FREDERICK, Md. – Mike Petro has announced his departure from both the cross country and track & field programs. Will Merritt, the team's current assistant coach and recruiting coordinator, will take over as the interim head coach for the remainder of the season.
"I'm forever grateful for my time leading the Blazers," said Petro. "We accomplished many great things and became better athletes and people along the way. I wish the program nothing but the best in the future."
During Petro's tenure at Hood, the programs broke several records and yielded Top 5 performances in many categories of cross country and indoor and outdoor track and field events. This included 34 All-Conference awards, 12 of whom earned regional recognition.
"Under Coach Petro, our cross country, indoor and outdoor track teams have experienced new levels of success," said Director of Athletics, Susan Kolb, Ph.D.. "To experience a championship where we had athletes win gold at the MAC track & field championship has been a highlight of mine to date. Coach Petro's recruitment of talented athletes and staff has been a welcomed addition to our department-- all of whom have helped put Hood cross country/track & field on the map. I thank him and wish him all the best in his next career."
The cross country season of 2024 saw the program's first USTFCCCA Mid-Atlantic Honors runner in Noy while All-Conference honors were earned by members of both the men's and women's squad.
The spring of 2024 saw six All-Conference athletes and the first USTFCCA All-Region recipient in a field event with Harryson Bellevue (Brooklyn, N.Y/Coney Island Prep) in the high jump.
The MAC Championships saw four medals, including a gold for Jamel Mins (Columbia, Md./Atholton) in the 100 meter dash while Aylene Noy (Frederick, Md./Tuscarora) earned bronze in the 10,000 meter run. At the ECAC Championships, both the men's and women's outdoor teams saw a second-place finish as a team and at least one Top 5 finisher in every event they participated in.
Petro and his staff have trained many successful relay teams including Sappe, Mins, Owen Ellington (Laurel, Md./Gonzaga College) and others that have repeatedly earned conference honors especially in the 4x400 event.
Chris Sappe (Ijamsville, Md./Urbana) broke the school's record in the 8000m at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional in 2023. He holds many of the indoor track & field records for the program.
In the field, Taileen Zechman broke the program record for Hammer Throw with her 43.71m performance at Salisbury this past indoor season.
As the head coaching duties transfer to Merritt, his familiarity with the program the past two years will allow for a smooth transition. His personal accolades as a runner come from his time at his Alma mater in Mount St. Mary's with multiple Northeast Athletic Conference selections and participation on the Team USA U-20 Track & Field team. Merritt earned a bachelors degree in Communication from Mount St. Mary's and a master's in public administration from Villanova.
"As a familiar face to our department and to our cross country and track & field programs, I am pleased to welcome Will Merritt to our department as a full-time interim coach for the remainder of the year," said Kolb. "Coach Merritt brings a wealth of experience, especially in the area of distance. I am confident Coach Merritt will hit the ground running on day one and use this opportunity to implement his new strategies in training and recruiting."
