Concordia University Wisconsin

Russ De Lap completed his 20th season as head coach of the Concordia University Wisconsin men’s and women’s cross-country programs in 2024. He has also served as head coach of the track & field program since the 2010–11 academic year, overseeing one of CUW’s most consistently successful athletic programs.

Since taking over in 2006, De Lap has guided the Falcons to nine conference championships — seven on the women’s side — and has earned NACC Coach of the Year honors seven times. He is the only coach in program history to lead both the men’s and women’s teams to back-to-back titles, achieving the feat in 2010 and 2011.

In 2024, De Lap and his staff were named NACC Coaching Staff of the Year after the CUW women captured their seventh conference title under his leadership. The team claimed the title outright with 26 points. Melanie Arvis, Ainara Sainz de Rozas, and Timmy Brey earned All-Region recognition, with Sainz de Rozas and Brey qualifying for the NCAA National Championships — the first CUW qualifiers since 2005 and 2010, respectively.

The 2023 campaign saw the women win their sixth conference title, placing all seven scoring runners on the All-NACC team. Freshman Emma Ahrens was named NACC Freshman of the Year, while on the men’s side, Timmy Brey earned Co-NACC Athlete of the Year and repeated as an All-Region selection.

De Lap’s teams have been perennial top-four finishers at the conference level, with multiple All-Region and All-Conference honorees each year. Notable individual highlights include LaNea Bartel’s NACC individual title in 2021, Wesley Schiek being named both NACC Runner and Freshman of the Year in 2018, and Marya Haegler’s All-Region performance in 2015, when the women posted their best-ever regional finish (10th place).

Under De Lap, no CUW cross-country team has ever finished lower than fourth at the conference meet — a testament to his consistency and long-term program development. He has coached numerous standout individuals, including All-Americans, All-Region runners, and NACC major award winners, while maintaining a competitive presence at both the conference and regional levels.

Beyond coaching, De Lap is an accomplished masters-level runner. In December 2016, he set five American records in the 60–64 age group at the Desert Solstice event (20K, 25K, 30K, 2-hour, and 20-mile). He was the 100-mile national champion for the 55–59 age group in 2013 and has medaled in multiple USATF national events. In 2023, De Lap ranked among the top master athletes in the country — 4th in the U.S. (21st globally) in the indoor 3000m, and 8th in the U.S. (44th globally) in the 1500m. He has logged over 150,000 lifetime running miles and has competed in races from the mile to 100 miles.

De Lap is a 1986 graduate of the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee with a Bachelor’s in physical education and athletic training. He earned his MBA in health care from Concordia University Wisconsin in 1998. A retired NATA-certified athletic trainer, he also holds USATF Level 3 and IAAF Level V coaching certifications with specializations in endurance.

Men's Cross Country NACC History Under Coach De Lap

Women's Cross Country NACC History Under Coach De Lap