Daniel's First Place Medal in the 1500 Meter
Daniel and David Tulloch participated in the first annual Blaze TrackFest at Hershey High School 550 Homestead Rd, Hershey, Pa. 17033. Daniel ran the 1500 Meter. This was just a warm up meet for children who needs to get back in shape for the spring and summer meets and new children who would like to try track and field for the first time. David wants to follow his brother and Daniel just transferred from the St. Luke Holy Spirit Track Club in Germantown, Pa.
Four Year old David (second on the left)
preparing to run the 50 Meter Dash
I was very surprised to see David run a 400 Meter Run without stopping. I did not time him because I was not expecting it. At this meet, David ran the 50 Meter Run. He came in last but the most important part is that he tried it without stopping and without running to mommy.
Click on the link or the picture to see Daniel in the 1500 Meter.
http://youtu.be/vDZN6dch6s0
Daniel ran the 1500 Meter and came in First. Daniel ran in a 4 by 1 relay with children that he never met. They came in third.
Here are some of the coaches that will train Daniel in Hurdles, mid, and long distance running in the coming years.
Head Coach/ Founder Alan Paynter- HersheyAlan Paynter was inspired to form the Hershey Blaze Track Club by his own personal childhood experience with the Cinnaminson Track Club in NJ. By the time he and his wife settled in Central Pennsylvania and had their own children who wanted to run track they learned there was nothing in the area. So they entered meets as unattached runners and competed alone. With the support and addition of a few other families in the spring of 2013, all of that changed. The Hershey Blaze Track Club was born!
Coach Paynter was a sprinter and football player at Lenape High School in South Jersey and earned a scholarship to the Division II West Virginia Wesleyan College. After 2 year in WV, he transferred to Kutztown University to play football. By then he bulked up to become a 245lb fullback and there was no need on the track team for a monster sized sprinter. Upon graduation from college Coach Paynter accepted an assistant football and Head Boys & Girls Track Coach position at Central Catholic High School in Reading, Pa. His athletes at Central went on to earn more than 30 District & State medals and have become some the most successful track & field athletes in the school's history.
Currently Alan works for Dickinson College in the office of admissions. Additionally, both he and his wife Jennifer have also been relief houseparents at the Milton Hershey School for 12 years. Coach Paynter has worked in education and non profit organizations for almost 20 years and considers working with young people his calling and life's work. Alan is a member of Iota Phi Theta, Fraternity, Inc., enjoys exercise and fitness as well as riding his bike. He has already completed 2 marathons and 1 half marathon with a goal of completing 50 total. Alan & Jennifer Paynter have 3 children of which 2 compete with the Blaze. All of them run track!
Children: Christopher, Maliyah & Jaren
Coach Misti Demko- Hershey
Distance Running Coordinator
Bio: Coach Misti has been a runner for most of her life, beginning cross country and track when she was in middle school. A distance specialist, She earned All-America honors at Shippensburg University before going on to a professional road racing and track and field career. Her international race experiences include representing the US in events in Japan, Korea, Europe and South America, including the Pan American Games (1995) and World Half Marathon Championships (2002).
In 1994 she earned a bronze medal in the inaugural women’s 5,000 meter race at the US Track and Field Championships. Coach Misti was ranked among the top road runners in the world in 1994 and 1995. She recently completed her first marathon and qualified for the 2015 Boston Marathon.
Misti is employed by the Capital Area Intermediate Unit as a school counselor. Her coaching experiences range from working with elementary -school kids to college-level athletes. In addition to providing consultation to independent athletes, and working with Hershey Blaze, she is currently the team coordinator for Team Aspire, a Harrisburg-area running club focused on getting people of all ability levels healthy and moving. Working with young athletes and helping them to fulfill their dreams is one of her greatest joys. Misti and her husband Mike have seven children, three of whom compete for Hershey Blaze.
Children: Andie, KiKi & Eliza
Coach Kerry Deitrick- Lower Paxton
Blaze XC Co-Director
Mid Distance/ Distance
Bio: Coach Deitrick is from Northeast PA where she was active in sports throughout high school including basketball and softball and developed a love of running after the birth of her three children. This passion for running grew as her children became active in sports including track and field.
Kerry has completed numerous 5k's and 10k's and is running her first official ten miler and half marathon this year. In addition to being a HBTC coach, Kerry is also a long distance coach for the St. Catherine Laboure School Track and Field team. Kerry serves as PTO president at SCLS.
Kerry is employed as a Nurse Analyst with Novitas Solutions in Mechanicsburg. Her husband, Jim, is a Business Development Officer with M & T Bank and coaches Novice and Junior Varsity basketball at St. Catherine Laboure School.
Kerry is employed as a Nurse Analyst with Novitas Solutions in Mechanicsburg. Her husband, Jim, is a Business Development Officer with M & T Bank and coaches Novice and Junior Varsity basketball at St. Catherine Laboure School.
Children: Katelyn, Dylan & Tyler
Coach Danielle Lynch- Consultant Coach
Hurdles/ Sprints
Hurdles/ Sprints
Bio: Danielle Lynch has become a dear friend to Coach Paynter and the Blaze organization and will be helping the Blaze grow in many ways starting with developing our aspiring hurdlers. Danielle is the first men's and women's track & field head coach in Penn State Harrisburg history. The 2014-15 indoor and outdoor seasons will be the first of competition for the Lions' newest athletic program but Lynch will begin her tenure as head coach this fall.
Coach Lynch takes over at Penn State Harrisburg following an eight-year stint as an assistant at Bucknell where she coached the sprinters, middle distance runners and hurdlers. Lynch coached over 30 Patriot League champions and 20 of her runners hold school records at Bucknell. Several of her student-athletes were NCAA Regional and Junior National Qualifiers. Prior to her time at Bucknell, Lynch spent two years as an assistant at Army. She coached the sprinters and hurdlers and helped the Black Knights men’s team win two Patriot League outdoor championships, as well as an IC4A outdoor title.
A hurdling standout and graduate of Rutgers, Lynch competed in the sprints, hurdles and multi-events and was named co-captain and MVP of the Scarlet Knights women’s team her senior year. She's competed in the NCAA Championships, USATF National Championships and in the 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials.
Lynch is a charter member of the Alliance for Women’s Coaches, a member of the Athletics Diversity Issues Planning Committee, an NCAA Women’s Coaching Academy Graduate and the Graduate Chapter President and Undergraduate Advisor of the Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Incorporated, Susquehanna University. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Geography and Anthropology from Rutgers University and Masters of Science in Education from Bucknell University. She currently resides in Harrisburg, Pa. with her husband, Tony, her daughter, Olivia, and son, Anthony.
Here are the top people in the organization;
HBTC Administration & Advisory Committee
President/ Founder- Alan Paynter
Club Administrator- Jennifer Paynter
Assistant Administrator- Member- Jen Buchanan
Member- Brian Good
Member- Flavia Lucas
Member- Don Helms
Member- Kelly Line
Member- Josie Vitale
Member- David Vitale
