Mark Bilyk enters his 24th season at Cornell, working with the Big Red weight performers and multi-event athletes. Under his guidance, the men and women have set 36 school records and have won 43 Ivy League and Heptagonal individual titles.
He has caoached two athletes who have set all-time Ivy League records (Sheeba Ibidunni - 20 pound weight throw, Maria Matos - discus). He has also coached 16 athletes to NCAA qualifying performances and an NCAA All-American in the 35 pound weight, as well as the 2001 ECAC champion in the discus. Last year, nine of his athletes qualified for the IC4A and ECAC Championships. In addition, Bilyk coached 25 NCAA regional qualifiers in the weight events over the last four years, with Scott Benowicz ‘03 and Maria Matos 09’ going on to compete at the NCAA Championships in the javelin and discus, respectively. During his tenure at Cornell, Bilyk has helped coach 27 Heptagonal championship teams for both the men and women.
A Big Red assistant in 1978-79, Bilyk coached for five years at Penn State before returning to Cornell. While at Penn State, he coached four NCAA All-Americans, two IC4A Champions and two ECAC Champions.
Bilyk received his Bachelor of Science degree in physical education from Penn State in 1975 and added a master’s in 1984. He was also a four-year performer in track and field and was captain of the 1975 squad that won the outdoor Central Collegiate Conference title. He was also a member and All-East scorer in the Decathlon when Penn State won the IC4A Championships in 1974. He was given the Nate Cartmel Award in 1975 for outstanding leadership and performance.
Bilyk has a TAC Level 2 certification in the throwing events and is working on his level 3 certification. He has been involved with the US. Olympic Committee for the decathlon and the horizontal jumps as an instructor and coordinator.
A native of Lansdale, Pa., he graduated from North Penn High School, where he was selected the outstanding high jumper, most valuable field events man and most valuable track man in 1971.
Bilyk and his wife, Kas, reside in Ithaca and have two sons, Christopher and Matthew.
