Boys Track Coach of the Year - Chris Callinan,
Cherokee
Cherokee didn't miss a
beat under Callinan
By: REUBEN FRANK
Burlington County Times
Chris Callinan, a long-time Cherokee track and cross country
assistant, took over as head coach of the track program this year for Steve
Shaklee - who in turn became Callinan's assistant -
and the seamless coaching switch resulted in more of the same from the Chiefs:
A team that covered every event, remained tough to beat on the county level,
mixed it up with the top teams in the state on the Group 4 level, and won the
Olympic Conference American Division regular-season title.
Cherokee ran 43.82 in
the 400 relay, 3:27 in the 4-by-400, 8:11 in the 4-by-800, 10:38 in the
distance medley, 18:52 for the four-mile relay and 63 in the shuttle
hurdles - tremendous range.
At the County Open,
Cherokee won its third straight title after never having won a title in school
history before 2008. The Chiefs have won those three titles by an average of 32
points. This year, the Chiefs got wins from Steve Burkholder in the 1,600 and
3,200, Jon Scott in the 100, high jumper Ed Kramer and the 3,200-meter relay
team in topping Willingboro by 29 points.
Cherokee has also won nine of 11 Burlington County Open cross
country titles under Callinan and Shaklee since 1999.
Callinan
ran scholastically at Gloucester Catholic and then had a record-setting career
at Cabrini College, where he also won two conference titles in cross country.
He taught and coached at Sacred Heart High School in Vineland before moving
full-time to Cherokee in 1999. He teaches math and computer science at Cherokee
and last year was named Teacher of the Year.