Lap has posted a successful run with the Falcons, while also serving as the head track & field coach since the 2010-11 season.

Since the 2006 season, De Lap has coached the Falcons to nine conference championships, seven of which came on the women's side. In 2010 and 2011, he guided the Falcons to an NACC sweep, capturing championships on both the men's and women's sides. In addition, he has been named the league's Coach of the Year seven times.

In 2024, De Lap and his staff were named the NACC Coaching Staff of the Year as the CUW women's cross-country team won its seventh conference title under De Lap as the Falcons were outright champions with 26 points. Melanie Arvis, Ainara Sainz de Rozas, and Timmy Brey were All-Region runners individually. Sainz de Rozas and Brey were both National Championship qualifiers. Sainz de Rozas became the first Falcon since 2005 to represent CUW nationally while Brey was the first since 2010 to qualify for the tournament.

In the 2023 season, the women's cross-country team claimed its sixth conference title under De Lap. The team finished with 31 points and landed seven All-NACC members, while freshman Emma Ahrens claimed NACC Freshman of the Year. 

On the men's side, Timmy Brey claimed USTFCCCA All-Region Honors for the second straight year and was voted as the Co-NACC Cross Country Athlete of the Year for his first-place individual finish in the NACC Championships.

De Lap and the Falcons hosted the 2021 NACC Championships where the CUW placed fourth and the men finished in fifth place. 

In 2022, De Lap coached Tim Brey who earned USTFCCCA All-Region for his performance at the NCAA Regionals.

The 2020-21 season saw the CUW women finish second at the NACC Championships, with LaNea Bartel claiming the NACC individual title. The men finished in third place. 

2019 saw the Falcons close the year on a high note, with many season and career-best times at the NCAA Regional Championship. 2019 also saw an All-NACC performance in LaNea Bartel.

The 2018 Falcons saw their best performance at the NACC Championships on the men's side since 2011. Wesley Schiek was named the NACC Runner of the Year and NACC Freshman of the Year. The women finished in fourth place.

De Lap captured his seventh NACC Championship in 2017, coaching the women's team to a league title. The Falcons had five runners finish in the top 15, all five earning All-NACC recognition en route to the Falcons' first team title since 2011. De Lap was also named the NACC Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year after leading his team to the conference championship.

De Lap once again coached an All-Region runner in 2016 as Nora Imperl had an impressive season under his guidance. Imperl was one spot away from qualifying for the NCAA Division III National Championships. De Lap also guided the Falcons women's team to a third-place finish at the NACC Championships in 2016, while the men placed fourth. A De Lap-coached cross-country team has never finished lower than fourth at the conference championships.

De Lap also coached two All-NACC runners on the women's side in 2016 as Imperl ran to All-Conference recognition for the third straight year, while Ashley Scheel was honored as an All-NACC runner for the fourth-consecutive season.

In 2015, De Lap helped coach the women's team to its best Regional finish in program history. The Falcons were 10th at the always-challenging Midwest Regional, placing three runners in the top 60. Included in that was Marya Haegler, who earned All-Region status with her 20th-place finish.

CUW was again in the top four of the conference for both teams in 2015, with the men finishing in fourth place and the women taking third. The women had four runners earn All-NACC status in 2015, all finishing inside the top 15 at the NACC Indoor Championships.

De Lap guided the Men's team to another fourth-place finish in 2013, which included Andrew Coop and Dayton Lueck earning All-NACC honors with their top-15 finishes. De Lap has led the Falcons to at least a top-four finish in each of the past five seasons. He has also coached 11 runners to First Team All-NACC honors during that span.

In 2012 the Falcons women's team placed third, while the men's team came in fourth place at the conference championships. The Falcons had nine runners earn All-NAC recognition at the 2012 championships.

In 2011, De Lap coached both the men's and women's cross-country teams to Northern Athletics Conference Championships. The men's team won the title with 63 points, while the women's team, placed four runners in the top-11 and took the championship with 49 points. The title was the third straight for the women's program and second consecutive for the men.

The Falcons cross country programs also completed the sweep in 2010 under De Lap. That year, CUW had Andy Ashenden win his second consecutive individual championship at the conference meet.

In addition to his long list of accolades as a coach, De Lap is an accomplished runner who continues to set records on a national level. In December 2016, De Lap set five American records at the Desert Solstice event. He holds records for the Male 60-64 age division in 20K, 25K, 30K, Two Hour, and 20-mile. His running history also includes a 2013 100-mile National Champion (55-59), multiple Marathon championships. In the 2023 indoor season De Lap had his best rankings ever as a master where he ranked 4^th in US and 21^st in the world in the 3,000 and 8^th in the US and 44^th in the world in the 1500.

As a runner, De Lap has logged over 150,000 miles and competes in races from distances ranging from one mile to 100 miles. He has captured multiple medals, including a silver in the 100K National Championships in 2007 and a bronze at the 2012 USA Masters Indoor Track & Field National Championships in the 3000.

He started his coaching career with the Falcons in 2006 and helped the Falcons women's team to a league title in 2007. He won his first NACC Coach of the Year honors in 2007, an award he has captured five more times since in cross country.

De Lap is a 1986 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee with a Bachelor's of Science Degree in physical education and an internship in athletic training. He is also a 1998 graduate of Concordia University Wisconsin with a Master's Degree in business administration in health care.

De Lap is a Retired NATA Athletic Trainer. He also is a USATF Level 3 Certified Coach with an Endurance Specialization as well as an IAAF Level V certified coach with an Endurance Specialization.

Men's Cross Country NACC History Under Coach De Lap

Women's Cross Country NACC History Under Coach De Lap