When the hurdlers of the 2023 track season got to practice, the last thing they expected was to be met with no permanent hurdle coach. But, that was the way things had worked out. With Doug Spayd, the former coach, retired, the hurdlers were left in the hands of willing assistant coaches. 

“At first I was really upset, being that I was really close with Mr. Spayd,” junior hurdler Hailey Kravetz said, “He has been helping me since seventh grade, and I have had him for two years for math classes. I wasn’t sure how the rest of the season would work out without a hurdle coach.”

The main assistant coach who has been helping the hurdlers is AAHS alumnus, Eli Mencer. Mencer hurdled throughout his time at the high school.

“He was helping to coach us for a bit and was teaching us to trust ourselves and not think too much about the hurdles,” freshman hurdler Hannah Owulade said. 

While Mencer admits he might not have been fully prepared to fill the position, he still remembers when he ran and respects the hurdling events. 

“Coaching the hurdles has been eye opening,” Mencer said, “It’s not like coaching sprints. It takes a little more heart and confidence.  To be able to look down the track during the 100 or 110s and see all the hurdles without being a little bit nervous is not an easy task.”

Even with the help from Mencer and other coaches, the hurdlers haven’t been able to achieve as much as they might have with a permanent coach. 

“[Not] having a coach has made it harder for me to accomplish certain things such as better form, three stepping and breaking a new personal record in the 100 meter hurdles,” Owulade said. 

Despite the disadvantages, Owulade explained that the hurdlers help each other out with form and technique. Kravetz has taken on the brunt of this teaching. 

“Although I don’t know everything about hurdling, I love teaching the other athletes and watching them progress throughout the season,” Kravetz said, “I’m always happy to see the young athletes finish the race and run new personal bests.” 

With the rest of the season ahead of them, the hurdlers are sure to make many new personal records, and, with more high school years ahead of them, get better and better. 

“In the 300 meter hurdles I have ‘pr’d by six seconds since my eighth grade year which is good,” Owulade said,  “I hope to be running in the 40s by the end of this season.”

“We are young,” Mencer said, “This hurdle group we have is built with a lot of younger athletes. So with a new coach and a young group it takes some leaders to step up and help make everyone’s practice smoother.”