Hempfield Indoor Track in Full Swing

Over the past few years, the indoor track season has allowed Hempfield athletes another track & field experience!  From Yale's Indoor Facility - Cox Cage

To Penn State's "FAST" Indoor Track - Penn State Multiple Sport Facility

The Hempfield Winter Track Season stretches from December to February each year.  The coaching staff & athletes log many hours with practice after school to long trips on weekends!  The memories and hard work provides Hempfield student-athletes another chance to grow as a person!

For results from this years indoor team check out - Hempfield Indoor Track & Field!

Coaches from the Hempfield Past!

One of the reasons that Hempfield Track & Field has been a success, is coaching!  There are some key elements that make high programs successful and one is knowledgeable and caring coaches!  Here is a blast from the past!

Brain Peters, Marv Cochran & Dwight Bomberger

Head coach Marv Cochran was the head coach for 7 years beginning in 1974.  Marv was also a long time assistant football coach.  Dwight went on to become the head wrestling coach at Hempfield & Brian was an assistant coach not only in track & field, but wrestling.  Because of dedicated men like Marv, Brian & Dwight, Hempfield teams had very successful years in the 1970's & 80's!

Hempfield Atletes Excel in College!

One of my goals in retirement was to see as many Hempfield atlhetes perform in college track & field meets!  This past weekend I had a chance to see four Hempfield graduates!  The Penn State National Indoor Meet this past weekend had some of the top track & field athletes in the country!  Below are three of Hempfield's graduates that competed this week.  To see complete results visit:

Penn State National Invitational

Hansel Akers

Hansel has had a great career at Georgetown!

• Led off the Hoyas 4x400m relay at the Penn Relays in a personal best 47.3
• Led off the Hoyas 4x400m relay at the 2012 BIG EAST Outdoor Championships helping them to a third-place finish and anchored the fifth-place 4x100m relay
• Placed seventh at the 2012 BIG EAST Indoor Championships in the 500m
• Ran a personal best 48.34 at the Mason Spring Invitational which is the No. 28 performance in Georgetown history
• Ran a personal best 1:03.73 in the prelims of the 500m at the 2012 BIG EAST Indoor Championships
• Ran a personal best and the No. 11 performance in Georgetown history with a 35.47 clocking at the 2012 Hoya Spiked Shoe Invitational
• Placed 7th at the 2011 BIG EAST Indoor Championships in the 400m

Korinne Piper

2012-13: Placed eighth in the women's 800M run at the Kent State Golden Flash Gala...placed third in the women's 800M run at the Tiffin Carnival with a time of 2:24.86.
2011-12: Placed fifth in the mile at the Penn State Relays... finished third as a member of the distance medley relay at the Penn State Relays...a member of the ninth-place 4x800M relay team at the Big East Indoor Championships
2010-11: Indoor T/F - A member of the ninth-place 4x800M relay team in the Big East Indoor Championships...finished fifth as a member of the 4x800M relay at the New Balance Collegiate Invitational...placed top 15 in the 800M run at the Great Dane Classic...made another top-15 finish in the 1,000M run at the Doug Raymond Invitational...Outdoor T/F - Won the 800M run (section 2) at the Bison Classic...finished top 10 at the Mason Invitational in the 800M run (section 3)
2009-10: Indoor T/F - Sixth in the 1,000M run at the Kent State Gala...finished top 10 in the 800M run and as a member of the 4x4 relay team at the Illinois Carle/Health Classic...placed top 20 in the 800M run at the Akron Invitational...Outdoor T/F - Posted a top-10 finish at the Big East Championships as a member of the 4x8 relay team

David Patzer

2012 Outdoor || Top outdoor finish was 13th in the pole vault at the Bison Outdoor Classic. || 2012 Indoor || Season-best clearance was 15-1 (4.60) at the Sykes & Sabock Challenge Cup, where he finished 10th overall ... Placed third in the vault at the Penn State Relays, and sixth at the Nittany Lion Challenge. || 2011 Outdoor || Finished second at the Jim Thorpe Open ...Placed fifth at both the Mason Spring Invitational, and Liberty Collegiate Invitational. || 2011 Indoor || Placed second at the Penn State Relays with a clearance of 15-1 (4.60) ... Cleared a career-best 15-3 (4.65) at the Sykes & Sabock Challenge Cup


We are very proud of our Hempfield Track & Field Athletes that are participating at the collegiate level!  Stay tuned for more stories!

Hempfield Track & Field is Born!!

It was 1960!  What was happening?

Record of the Year - Percy Faith for "Theme from A Summer Place"
Top Movies - Exodus and Psycho
Domino's Pizza opens in Detroit
John F. Kennedy becomes 43rd President
Summer Olympics in Rome, Italy
Median Salary $4,743
Cost of gallon of gas - 29 cents

and Hempfield Track & Field is born!!!! (Click on picture to enlarge)

The team, which was composed of approximately fifty boys, entered in league competition during it's first year.  The 100, 220, and 440 yard dashes; the half-mile & mile runs; and the half-mile and mile relays constitute the running events.  The field events consist of the high jump, broad jump, pole vault, javelin, discuss, and shot put.  Head Coach Richard McDonough and record was 4 wins and 4 losses.

Let the competition begin!!!

Hempfield Track & Field

My first post!  I have tackled other blog topics, but this blog is dedicated to, I think(I'm a little biased), one of the best high school track & field programs in the state of Pennsylvania.

Hempfield School District is located in central Pennsylvania, 2 hours west of Philadelphia and 1 hour east of the state capital - Harrisburg. (Click on the map to enlarge)

Hempfield Track & Field had been around since 1960 - over 50 years!  In that time, many exciting memories have been shared by the athletes, coaches, parents, and tarck & field fans!

The goal of this blog is to look past, present, & future of Hempfield Track & Field!  Now that I am retired from coaching, I hope to continue to support the program!! Let's begin with a look at the past!