Kern keeps on chasing American records
Today, America. Tomorrow, the world.
Charlie Kern stands a good chance of global conquest. The former York assistant track and cross country coach set new two age-division American records at the USA Masters Indoor Track & Field Championships, March 20-21.
Representing the 35-39 group at Prince George's Sports and Learning Center in Landover, Md., Kern won the 3-kilometer race with a time of 8 minutes, 37.94 seconds.
His heat of the 3K actually comprised three divisions, dipping down to age 30. Kern, who'll turn 40 in June, beat his closest competitor by 22 seconds.
More of the same in the mile the next day. Kern set another American age-division record at 4:18.89. This time he won by 18 seconds.
"To be at the back end (of the age range) is pretty satisfying," he said earlier this week from Charlotte, N.C., training for a couple days in warmer weather.
It's got to be satisfying for Kern, who resigned his assistant positions with the wildly successful York distance and cross country programs three days after the 2008 boys state track meet.
The resignation capped two difficult years beginning with the 2006 suspensions of Kern and head cross country coach Joe Newton for exceeding the allowable number of summer coach-athlete contact days.
Kern has come out of it fine. He continues to teach social studies at York. He even runs occasionally with the York distance athletes, not as an official coach yet under the good graces of Newton and boys track coach Stan Reddel.
Nowadays Kern's clients are those who seek his "assistance in developing speed, endurance and a healthy lifestyle." They include his wife, Lynne, whose yearlong running commitment includes a half-marathon and, in September, a full marathon.
After Charlie won the mile in Maryland, a man who set a new 800-meter record for 70-year-olds grabbed his arm and tried to convince him to enter the World Masters Athletics Championships this summer in Lahti, Finland.
Kern didn't need much convincing.
"I'm working on raising some finances," he said.
What's his secret?
"Never stopping," Kern said. "Once you stop it's hard to get momentum going again.
"It's just fun to still do this. And now there's new horizons."
Fresh meat
Immaculate Conception track coach Bob Cronin graduated several strong veterans from his boys track team.
"The nice thing is with some of the newer members, they haven't heard quite all my speeches yet, so they're still willing to work pretty hard," he joked.
Old home week
On March 27 the George Mason University men's volleyball team visited Loyola's Alumni Gym in a match between two of the best teams in Division I.
It also allowed some local players to reunite, though on opposite sides of the court.
George Mason features outside hitter Kyle Gramit, out of Naperville North. The 6-foot-5 Gramit was an American Volleyball Coaches Association second-team All-America pick in 2008.
Neuqua Valley product Ryan Kwiatkowski, a 6-5 setter, also started against No. 15 Loyola - which offers starting middle blockers Michael Morice from Waubonsie Valley and 6-7 Nick Lamoureux of Wheaton Warrenville South.
The latter two got the upper hand in a 30-27, 30-27, 20-28 Loyola victory, though Gramit recorded 7 digs with a team-high 15 kills.
Gramit recently had 28 kills in a Patriots win, while Lamoureux is sixth all-time at Loyola with 239 career block assists, and tied for sixth with 85 service aces. Both have earned conference player of the week honors this season.
doberhelman@dailyherald.com