Eastern names new cross country coach

By KRISTINA SCALA
The Voorhees Sun

There is a new boys cross-country head coach at Eastern Regional High School. Casey McAleer was recently named head coach, replacing 28-year veteran John Shea.

“I am really looking forward to getting out there and running with these kids. We got a lot of kids this year. It’s nice to try to build this program,” he said.

Practice was held for one week without McAleer because Eastern board of education members decided to table his appointment in response to concerns with replacing Shea presented by track members and parents.

“I would like to know why a coach with 28 years of service and dedication to this school might be let go,” parent Jean Caruso said, before the board tabled the appointment at June’s meeting.

She expressed her discontent with the board’s final decision, but the outcry against McAleer’s appointment was not as great as it was at the June meeting where players presented the board with emotional experiences and asked the board to reconsider.

Athletic Director Phil Smart explained coaching positions are posted every year. Since Shea started coaching the boys cross county tea,, no one showed interest until McAleer.

Teaching history and acting as an assistant track coach at Eastern since 2008, McAleer graduated from Rider University in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in history and a bachelor’s in secondary education.

He ran track in college and was a winter and spring track coach at Bordentown Regional High School for a year before making his way to Eastern.

According to McAleer, there is a large number of freshmen on this year’s team, but he hopes to see each of the newcomers and upperclassmen succeed during the “intense sport” season.

“I am really looking forward to seeing these guys who put in the time, especially the upperclassmen. I am hoping they achieve their goals,” he said.