Leading off today: Saratoga Springs AD John Goodson has informed district athletes that the architects of one of the state's most prominent scholastic sports dynasties have stepped down,
The Times Union reported on Tuesday.
Goodson announced the resignation of girls cross country coaches Art and Linda Kranick in an undated letter that cited Art's health in the aftermath of a 2023 hospitalization with an infection that led to partial paralysis, according to a GoFundMe created at the time. He resumed coaching this past fall.
Contacted by the newspaper, Linda Kranick declined to comment.
"During this transitional period, we will implement the plan we have previously discussed to ensure continuity and support for our athletes," Goodson wrote.
The district has appointed Tom Reilly as the girls head coach and Shane Cassidy as his varsity assistant.
The Kranicks built the cross country program, particularly the girls team, into a national powerhouse. They won NYSPHSAA championships in the largest girls classification 18 times from 1987-2023, scored 28 titles at the state Federation Championships, and captured Nike Cross Nationals titles in 2004, 2019 and 2022.
The couple began coaching Saratoga Springs track and cross country for boys and girls in 1985. The school handed off the boys responsibilities to other coaches beginning in 2012.
Along the way, the Kranicks coached numerous state champions and NCAA Division I college recruits.
However, their tenure was not without controversy, underscored by a 77-page complaint that an attorney working for parents and athletes, most of whom spoke anonymously, sent to the State Education Department and the State Attorney General's office in October 2023.
The allegation garnering the most attention came from Kristen Gecewicz Gunning, who described Art Kranick tying her behind his truck in 1989 to get her to run faster.
"In the school parking lot in broad daylight," Gecewicz Gunning recalled to the newspaper. "Without any consequences from district administration. So, the resignation of the Kranicks cannot be the end of this story."
According to the paper, the school board subsequently hired a law firm to look into the allegations of abuse in the document. The Harris Beach investigation found that school officials repeatedly rehired the couple despite regular complaints over three decades concerning issues including the perceived overtraining of athletes.
USA Track and Field, the governing body for the sport, has not concluded its own investigation.
At least twice in response to complaints, district officials told them to submit improvement plans, but no one enforced those plans, the law firm determined. As for the runner's complaint about being tied to the truck, the then-superintendent told the law firm that the athletic director at the time addressed the incident with the coach, and "(t)his method of training was never repeated," the report said.
Word of the resignations raced through the alumni community.
"There is a sense of relief knowing that future athletes will not have to endure the same mental and physical suffering that we experienced," said runner Lauren Hogan, who competed on the 1998 state championship team.
McKenney moving to new coaching role in Syracuse
Bob McKenney, who has won five state titles and two Federation championships in the sport, will coach boys basketball at OnTech Charter High School in Syracuse next season.
McKenney just completed his 10th year at Bishop Grimes, which the Catholic Diocese has announced will close in June and merge with Bishop Ludden next fall. Before that, McKenney coached Jamesville-DeWitt for almost two decades and to unmatched success for a Section 3 boys program.
The 2018 New York State Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame and 2024 New York State Basketball Hall of Fame inductee has won 659 games.
"Over my career, I have been blessed to work with many exceptional athletes and outstanding assistant coaches," McKenney said in the school's announcement on Wednesday. "It's providential that I'm now joining OnTech. The commitment of their administration is unmatched and I am looking forward to helping grow the school as well as developing the OnTech players into championship teams."
OnTech went 9-13 last season under R.J. Garcia, who took over midway through the 2023-24 season according to Syracuse.com.
Boys cross country coordinator Chuck Wiltse has died
Charles "Chuck" Wiltse, the New York State Public High School Athletic Association's longtime boys cross country coordinator, died earlier this month.
He passed away at the age of 83 on April 5 at his home in Red Creek.
He had been the NYSPHSAA boys cross country coordinator since 1994. According to the organization, his tenure in the coordinator role was the third-longest in NYSPHSAA history.
Wiltse's career began as a successful coach at Baldwinsville, and he later moved into administrative roles in several school districts, including principal at Baldwinsville and superintendent at Cincinnatus and Marcus Whitman.
Wiltse also served as director of track and field for the New York Special Olympics, was the founding chairman of the Empire State Games road events.
Milestones
• Hoosick Falls pitcher
Kennedy Boisvert struck out 13 Emma Willard batters during an 11-1 triumph on Monday to reach 1,000 for her career.
The junior, already a UMAss-Lowell commit, is a four-time Times Union all-star, including first-team honors last fall after fanning 298 in just 138 innings.
She struck out 19 in a 2-1 loss to Tamarac last week.
• East Islip softball coach Jason McGowan reached 300 victories earlier this month with an 8-2 win over West Babylon.
