Dave Thomas enters his sixth season at the helm of the Men’s Cross Country program in 2010-11.  Thomas led the team to their first Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Championship (CACC) in 2009 with all five scorers earning All-Conference honors. The men’s team finished with their highest placing ever (eighth) in the NCAA East Region Championship. The men’s team also won the Philadelphia Metropolitan Championship at Belmont Plateau during the regular season. 

Thomas has coached 12 All-Conference runners since taking over the team and a single CACC Individual Champion (Josh Vander Veen /2006).

In 2009, graduating senior Shawn D’Andrea broke the school record in the 8,000 (25:39) with a victory at the Paul Short Invitational and finished second in the CACC Championship.  D’Andrea also holds the school record for cross county on a 10,000 meter course (32:25) and  the school record with eight individual cross country titles over his career.  Thomas was named the Central Atlantic Collegiate (CACC) Men’s ‘Coach of the Year’ in 2008. 

A Philadelphia native, Thomas was a four-year letter-winner at Temple University in cross country and track and earned a B.S. in exercise science. He has worked in the preventive medical field and conditioning coach for over 30 years.  During his career, Thomas has been involved in coaching many professional and amateur athletes including members of the Philadelphia Flyers, Philadelphia 76ers, and a world boxing champion.

Thomas was the Assistant Track and Cross Country Coach at La Salle High School (1987-89), along with the head coach of the Leukemia Society “Team in Training” program for over 14 years, helping over 1000 novice runners complete a marathon.

As a post-collegiate runner, Thomas has competed in the Boston Marathon 17 times, with a best time of 2:28.  He was the top American in the London to Brighton 56 Mile (England) and the Comrades 56 Mile (South Africa) races and was ranked in the top 10 in the U.S. for the 100K Road. 

Thomas is a member of the American College of Sports Medicine, Level 1 USATF Coach, and President of Philadelphia Athletic Charities and Fast Cat Sports Productions. He serves as race director of the Schuylkill River Loop Run, and Ram Runs the Rox 5K.   Thomas and his wife, Marie, live in the Roxborough section of Philadelphia.

Genevieve Story was named Assistant Coach for XC/Track by Coach Dave Thomas in August, 2011.

Story comes to PhilaU with significant coaching experience, most recently as the Head Track & Field Coach at The Baldwin School (Bryn Mawr, PA) where she also served as the Assistant XC Coach.  She also coached at St. Joseph's Preparatory School as Assistant Track & Field Coach.  She currently is the Head Coach for the Story Striders XC Clinic. 

Story holds a USATF Level I certification, along with an American Red Cross CPR/AED certification.  She ran both cross country and track & field at at Saint Joseph's University (SJU) from 2002-06. 

The Bryn Mawr resident holds both an B.S. (humanities) and M.S. (education) from SJU, where she was both a Dean's List and Cum Laude student.  She currently teaches in the Haverford Township School District.