Cross Country Coach

Around the region John Carroll names Stetka baseball coach John Carroll named Joe Stetka, The Baltimore Sun's 2008 All-Metro Coach of the Year, the school's varsity baseball coach. Stetka coached at C. Milton Wright the past six years. As the Mustangs' interim head coach in 2008, he took the varsity team to the Class 4A North regional title and the 4A state championship game, in which they lost to Sherwood, 7-6, in extra innings. Stetka is also an associate scout for the Orioles. Colleges: : Goucher College made several personnel moves, naming Andrew Marshall assistant men's soccer coach, Caitlin Colfer assistant women's soccer coach, Whitney Raffo and Syed Hosain assistant field hockey coaches, and Mitchell Weisbrot assistant cross country coach.

Jim McCoach was never able to walk away from coaching, even when he tried. He commuted from Berlin on the Eastern Shore to start a cross country program at Maryvale, and just two months ago he agreed to return this fall to Calvert Hall as assistant cross country coach to Randy Fowler. McCoach, 63, didn't get to keep that date with Calvert Hall, where he had won seven Maryland Scholastic Association and Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association championships in the 1990s. He died Wednesday after suffering a massive stroke seven days earlier, leaving behind a coaching legacy of more than 500 cross country dual-meet victories over 39 years at seven area schools.

When Winters Mill High School opens its doors in the fall, the playing fields will be green ... but not the coaches. The school has announced its coaching staff for the fall season, which includes several recognizable names from both in and out of the county. Among them are Liberty football coach Ken Johnson and Westminster girls soccer and softball coach Bryan Shumaker, each of whom has led teams to state championships. Others named to the staff include Westminster girls cross country coach Sarah Ensor, former Liberty cross country coach Ken Fischer (for the boys team)

Charles A. Reynolds, a retired food broker who coached cross country and track at Calvert Hall College High School in Towson, died in his sleep at home in Parkville on Sunday. He was 69. Mr. Reynolds, who was born in Baltimore, attended St. Paul's School in Brooklandville and graduated with a bachelor's degree in marketing from the University of Baltimore in 1966. He worked for about 30 years as a food broker for various area companies. After he retired in 1997, he dedicated himself to running and physical training, competing in marathons, road races and the U.S. and Maryland Senior Olympics, said his wife of 44 years, the former Carole E. Smith.

BaseballAthletics: Recalled P Brett Laxton from Triple-A Vancouver. Optioned IF Scott Spiezio to Vancouver.Indians: Claimed P Jeff Tam off waivers from Mets; optioned him to Triple-A Buffalo. Traded P Tony Dougherty to Pirates for player to be named. Signed P Paul Menhart to minor-league contract; assigned him to Buffalo.BasketballCavaliers: Exercised option to acquire Celtics' first-round pick in this year's draft, eighth overall.CollegePacific-10: Accepted Washington's self-imposed penalties for recruiting violations since Rick Neuheisel took over as football coach.

J. Richard Carpenter announced his resignation as athletic director at Western Maryland College yesterday after 15 years in the post, effective July 1.Carpenter, 52, will retain his other post as professor of physical education and exercise science and also will coordinate the department's graduate program.Western Maryland will begin a national search for a successor and break precedent by hiring a full-time administrator.Carpenter has spent 30 years at Western Maryland, including 21 as track coach, seven as swimming coach, six as cross country coach and eight as a football assistant.

North County cross country coach Ed Harte is excited, and he has a right to be.His fourth annual Knights Invitational set for tomorrow at Baybrook Park in Brooklyn/Brooklyn Park has grown into a showcase of the metro area's top runners.Since its humble beginnings as a meet consisting basically of Anne Arundel County teams, it now includes Perry Hall, McDonogh, Loyola and such top-notch county teams as Old Mill, Annapolis and Broadneck."It's become one of the top meets around and we're very proud of it," said Harte.

BaseballKansas City Royals -- Optioned OF Tom Goodwin to Triple-A Omaha. Activated P Rusty Meacham from the DL.Philadelphia Phillies -- Placed P Tommy Greene on the 15-day DL with tendinitis in his right shoulder.BasketballNBA -- Suspended Los Angeles Lakers F James Worthy for one game and fined him $5,000, and fined Golden State Warriors F-C Chris Gatling $4,000 for their fight during Tuesday night's game.Minnesota Timberwolves -- Placed F Tellis Frank on the injured list with an injury to the arch of his left foot.

Brian Funk had often thought about someday coaching a cross country team."But I didn't think I'd be doing it this soon," he said.Funk was hired last week as the boys cross country coach at Annapolis High School, replacing Tom Neiles, who is on a one-year leave of absence. At 22, Funk is one of the youngest head coaches ever in Anne Arundel County.He applied for the job two weeks ago and was hired last Thursday by Annapolis athletic director Fred Stauffer for the upcoming season."To be honest, I thought I had it halfway through the interview," Funk said last week.