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Pat Savage Named Interim Head Coach for Blue Demon Track and Field and Cross Country
CHICAGO – Former DePaul captain Pat Savage, who recently completed his first season as an assistant coach for the Blue Demon men’s and women’s cross country and track programs, will serve as the interim head coach for those programs it was announced by Blue Demon Athletic Director Jean Lenti Ponsetto today. Savage has an extensive coaching background in the Chicagoland area serving as the head cross country and track coach at DePaul Academy (1966-68), St. George High School in Evanston (1968-69) and also serving on the Niles West High School staff in Skokie from 1969-2002. He was the head cross country coach during his entire tenure and spent six of those years on the staff as the head track and field coach in the 1980’s. He has also coached the cross country, track and marathon teams at Oakton Community College in Des Plaines from 1971-2003 and is currently the Director and Head Coach of the Niles West/Oakton Runner’s Club, a position he has held since 1980. Savage’s teams have also experienced tremendous success during his career as he has tutored 39 National Junior College All-Americans and four NJCAA national champions. In 2002 his team won the NJCAA National Championship in the marathon. Along with his national success, Savage has guided over 200 All-State athletes and 19 Skyway Conference cross country champions and his teams have won eight NJCAA regional titles. Savage’s runners club has also won 16 Chicago Area Runner’s Association team championships since 1989. A highly decorated mentor, Savage has been an eight-time NJCAA Region IV Coach of the Year and was elected to the Illinois Track and Cross Country Coaches Hall of Fame in 1989. He has also been named St. Mel’s High School Man of the Year and was also inducted into DePaul’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 1993. He has also served as the President of the Illinois Track and Cross Country Coaches Association, the Illinois Community College Track and Cross Country Coaches Association and the Chicago Area Runners Association. In 1995, the Niles West Indian Cross Country Invitational was renamed the Patrick J. Savage Invitational. During the 1980’s and 1990’s it was the largest high school sponsored cross country meet in the nation, reaching a peak of 73 boys teams and 69 girls squads. An outstanding collegiate runner, Savage was a two-time captain (junior and senior seasons) and MVP of both the Blue Demon track and cross country teams during his junior year and holds a pair of degrees from DePaul.
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