Head Coach

Charlie Massi
260.665.4126
massic@trine.edu

Charlie Massi came to Trine in the fall of 2011 and serves as the head track and field/cross country coach for the Thunder.

Prior to Trine, Massi spent two years as the assistant track and field/cross country coach at Tiffin University. While at Tiffin, Massi was in charge of the sprints, middle distance and relay teams.

During his first season as the head coach, the track and field teams had three athletes named to the All-MIAA team for the first time in school history.

On the men’s side, Dustin Stutzman and Tyler Bourdo were honored. Bourdo was a member of the runner-up 4x400m relay team at the MIAA Field Day, along with finishing third in the 400m, fourth in the long jump and sixth in the 200m. Stutzman picked up third place finishes at Field Day in the hammer throw and shot put.

On the women’s side, Trish King became the first-ever Thunder female athlete named All-MIAA. King won the 400m in a school record time while anchoring the 4x400m relay that also set a school record. King also finished sixth in the 200m.

Massi's time at Tiffin included working with the men's track and field team that placed 13th at the 2010 NCAA Division II Indoor National Championship. Under Massi, 11 athletes were named NCAA Division II All-American including seven automatic NCAA qualifiers and 12 provisional qualifiers. Massi coached multiple athletes to post-season honors including the GLIAC men′s track athlete of the year, seven GLIAC individual champions, 61 All-GLIAC performers, 23 USTFCCA All-Regional selections, 74 Academic All-GLIAC honorees. Under Massi's tutelage 17 new school records and two GLIAC meet records were broken in the 200m dash and 4x400m relay.

Prior to Tiffin, Massi spent 10 years at Cloverleaf High School in Lodi, Ohio. Massi's 2000 men's cross country team at Cloverleaf finished 16th at the OHSAA Division I State Championships. Massi also coached several athletes that qualified for regional and state meets.

As a collegiate athlete, Massi ran for legendary coach Bill Gallagher at Ashland University where he was a scholarship athlete and 7-time All-GLIAC performer in both track and field/cross country. Massi still holds the Ashland University indoor track and field freshman record in the 600 meter (1:22.46). Massi's best marks in the 1500 meter (3:54.82) and 800 meter (1:53.30). Massi was a key contributor of five conference champion teams in track and field/cross country. In cross country, Massi was a national qualifier and a member of the 5th place team at NCAA Division II Nationals in Kearney, Nebraska.

As a prep, Massi was a 6-time state qualifier and All-Ohio in track and cross country, personal best 5k of 15:32, 4th place finisher in the 1600 meter (4:19.67) and 800 meter (1:54.60) at the Division I state track meet championships. Massi was part of the 4x800 relay team that placed second in a time of 7:47 at the elite Midwest Meet of Champions on the campus of IUPUI.

Massi earned his undergraduate degree in business administration from Ashland University and his master's degree in business administration from Tiffin University. Massi obtained his USATF Level I Certification.

Director of Track/Cross Country

Tom Knudson
260.665.4146
knudsont@trine.edu

Fort Wayne native Thomas Knudson took over the helm of Trine’s women’s track and field program beginning in the fall of 2012, after successfully coaching runners at the high-school level for 27 years. He served as the head coach at both North Side High School and Northrop High School, both in Fort Wayne.

During his 12 seasons at Northrop, he led the Bruins to Indiana Team State Championships seven times and two state runner-up titles. He also helped multiple athletes attain individual state titles and state records. Many of the Northrop athletes went on to compete in NCAA Division I, II and III track and field programs.

Knudson earned his bachelor’s degree from Ball State University, where he ran on the men’s cross country team. He earned his master’s degree from Indiana University. In 1977, he was a participant in the U.S. Marathon National Championships in St. Louis, Mo.

He was named the National Track and Field Coach of the Year in 2002 and the Indiana Association of Track and Cross Country Coach’s Coach of the Year from 2000-2005 and in 2011. He was named the Indiana Coaches of Girls Sports Association’s Coach of the Year from 2000-2005 and in 2012. He was inducted into the Indiana Track and Field Hall of Fame in 2010.