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Coaching Staff - Women's Cross Country/Track & Field
Assistant Coach Joe Catania
Joe Catania, a veteran of 35 seasons as a coach at all levels of collegiate and high school track and field, joined the University of Delaware women's cross country and track and field staff in August, 2012.
Catania joins Delaware head coach Wendy McFarlane and will specialize in working with the Blue Hen cross country team and with distance runners.
He earned his degree in industrial arts technology education from Millersville (Pa.) University in 1974 and his mater's degree in physical education from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. in 1983. He also holds a USATF Level 3 coaching certificate in endurance training. He served as a middle school and high school teacher for 21 years.
During his years as a track and field coach, Catania has developed 102 collegiate all-conference performers, guided high school teams to three state titles and three runner-up finishes, produced 47 individual high school state champions and two national champions, coached eight former National Football League players in track and field, coached 10 NCAA national qualifiers, four USATF Junior National qualifiers, and three All-Americans.
Among the athletes he has mentored were 2004 Olympic Trials 800 meters qualifier Jason Briggs; two-time NCAA high jump champion Tom Smith; and three-time NCAA champion and 1984 Olympic marathon competitor Ena Guevara.
He was recognized as the Georgia Region 8-A Cross Country Coach of the Year five times in 10 years while at Buford (Ga.) High School, was voted the NCAA Division II South Region Cross Country Coach of the Year in 1984 at Florida International University, and was chosen as the Ft. Lauderdale News/Sun Sentinel Cross Country Coach of the Year in both 1977 and 1978 at Boyd Anderson High School.
In addition, he has worked as a track and field official at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Ga., the NCAA and USATF national championship, the Pan American Games, and CARIFTA Games, served as the technology coordinator for the 2002 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships at Indiana State, and served as meet director of the NCAA Division I Southeast Region Cross Country Championships in Greenville, N.C. in 2005 and 2006.
A native of Norristown, Pa., Catania competed in track and field and cross country at NCAA Division II Millersville (Pa.) University and continued competition in the mile and 3,000 meter steeplechase following graduation.
He began his coaching career as boy's head cross country and track and field coach at Boyd Anderson High School in Florida in 1974 and produced 20 state champions in eight seasons. He joined the collegiate coaching ranks in 1982-84 when he established the program and served as men's cross country and track and field head coach at Florida International University in Miami. He then served two years as men's assistant track and field coach at Indiana State University in 1984-86.
Catania then moved on to stints as men's track and field assistant at Illinois State University (1986-88), which included three straight Missouri Valley Conference team titles; boy's assistant track and field coach at Conestoga High School in Berwyn, Pa. (1988-89); boy's track and field and cross country head coach at Buford (Ga.) High School (1990-2000), which included coaching 27 individual state champions; men's assistant track and field coach and men's cross country head coach at Indiana State (200-04); men's and women's cross country and track and flied head coach at East Carolina University (2004-06); men's and women's cross country head coach at Southern Vermont College (2008-10); and women's assistant track and field coach at Ursinus (Pa.) College in 2010-11.
Most recently, Catania served as boy's and girl's assistant track and field coach at his alma mater, Methacton High School, in Worcester, Pa.
Updated 12/12/12
Head Coach Wendy McFarlane
Assistant Coach Joe Catania
Assistant Coach Larry Pratt
Assistant Coach Chris Watson
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