Adelphi University Athletics

Katie Rees enters her 13th year as head coach of the track and field teams at Adelphi University.

Katie is a graduate of the 2018 NCAA Women Coaches Academy class #45 that was held in Denver, CO in June. The NCAA Women Coaches Academy, hosted in partnership between the Alliance of Women Coaches and the NCAA, is a 4-day educational training available to NCAA coaches of all experience levels, and is designed for women coaches who are ready to increase their individual effectiveness by learning advanced skills and strategies that directly affect their personal and team success. 

The 2018 season saw a multitude of success on both the men and women side of the track. Under Rees, sophomore jumper Victoria Major received her fourth consecutive Northeast-10 title in the High Jump, as well as first 400m title to conclude the outdoor season. Major has earned the champion title every season since 2016, as well as qualifying for NCAAs at the helm of Rees. 

The 2017-18 indoor season brought a new sprinting champion to the Adelphi record books with Felipe Custodio earning the conference title in the 200m and 400m, as well as qualifying for a slot at the NCAA meet. Custodio went on to win the 200m to cap off the outdoor season. 

Across both squads, seven student-athletes earned 14 USTFCCCA All-Region honors across both the indoor and outdoor seasons. 

The 2013-14 campaign was capped off at the NCAA Championships during both the indoor and outdoor season for Rees and the Panthers. At the indoor championships, senior Angela Mongitore earned All-American status by posting a time of 55.54 in the 400 meter dash for sixth place. Mongitore returned to the NCAA field in the outdoor season, claiming 14th place in the 400 behind a clocking of 55.45. She was joined by senior Nick Filippazzo and Elizabeth Eickelberg (’14), each representing the Brown and Gold in the 10,000 meter. Additionally, both the indoor and outdoor women’s teams were recognized with Northeast-10 Conference Team Academic Excellence Awards.

During the 2012-13 indoor track and field season, Rees' men's and women's teams broke a total of seven school records broken and earned eight All-Region awards. The outdoor season saw the squads have continued success, as the men and women broke a combined eight school records and four Panthers earned All-Region honors. Larissa Melendez and Rosie Vassilatos were crowned conference champions in the steeplechase and the 400H, respectively; Vassilatos also represented the Brown and Gold at the NCAA Championships in the 400H.

During the 2011-12 year, her first at the helm of the program, Rees guided both the men's and women's squads to improvements at the conference meet both indoors and outdoors from the prior year. During the indoor season, the women broke three records while the men also accomplished the same feat. At the NE-10 Championship, she had three men earn All-Conference honors including one event winner while the women had one individual and one relay earn All-Conference kudos. Additionally, during indoors, under her direction, Mychael Fabio provisionally qualified for nationals in the 200m dash while earning the automatic mark in the 400 where he went on to place ninth. Meanwhile, Rosie Vassilatos was a provisional qualifier in the 400m as well.

During the outdoor season, both squads improved two spots at the conference championships, taking fifth and seventh respectively. The women set six school records while the men had one. Additionally, she had two females earn All-Conference honors while the men had four event winners, five individual All-Conference honors and one relay earn the same kudos. Capping the season was Fabio who earned All-American honors in the 400m dash with a fifth place finish.

Rees is a former Adelphi University assistant track and field coach as well as a former standout runner for the Panthers. Katie (DiPietro) Rees spent four years as an athlete at Adelphi and then three and a half years as an assistant coach with the program. A four-year letterwinner in both cross-country and track and field, Rees was also a four-time All-East Coast Conference performer and an All-Northeast selection in 2002. She helped the Panthers qualify for the 2001 and 2002 NCAA Division II Cross-Country National Championship meet, where Adelphi placed 22nd and 21st in the nation.

She then moved to the coaching side of the sport as an assistant with the cross-country and track and field programs. Rees helped the Panthers to three straight East Coast Conference women's cross-country titles and two men's in her time at Adelphi and was instrumental in helping the mid-distance and distance runners re-write the Adelphi record books.

In June, 2010, she took over the helm of the men's and women's cross-country program. Rees graduated Magna Cum Laude from Adelphi's Honors College in 2005 with a degree in Exercise Physiology and earned a Master's Degree in Exercise Physiology from Adelphi in 2006. She continues to run, having completed eight marathons, including notching her personal best of 3:05.06 at the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, DC.