Although he may not have known it at the time, Todd Fach made
history that no one else has been able to match since, when he won
three of the first four individual titles at the North Coast
Athletic Conference Cross Country Championships from 1984-1987.
“He really set the tone for the NCAC in distance
running,” said Fach’s assistant coach part of that time
and current College of Wooster head coach Dennis Rice. “He
was the first real true impact runner the conference had. Now, the
conference has developed over the years in its existence, but he
was the one that raised the bar.”
Fach came to Wooster from nearby North Canton Hoover High School,
emerging as one of the very first NCAC champions, as during the
fall of 1984, he was victorious at the conference’s inaugural
cross country meet with a time of 27:26 over the 8000-meter course,
10 seconds ahead of teammate and runner-up Paul Fleming. Fach also
went on to take 15th-place at the NCAA Div. III Great Lakes
Regional Championships as a freshman.
His times slipped slightly during his sophomore season, when he
finished 12th in the NCAC and 25th at the regionals, but he was
again atop the conference’s victory stand as a junior. In
addition to winning the NCAC’s with a time of 25:46, Fach
finished fourth in the Great Lakes Region, qualifying him for a
spot in the national field. At the NCAA Div. III Championships in
Fredonia, N.Y., where snow and ice covered the course, he placed
54th out of a field of 200-plus.
Fach’s senior year played out similarly, in terms of his
individual accomplishments as he won the NCAC Championships (26:48)
for a third time, placed fourth at the NCAA regional again, and was
102nd at nationals. However, it was the team accomplishment of
winning the 1987 NCAC title that he cherishes the most.
“I came to Wooster as an annoying, cocky freshman and
quickly learned from teammates, captains, and coach Jim Bean that
teamwork was essential to succeed in running,” explained
Fach. “I learned that in order to get the most out of my
abilities, I needed my teammates to push me out of my comfort
level. I am proud of our team’s
accomplishments.”
While cross country was the sport, in which he particularly made
his mark, Fach also excelled with the track & field team. His
specialty was the 3000-meter steeplechase, winning it twice at NCAC
Championships and re-setting his own school record each time he ran
it with a personal best of 9:34.66. Fach also won the three-mile
run (14:56.1) at the 1988 NCAC indoor meet, helping Wooster to the
team championship, as well as the 5000 meters (15:31.1) and 10,000
meters (31:33.4) at the 1988 NCAC outdoor meet for a total of five
individual conference titles.
Fach, who earned a bachelor’s degree in political science
and is now a sales performance consultant at Dun & Bradstreet,
still runs competitively today, having raced at a regional and
national level while winning several well-known events from
1996-2001. He’s also finished several marathons and set
personal records at all distances, and his competitive spirit has
now bled onto the golf course.
Personally, Fach and his wife, Kristie, are expecting their first
child in early December, and they reside in Macungie, Pa.
