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Brian Savilonis '72 |
Head M/W Cross Country Coach bjs@wpi.edu 508-831-5686 |
Brian Savilonis, the longest tenured active WPI coach, pilots the men's and women's cross country programs. He has been the head coach of women's cross country at WPI since its varsity inception in 1985. He coached the WPI women's track team from 1986 through 1994. Highlights of his women's track team coaching experience included a 12-0 season in 1991 and a NEW-8 Conference title in 1993.
In 1994, he relinquished his track and field duties to focus on both the men's and women's cross country squads. Entering the 2009 campaign, Savilonis will be in his 25th year coaching the women, and 16th season coaching the men.
Active in running and race-walking, Savilonis lists PR's of 55:02 for a ten-miler and 2:41 for a marathon. He has competed in two Olympic Festival race walks and won the National 100 km title in 1983 and the 2-hour national title in 1996. He has won the New England race walking Grand Prix five times, along with numerous other age group national titles. A firm believer in athletics as a life endeavor, Brian is especially proud of breaking 30 minutes for the 5-mile run for 28 consecutive years and for completing the 40K National Race Walk Championship for 21 consecutive years, including 18 top 10 finishes.
Savilonis graduated from WPI in 1972 with a degree in mechanical engineering and continued at WPI by completing his MS degree in 1973. He went on to receive his PhD from the University of Buffalo in 1976. After working at the University of Virginia and Widener University in Pennsylvania, he joined the WPI faculty in 1981. He was promoted to professor of mechanical engineering in 1993 with research interests in biomechanics and thermofluids. His activities also extend to the biomedical engineering department.
His Coaching Philosophy: "Running is a life long sport. It needs to be fun, but a dedication to serious training can lead to winning, which is also fun. We have room on our team for casual racers, as well as All-New England athletes, but the hope is that everyone will strive to reach their full potential. Character building, team commitment, and academic achievement are intrinsically important to the WPI cross country program."