Bio

Dario Donatelli was part of the Tartan cross country and track and field programs from 1977 as a student-athlete until his retirement as a coach in 2014. Donatelli was at the helm of the women’s track and field program for 27 years and the men’s program for 15 years. He coached the women’s cross country team for 22 years and the men for 13. During his tenure, Carnegie Mellon won seven conference titles (four in cross country, three in track and field). He and his staffs earned conference Coach of the Year honors 13 times while Donatelli was named Mideast Region Coach of the Year on three occasions. He coached 11 All-America athletes in cross country and 30 All-America athletes in track and field while coaching the Tartans’ lone NCAA champion in track and field, 2019 Hall of Famer Carolyn Lowe, in the 10,000-meter run. Under Donatelli’s leadership, the men’s cross country program reached the NCAA Division III Championships nine times and the women’s program competed at the national meet as a team four times while placing fourth in the country during the 1998 season. There were numerous competitors for both the men and women at the NCAA Division III Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field Championships during Donatelli’s tenure. Donatelli is a 1981 graduate of Carnegie Mellon and his coaching success followed an outstanding collegiate athletic career. He earned All-America honors his senior year in cross country while leading the Tartans to the NCAA Mideast Regional title and a 12th-place team finish at the national meet. Donatelli was a three-time All-Mideast runner, four-time national qualifier and the Presidents' Athletic Conference Most Valuable Performer in 1980.