University of Detroit Mercy Athletics

Career Highlights:

• 2x Detroit Mercy Athletic Director's Honor Roll (2023, 2024)
• Horizon League Fall Academic Honor Roll (2024)
• Horizon League Spring Academic Honor Roll (2025)

• Started the season with a career-best 26:48.5 for 89th at Notre Dame's National Catholic Championships
• Was 174th in 27:15.2 at the Louisville Classic
• Took 97th in 27:34.0 at the Horizon League Championship
• Ended the season 207th, running 35:06.2 at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional Championship

• Competed in five of Detroit Mercy's six races on the season
• Was the second Titan to come in at the Michigan Open as he finished 27th in a 5k time of 16:27 in his collegiate debut
• Recorded his season-best 8k of 27:14 for 243rd at the Live In The Lou Classic
• Ran 27:22 for 55th at the Canisius Alumni Classic
• Was 92nd at the Horizon League Championships with a time of 27:45

• A multi-year letter winner in cross country and track and field
• A two-time team captain in cross country and track and field
• Earned All-State in cross country as a junior and senior
• Was ninth at the Montana AA as a junior, helping his team win a championship and was 11th as a sophomore for a fourth-place team finish
• In track and field, placed seventh in the Montana AA 3200-meters as a senior

• Son of Sarah Jones-Popiel and Brian Popiel
• Has an older sister
• His grandfather ran track and Minnesota
• Chose Detroit Mercy because of the Architecture program and a chance to run at the Division I level
• First-ever Titan recruit from the state of Montana
• An Architecture major