Chris Popovici, who holds a USATF Level II certification in sprints and hurdles, begins his second year as an assistant coach for the cross country program and his first season as the middle distance coach for the track and field teams in 2010-11.
Prior to Cortland, Popovici spent three years coaching at his high school alma mater, Pittsford Sutherland. During that span, the boys’ and girls’ programs combined to break 21 school records, and Popovici coached 12 sectional champions and five state qualifiers.
A graduate of SUNY Geneseo, Popovici was a consistent scorer in the middle distances on a team that captured 10 SUNYAC team titles during his career. He earned four top-three individual finishes at the conference championships and captured the 500-meter title (67.54) at the 2004 indoor conference meet. Popovici continues to compete as a member of the Syracuse Chargers Elite Development Club, posting times of 1:52.52 in the 800 meters and 2:27.87 in the 1,000 meters this past year.
