COACH TALK: Ellwood City Track Under New Tutelage

The Ellwood City Track & Field team will be under new tutelage this spring and the group of athletes will look to overcome a bit of adversity.

$3.3 million dollars in renovations for Helling Stadium will begin in April. The work includes the installation of a new artificial turf field, new lighting, and a completely redone track.

Work that will uproot the Wolverines from a home track, forcing practices to be held at neighboring Riverside’s track facility and all meets to be on the road this season, but none of that will affect the team’s performance according to new coach Nathan Brown.

“We are under a brand new coaching staff across the board and are facing adversity this year with losing our track at the beginning of the season due to renovations,” says Brown. “Nonetheless, big things are coming through.”

The Ellwood City Area School Board approved the hiring of two co-head coaches for the district’s co-ed track and field team – Alan Marsh and Nathan Brown – in February.

Historically, the track team had one head coach and four assistant coaches. Because of the hiring of co-head coaches, the team will have only three assistants this year, according to ECASD Superintendent Dr. Wesley Shipley.

The three seniors – Alexander Bortnovsky, Joel Brooks, and Madison Myers – have been leading this team by example this spring and pushing each other to be better every day according to the coach.

“Our team as a whole is developing.”

Brown primarily works with distance runners and members of the section winning cross country team. The cross country team also won the 2021 Tri-County Championship.

“Our throwers have been developing with the addition of Coach Seth Rosenberger so fans can look for added strength to the team over last year,” adds Brown.

Brown does not plan to look back, but only forward as the team hopes to be road warriors this season and compete at several championships schedule later in April.

“I really don’t know what last year’s season looked like,” says Brown. “I know we had some athletes that really excelled and we’re continuing to build the team with them as our foundation.”

“Moving forward, the meet circled on the calendar is always the next one. Every meet is our biggest meet.”

Notable scheduled championships events:
04/09 9:00 AM Beaver County Track Championship
04/27 2:00 PM @ MAC Championship
04/30 9:00 AM Tri-County Championship (@ Shenango)