DETROIT -- The University of Detroit Mercy Athletics Department has announced that four individuals have joined the full-time staff effective immediately.
Aaron Short (Strength and Conditioning),
Drew Westrick (Facilities), Melissa Kopriva (Marketing) and Joel Walrath (Sports Information) are the newest full-time members of the Titan staff.
“As the spring sports seasons are already underway, I am excited to announce the new staff members who will be joining the Titan athletic department in time to help our student-athletes and coaches finish the 2012 championship season in strong fashion. These new staff members came highly recommended and bring with them a wealth of experience and specialized skills. They will be a tremendous addition to our department and will play an important role in moving the Titan athletics program forward,” said Associate Vice President and UDM Director of Athletics Keri Gaither.
Drew Westrick hails from Port Huron, MI, and joins Detroit as the new Assistant Director of Athletic Facilities. Westrick was most recently the Arrington Ice Arena Rink Manager at Adrian College. Prior to his work at Adrian, he spent time at Yost Arena at the University of Michigan as the Associate Supervisor/Assistant Event Manager. During his time with Michigan, he assisted with The Big Chill at The Big House in December 2010. He served as the Assistant Event Manager at University of Michigan home varsity hockey games and was in charge of ensuring the building was ready for games. Westrick also assisted with administrative tasks such as accounting, ice scheduling and distribution of ice payment invoices and contracts. He also completed internships with stadium operations for the Lansing Lugnuts and with the University of Michigan Sports Marketing department. Westrick received a bachelor's degree in sociology in May 2010 from the University of Michigan.
Melissa Kopriva will be in a newly created position for athletics as the Assistant Director of Marketing and Promotions. Kopriva comes from the University of Cincinnati where she has spent the last three years. She was most recently an Assistant Ticket Manager responsible for new season ticket orders and renewals, corporate, group, and single game ticket sales for all Cincinnati ticketed sports. She also spent time as a marketing intern. Kopriva earned her bachelor's degree in sport management from Xavier with a minor in business in 2008 and also holds a masters degree in sport management from West Virginia University. Kopriva calls Cleveland, OH, home and was a graduate of Glenville High School.
Aaron Short joins the team as the new Assistant Director of Strength and Conditioning. Short came to Detroit in August 2011 as a Strength and Conditioning Assistant working with all of UDM's 19 athletic teams. Short earned his bachelor's degree from Goshen College in Indiana in 2001. He is a native of Archbold, OH where he attended Archbold High School and lettered in track and cross country. Prior to accepting a position with UDM he spent time at Eastern Michigan (2011) on the Sports Performance Staff assisting with football and men's and women's basketball, and also a brief stint at the University of Minnesota (2010) working with football. After earning his undergrad degree, Short spent was at Rochester Community and Technical College as the Strength and Conditioning Coordinator as well as two years as the wide receivers coach. He currently holds certifications through the NSCA, USAW and Red Cross. Short and his wife, Kristen, reside in Canton with their son Noah (4) and daughter Lillian (2).
Joel Walrath will be the new Assistant Sports Information Director after serving as the Sports Information Assistant since August 2010. Walrath has provided media coverage for various Detroit sports on DetroitTitans.com, including serving as the primary contact for women's soccer, men's and women's tennis, fencing and track and field and softball, while assisting in all areas of sports information. Walrath is a 2007 graduate of Medaille College in Buffalo, NY, where he earned his bachelor's degree in sports management. He played soccer for three years and spent the two years following his undergrad as a graduate assistant in the SID office. At his alma mater, he handled game day publications and video needs, while completing a master's degree in organizational leadership. A native of Waterloo, ON, Walrath gained sports information experience serving as an intern at Buffalo State. He has also provided assistance on game days over the last six years working in the public relations department for the Buffalo Bisons, the current Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets.
