Chris Rupe (2013)
About Chris Rupe
Cleveland State’s 1984 MVP (including a 2:21 marathon), Chris Rupe brought his passion for Cross Country and Track to McDonald and began building a 26 year coaching career that has been nothing short of a dynasty in Northeast Ohio and at the State Championship level of competition. Chris has been the NE Ohio CC Camp director for 32 years, the director for 11 years of the run INSPIRED Christian Youth Camp, the director of McDonald’s Billy Goat Challenge and the Mahoning Valley JH Invitational, and many other meets including the Trumbull County Championships and the ITCL Championship Meet. Chris also designed and helps maintain the Woodland Park one and two mile courses, the 5K course, and a four mile running trail used by walkers and college athletes alike. All told, Chris has influenced thousands of runners in the course of his career including Becky Testa (1994 State Champion) and Stuart Henderson (1989 State Champion, Midwest Regional Champion, and 5th place finisher at the Footlocker National Championships). At the State Championship level of competition, few coaches in Ohio have as equal of a record. In men’s and women’s cross country combined, McDonald HS has gone to the State Meet in all but two of Chris’s years as a coach winning State Championship titles in 1999, 2001, 2004, and 2011 and State Runner-up titles in 2000, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2010, and this past season in 2012. Track success has been no less impressive with a men’s State Championship title in 1999 as well as seven individual State Champions and six State Runners-up. Success in the relays adds another five State Championship honors and three State Runner-up efforts. Success at the District and Regional levels has been no less spectacular including fourteen Regional titles and nine Regional Runner-up titles. Chris continues to inspire NE Ohio athletes and lead the McDonald programs to victory. He lives with his wife and children in Cortland, Ohio.
