Stepping away from the track

Thirty-four years at the helm of the Carrington track and field program has yielded much in the way of individual and team success for Greg Hoeckle.

Since starting his head coaching tenure in 1990, Hoeckle's Cardinal squads have consistently been among Class B's finest.

Nine state girls' championships from 1999-2004 and 2012-14, four runners-up trophies (three girls, one boys), numerous regional team crowns and a countless number of standout athletes can all testify to the attention and preparation Hoeckle devotes to the sport.

"You kind of remember the first and last years, and in between is kind of a blur," he says. "It's been a great experience, with some great friends I've worked with both on the track and school staffs."

In those three decades and a half, Hoeckle's greatest assets are the relationships he's developed with his athletes, past and present.

"There have just been so many," he says. "I want to help them build a strong mentality, work ethic, focus and determination."

While track has been his focus, Hoeckle notes that many Cardinal kids he's coached wouldn't necessarily consider track their "main" sport.

But there's just something about a sport where, with the down time, there's plenty of opportunities to meet kids from other schools.

In that way, Hoeckle explains that it's probably the most "social" sport there is.

"For many kids, some of their best friendships have come from track, and sports in general," he says. "It's one of the few sports where athletes cheer for each other's success."

Hoeckle also added that with 19 different events, track has a little bit of "room for everyone."

In his everyday role as physical education teacher at Carrington Elementary, he got a preview of the kids he would later coach at the high school level.

"That was one of the luxuries right there, getting to see what you have to work with in the future with their athletic potential," Hoeckle said.

One of the biggest philosophies he tries to instill in his athletes is to get involved in other activities, and not to limit oneself to one thing.

As a track coach, Hoeckle says the biggest thing he tries to emphasize is the mental aspect of the sport.

"I like to say that we're trying to build leaders, not followers," he says.

He also doesn't believe in pushing his own sport at the expense of others, and acknowledges that some kids are wired differently when it comes to their sporting drive.

Hoeckle cited the example of one of his great former athletes, Sarah Klein, a state title winner and record-holder in the early 2000's during much of their six-year championship run.

"She was probably one of the most non-competitive or aggressive kids when she was in elementary school," he admitted. "It took her awhile to really enjoy what she was doing."

He fondly remembers coaching other big time CHS achievers, including future Minnesota Viking and state champion thrower Jim Kleinsasser, 19-time state champion and PBHS graduate Whitney (Carlson) Bruins, and many others that would take "a long time to count."

Hoeckle knows the pipeline for Cardinal talent is still going strong, past his official absence.

"With our girls' team, a good core of junior athletes are coming back, and the junior high numbers are starting to pick up again in the next few classes."

Hoeckle received one last honor before leaving the stage for good, and that was the Class B Coach of the Year award at the 2024 State Track Meet.

He will attend the national coaches' convention for the North Dakota High School Coaches Association (NDHSCA) on June 22-27 in Bismarck, where he is a finalist for National Coach of the Year for girls' track and field, and will also be found on the golf course at the State Class B Boys' Golf Tournament at CrossRoads as one of the official starters.

In "retirement", Hoeckle hopes to drive a bus route, and may be asked into helping out with a track meet or two in the future.