Longtime Crookston Pirate Track Coach and current volunteer coach, Harley Stahlecker has won the Section 8A Track Volunteer of the year. The 85-year-old Stahlecker has been the Pirate hurdler coach for many years and is sending two more hurdlers to state on Friday. The nomination from Crookston Head Girls Track Coach Amy Boll is below –
Crookston girls track is nominating Harley Stahlecker as the Section 8A volunteer of the year. Harley has given over 60 years of dedication to the track & field program. Wow, 60 years of dedication, he is truly the most dedicated, hardworking, and track-loving coach I know. I can only imagine all the things that he has seen and experienced in his coaching career.
Harley Stahlecker has track and field running through his veins. In his history of track, he has been an athlete in the state meet in North Dakota, an assistant coach, a head coach, and for the past 11 years, he has been a volunteer coach for Crookston High School. When you do the math, that is over 60 years of dedication to the track & field program. In those past eleven years being a volunteer coach, he has continued guiding and helping out in all the areas of track. Harley’s love for the sport, dedication, and knowledge has helped keep the Crookston program going strong. He is a force of nature in the hurdles. In the past 10 years, he has coached four hurdlers to the state meet and has hopes for more. He is 85 years of age and shows up every day for practice to coach the athletes. Harley is always willing to give a helping hand to whatever is needed. Harley attends all track meets, and I can only imagine how many track meets he has attended over the years. When asked what keeps him involved in track and field for so many years, he says, “I love it. The competition, watching the athletes perform as well as the other teams’ athletes. Over the years, I have seen many great athletes come out of this area. I just love it.”
