Interim title removed from Tokay coach Harty

Karey Harty has been one of the Tokay High track and field’s assistant coaches for the last nine seasons.

Two months ago, Harty was named the school’s interim track and field coach after Zak Walcher, a science teacher at Tokay who is also an assistant coach on the school’s varsity football team, resigned because of family reasons.

Now the interim title has been removed from before Harty’s name.

According to a text message Tokay High Athletic Director and football coach Michael Holst sent on Tuesday, Harty is officially the new Tokay track and field head coach. The position was advertised after Thanksgiving.

“For this year,” Harty said. “We’ll see how I like it.”

Harty, who has been the Tokay boys and girls cross-country coach since 2008, has been working with long distance runners during her time in the Tigers’ track and field program. She’ll continue her role, but will be overseeing the entire program. Assistant coaches Eugene Hernandez will work with sprinters, hurdlers and high and long distance jumpers, while John Hunt will train kids competing in the pole vault, shot put and discus.

Harty said that there are 100 kids who have signed up for the varsity boys and girls teams, plus the frosh-soph squad. Practices start on Monday, Feb. 5, which is the first day all spring sports teams in the Sac-Joaquin Section can start preparing for the spring season.

But Tokay will be taking a different route in terms of its practices this spring. As the school installs new allfield turf for its football field and new all-weather track and field, all of which is projected to be completed middle/toward the end of spring, the Tigers will begin practices on other athletic fields on the campus.

Harty said Lodi High track and field coach Greg Wright has suggested her squads to hold joint practices with his Flames starting toward the end of February, going into March.

“He’s invited us to come six days a week,” Harty said. “I just have to fill out the paper work and go from there. We can set up a lot of stuff on campus like the throws, the hurdles and the jumps. We really need to figure how many days a week we have to go to Lodi to use their facility. We are grateful for Lodi for being open and inviting us working out with them.”

Tokay and St. Mary’s will be road warriors when it comes to competing in their Tri-City Athletic League dual meets this spring, Harty said. The Rams’ track and field surface has some sink holes, which are supposed to be addressed this spring.

McNair High, which Tokay is going to have a scrimmage toward the end of February, has also offered its track and field facility and conduct joint practices with Tokay this spring. McNair, along with Bear Creek, join Tokay and Lodi as members of the Lodi Unified School District.

Contact reporter Mike Bush at mikeb@lodinews.com. Follow on Twitter: @MBushLodiSports.