Teressa DiPerna was named head coach for Dominican cross country for the 2012 season in the Penguins second season of full NCAA competition and became the first coach of the track and field program with the inaugural 2022 season, bringing a wealth of coaching and running experience to the programs.
DiPerna's cross country teams have made nine appearances in the NCAA West Regionals for Dominican and made history in 2022 as Jared Wright became the first athlete to run in the NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships in Seattle. Wright also claimed All-West Region and All-PacWest Conference honors on the year while receiving the 2022 USTFCCCA All-Academic Award. In 2021, DiPerna saw Julianna Mendez also receive All-West Region honors as she finished in the top-10 at the NCAA West Regionals, the highest finish for a Penguin in the meet. Mendez also received All-PacWest and USTFCCCA All-Academic Honors.
Her women's team was named an USTFCCCA All-Academic Team in 2015 while the men's team saw its highest finish in the PacWest Championships in 2013. That team featured Justin Valdez, who was a named to Capital One Academic All-District Men's Track & Field/Cross Country NCAA Division II Team for District 8 (West Region), was a 2013 NCAA Division II All-Academic Cross Country honoree by USTFCCCA, and was named PacWest Scholar-Athlete of the Year for second year in a row. Valdez went on to be sponsored by Skechers and run for the United States Navy.
In track and field, the Penguins saw immediate success in DiPerna's first year at the helm as Wakilli Bennett became the first podium finisher at the PacWest Track & Field Championships for Dominican with a third place finish in 2021. Bennett improved on that in his second season with a second place finish at the Championships while finishing with the 25th best 100m time in the NCAA Division II with a 10.36.
Prior to her time at Dominican, DiPerna served as San Francisco State's head women's head cross country and track coach and men's distance coach from 2001-03, where the Gators broke 22 school records and boasted CCAA Individual Champions, the top women’s cross country finish in CCAA history, and an NCAA Championships appearance in track. There, DiPerna coached Chikara Omine, who went on to represent the United State in Ultra-Running.
From 1998-2001, DiPerna was a member of the Syracuse coaching staff. There, DiPerna coached Melanie Scherenzel, who competed in the NCAA Championships and Canadian Olympic Trials Qualifier, both in the 800m. She also coached Roger Donaghy who had top times for the program in the 800, 1500, 5k and 10k as well as a Big East/IC4A competitor. DiPerna spent 1996-98 at El Cerrito High School as the girls head track coach. DiPerna was a graduate assistant cross-country and track coach at Cal Poly Humboldt (then known as Humboldt State) from 1993-94, where the men's team competed at the NCAA Cross Country Championships. From 1999-2003, she served on the USATF Women’s Steeplechase Development Committee.
DiPerna was herself a two-time Olympic Trials competitor in the 2000 and 3000-meter steeplechase and was ranked third in the world in women's steeplechase while racing for the Reebok Aggie Racing Team. In 1991, after graduating from Penn State, she was the United States national champion in the 2000m steeplechase and the US record holder in the event. At Penn State she ran cross country, 800, 1500, DMR and 4 x400 relays. Her racing led to appearances at Melrose Games, USA Grand Prix Series, Penn Relays, USATF Nationals, USA vs. Canada, and a provisional NCAA qualification in the 800m during her senior year.
A native of Princeton, New Jersey, DiPerna earned a Bachelor of Science in Health Education with a minor in Exercise Science at Penn State in 1990 then went on to earn a Masters in Kinesiology and two teaching credentials from Cal Poly Humboldt. While serving as a volunteer assistant coach at Penn State and as an assistant cross country coach at College of New Jersey, DiPerna enjoyed her best success in the steeplechase, winning a national title and setting a national record in 1991. In 1994, she was the recipient of the USATF’s Dr. Nell Jackson Award named in honor of the track and field pioneer. DiPerna was a three time competitor in the USATF Nationals Championship in steeplechases. A serious achilles injury later ended her steeplechase career.
On November 14, 2015, DiPerna was named to the Princeton High School Athletic Hall of Fame. She was the record holder for twenty nine years in the 400m, until it was broken in 2015. She was a sprinter (100m, 200m, 400m), ran cross country, and threw javelin in her prep career and was a top-10 prep athlete in the country for the 200m (25.75) during her junior year in high school.
While coaching at Dominican, DiPerna has also been an adapted physical education teacher for the San Francisco Unified School District since 2003 and resides in San Anselmo with her family.
