Phil Kopinski joined the Scarlet Hawks women's track and field program as its’ first ever head coach in December 2010. Since the announcement of the newest varsity sport on the campus at the Illinois Institute of Technology, the women's team has seen significant in-season improvements and has raised expectations for future recruits. In just his first year, with an abbreviated roster the women from IIT finished seventh in the CCAC Championships by outscoring another established program. IIT also provided the conferences (CCAC) 5k women’s champion, and two NAIA National Championship qualifying times in the 5k and 10k events. It marked the first time an IIT athlete, male or female has competed in the NAIA National Championship event. The culmination of the inaugural season resulted with an individual finishing 14th in the country in the 10k.
A 1994 graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago, Kopinski was a four-year letter winner at UIC where he helped lead the Flames to their best-ever finish at the Mid-Continent Conference Championships in 1991. Before joining Illinois Tech, he spent nine years working as an Athletic Trainer at the high school, college, and clinical settings as well as the head ATC in the professional sports setting for six of those years. Kopinski also serves as IIT's head Athletic Trainer (ATC/L), overseeing the conditioning and rehabilitation of the university's intercollegiate athletes.
Mr. Kopinski resides in the near west suburbs with his wife Joan and their three son's Cooper, Shane and Bryce.
Calin Hantau is entering his second season with the Scarlet Hawk programs. In just one season his presence and championship experience has had an immediate impact. Calin graduated Lewis Clark University in 2008 and went on to earn his Masters while being the graduate assistant at Central Methodist University (2009-2010). While at CMU he coached 4 individual athletes who have earned All American status for track and field.
A native of Romania calin earned NAIA All-American status while attending LCS and has an impressive pre collegiate running career. He placed third in the Balcani Team Championships in the 8 kilometer run in 2004, and then was second in the 1,500 and 5,000 in the Romanian Collegiate Championships in 2005. He also has four third-place finishes in the Romanian U23 meets. He also represented Romania in the World Youth Championships.
Calin currently resides in Chicago.
Samuel Vazquez is currently a professional athlete representing Puerto Rico in international competition. A 2011 graduate of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Vazquez is the 2011 NAIA Indoor 1000 meter champion and is also a seven-time NAIA All-American in Cross Country and Track and Field combined. He also competed at the NCAA Division I level at the University of Arkansas receiving All-American status his freshmen year and also participated at the 2004 NCAA National Championships and helped the Razorbacks win the National title.
Vazquez has a Bachelors degree in Business Administration with concentration to Aviation and a Psychology minor. Married to Florencia Isabel Vazquez who both reside downtown Chicago.
