Stanovsek, Piccirillo join OTC Elite roster
Angel Piccirillo (left) and Mick Stanovsek (right) are the two latest additions to the OTC Elite roster. Photos by Jake Willard
by Curtis Anderson | December 15, 2021
EUGENE, Ore. - The newest additions to Oregon Track Club Elite aren't really new at all.
Both Mick Stanovsek and Angel Piccirillo, a pair of talented middle distance runners, have worked out with club members in the past under the guidance of coach Mark Rowland.
Each took different paths to TrackTown USA.
Stanovsek, an Ohio native, enrolled at the University of Oregon in the fall of 2015 with an invitation from then-distance coach Andy Powell to try out for the team.
The audition didn't go well and he didn’t make the cut.
A despondent Stanovsek spent the next six months training alone, and when Powell mentioned that Rowland was looking for someone to pace two OTC Elite women - Sheila Reid and Francine Niyonsaba – he jumped at the opportunity.
“That’s how my relationship with Mark began,” Stanovsek said. “It was resurgent for my training. After a couple of months of pacing, he threw me a bone and let me do some 1,500m workouts. I was able to lower my PR to 3:46 which was fast enough to get me onto the team at Oregon. Without Mark’s direction and help, I would not have been able to achieve those marks.”
Piccirillo's connection is far more recent.
The former Villanova standout moved to Bend in August of 2020, where she began training and competing for Little Wing Athletics, a group of athletes sponsored by Oiselle. Her coach was Lauren Fleshman, an OTC Elite alum, and one of the top female distance runners in U.S. history.
"Coming from Philadelphia, Bend was a bit of a culture shock," Piccirillo said. "But I loved it. Lauren is a very special person. I literally learned something from her every day. She was and still is a mentor to me, and somebody that I look up to."
When Fleshman chose to step away from coaching this year, Piccirillo made the decision to move to Eugene in September, where she joined her fiancée, Patrick Tiernan, who was already in his second season with OTC Elite.
"Pat was in Eugene with a coach that Lauren has adapted most of her training workouts from, so it was a logical next step for me," Piccirillo said. “I think I’ve fit in well. I popped in and out last year so it has been a smooth transition.”
Stanovsek, who turns 25 in January, spent two seasons with the Ducks, and then followed Powell to Washington for his final two years of collegiate eligibility.
At Oregon, he was a two-time all-American in the distance medley relay, a two-time Pac-12 scorer in the 800m, and a two-time Penn Relays champion. While still a Duck, he also set his mile PR of 3:56.90 at the Morton Games in Dublin.
Stanovsek set his PRs in the 800m (1:48.16) and 1,500m (3:39.49) during his senior season at Washington. He added four more all-American awards with the Huskies, was named the 2021 Pac-12 Scholar Athlete of the Year, and left school ranked third all-time in both the indoor mile and 1,500m. He also graduated from law school with a master’s degree in environmental law in addition to earning a BA in comparative literature.
He wasn’t done running, however, and when the chance arose to join OTC Elite, he didn’t hesitate.
“After college, I was missing Eugene a lot, and Mark was the first guy my thoughts turned to,” Stanovsek said. “He clearly cares about his athletes and it had worked so well the first time. It wasn't an easy decision because I had fostered a good relationship with Andy and they are both great people."
Piccirillo, who turns 28 in January, enjoyed a stellar career at Villanova in cross country, indoor track, and outdoor track. She was a nine-time Penn Relays champion, a nine-time all-American, and 11-time Big East champion. She placed 20th at the 2016 NCAA Cross Country Championships, was the 2016 NCAA Indoor mile runner-up, and most proudly, she was a member of the Wildcats' 4x800m relay squad which still holds the collegiate record of 8:17.45.
The native of Homer City, Pa., graduated with a degree in psychology in 2016. She also met Tiernan during her time at Villanova, and after a couple of wedding postponements due to the pandemic, they are now planning to get married this August. Piccirillo joins OTC Elite with personal bests of 2:01.51 in the 800m and 4:10.89 in the 1,500m, and she is well acquainted with both of her new training partners: Hanna Green and Sabrina Southerland.
“Hanna and I grew up about 25 minutes away from each other in rural western Pennsylvania,” Piccirillo said. “And Sabrina ran at Georgetown. In college, it seemed like Villanova and Georgetown raced every other day. So, we’ve crossed paths a million times…”
“They are both talented, kind and a lot of fun. Two very special women, and I’m so happy to join the squad.”
Not surprisingly, both Stanovsek (pronounced Stan-OF-sek) and Piccirillo are excited for the upcoming season, especially getting to wear their OTC Elite kits at Hayward Field. “I'm definitely excited about World Championships being here in Eugene," Piccirillo said. "That is huge, huge, huge for me ... it's a matter of feeling like myself again. I got a glimmer of that last year, but just missed the mark. I'm looking forward to getting back to the Trials with a better performance ... my goal is to make the final of either the 800 or 1,500 and see how that plays out."
Added Stanovsek: “For me, Mark is definitely a developmental coach. He has a lot of patience, and he’s turned athletes around quickly. I’m in it for the long haul … I want to get back to running PRs and feeling like myself on the track. Then I can move on to running standards, making teams, and being certain that OTC is well-represented at Oregon22. That would be fun.”