The Chaparrals track and field team: A team of champions
GLEN ELLYN, Ill. — The Chaparrals track and field team of College of DuPage is comprised of both male and female athletes. They compete in Division III and Division I of the NJCAA.
The men’s Division III team has been national champions five times, starting from 2002. Other championships came in 2003, 2006, 2010 and 2021. Meanwhile, the women’s team has also been successful by winning five national championships. Theirs came in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004 and 2021.
The 2021 national championship is unique in many ways because this is the first time in 19 years that the men’s and women’s teams won national championships in the same year. In addition, this is the first time in 17 years that the women’s team won the track and field national championship, while for the men, it’s been 11 years.
The Chaparrals flew the colors of the College of DuPage high at the national games, which were held at South Plains College in Levelland, Texas. The men’s team won the national title with 185 points, 15 points more than Howard Community College, who came second.
Nine out of the 11 athletes that represented the Chaps won individual titles. In addition, the women’s team has nine athletes who earned 35 All-American honors.
Behind the success of these athletes is head coach Robert Cervenka. He has been the head coach of the track and field team for six years, cross country for four years and coaching in different capacities in the last 40+ years. For all his achievements this year, he was named the US Track Field and Cross Country Coaches Association’s National Head Coach of the Year 2021 for both the men’s and women’s teams.
“When you consider everything that we as a program, men and women, went through this year with COVID, I couldn’t be prouder,” Coach Cervenka said after winning the national championship. “We represented COD in a great manner.”
Seven of the championship team members were placed on the 2021 NJCAA’s Track and Field Coaches Association Scholar All-American teams. Freddy Munoz, Sam Tumilty and Timmy Szylak were listed members of the men’s team, while Shaylinn Aver, Alexandra Ochab, Emily Fetzer and Paulina Stachura made the women’s team list.
Coaches Cervenka and Mitchelle Stratton were awarded by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association for their contributions to the success of the track and field teams in the nationals.
“In a year where everything was unpredictable, Bob and his staff fought through unlimited changes and persevered through it all,” Ryan Kaiser, the athletic director of College of DuPage, said.
The Chaparrals track and field teams took the national games of 2021 by storm, and the results were outstanding. Hopefully, they will continue with the same tempo come 2022.
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