Robert 'Bob' Krug (Crew-G) returned for his sixth season as Hilbert's Head Men's and Women's Cross Country programs and his second season at the Men's and Women's Track and Field coach at the start of the 2024-25 academic year.
For the first time in program history, Krug guided three Hilbert runners to postseason honors in the same fall season. Maddie Fusco and Avery Cusack each earned their second All-Conference honor after finishing in the top 15 at the 2023 6K Championship meet while Nick Baritot collected the men's program's very first all-conference honor in the 8K distance.
Besides working with talented athletes this fall, Krug was busy preparing for a very early Meghan Memorial Race the first weekend of September. He then had to organize and prep the Hilbert community as the Hawks hosted the AMCC Championship races at Delaware Park at the end of October. Both programs, the Hilbert Men and Hilbert Women finished in 3rd place for the second consecutive year. Along the way, Baritot established a new Hilbert men's 5K time at the season-opening Meghan Memorial (17:16.5) and concluded his year with a new 8K record (28:14.7) October 28th. Meanwhile, Maddie Fusco was training all season long in 5K races and set a new time (19:08.3) at the October 14th Canisius Invite. She raced her first 6K at the AMCC Championship and clipped the finish line in 3rd but set the program record (23:31.2) at the Niagara Region of the NCAA Division III regional race November 11th.
The 2022 men's team manufactured the most successful season in program history. They opened the year with a program's highest finish at the Daniel Walker Invite (2nd place) then collected a 1st place finish at the 14th annual Meghan Memorial Race. The women's team also found success on the trails, taking a 1st place finish at the Daniel Walker Invite. The Hawks earned their highest place finish at the Harry F. Anderson and a 3rd place at the CCOC. Both the men's and women's teams took home a third place finish at the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference championship race.
Krug has guided four women's runners to All-AMCC honors including Maddie Fusco, a back-to-back Female Athlete of the Year (2022-23, 2023-24). Fusco graduated as Krug's most decorated runner after just two years of competition. The 5-7 Hamburg High School graduate holds program records in both the 5k and the 6k while also recording the program's fastest times in the 800m, 1000m, 3000m, mile (indoor), and 800m, 1500m, 5000m (outdoor). . McKenzie Gaffney collected back-to-back medals her first two championship races at Hilbert (Covid Spring 2021 and fall 2021), Kristine Twoguns earned All-Conference honors in the Covid 2021 Spring Championship and Avery Cusack led the Hawks in the fall 2021 season with her first honor as a rookie runner. The 2021 women's team finished in the top three at the fall AMCC Championship Race, a first for any cross country team at Hilbert.
The 2020-21 men's cross country team earned the AMCC Team Peak Performer Award while the women's team collected the program's seventh Team Peak Performer Award in 2021-22.
The Buffalo native was a two-year head coach at Villa Maria, having served in that capacity since January 2017. During his tenure, Krug brought his Vikings to Hilbert College's annual Meghan Memorial Invitational and competed as an unattached runner both years.
Krug is a life-long runner and has been very active in the Western New York running community. He and two friends created the BNAC running club in 2009 with aspirations of making running fun again. He continues to serve as the Race Director for the Peace and Love Run while participating in multiple local races throughout the year.
Krug has served as a volunteer assistant coach for both cross country and track at Hutch Tech, working side-by-side with legendary coach, David Sardo since 2012.
After retiring from a 15-year career as a Senior Caseworker in the Erie County Department of Social Services, Krug currently works for the City of Buffalo Parks Department. He earned his bachelor's degree in social work in 2001 from The State University of Buffalo at Buffalo State College, where he is also working towards his master's degree in human services.
updated July 2, 2023
