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PHOENIXVILLE BOYS TRACK DYNASTY
The Phantoms have won four consecutive Pioneer Athletic Conference (PAC-10) championships under coaches Jack Kraynak and Talen Singer.
Kraynak is a 30-year veteran of the coaching wars in cross country, winter track and spring track for the Phantoms after running at Phoenixville and Millersville University. Kraynak also served as an assistant coach to Singer, a former Phantom pole vaulter, before he elected to take an assistant coaching job at Division I Villanova University, focusing on the pole vault.
Kraynak is a social studies teacher at Phoenixville Area High School. His son, John, played football as a running back and defensive back and also ran track for the Phantoms.
Kraynak also guided the Phantoms during their years in the old Ches-Mont League, whenboys’ track was dominated by Coatesville. Throughout his career, Kraynak has boasted a number of individual standouts such as 800-meter state champion Andy Tiefenthaler, a transfer from Houston, Texas, who claimed his crown in 1986; and Harry Favinger, who captured the Class AA 110-meter high hurdles state title in 1981.
Favinger, who later joined the United States Air Force, also managed to keep a part-time sports writing job at The Phoenix daily newspaper during his senior year of high school. The newspaper was known as The Evening Phoenix back then and was formerly known as The Daily Republican when it was established back on Oct. 3, 1888.
Posted by
Barry Sankey
Kraynak is a 30-year veteran of the coaching wars in cross country, winter track and spring track for the Phantoms after running at Phoenixville and Millersville University. Kraynak also served as an assistant coach to Singer, a former Phantom pole vaulter, before he elected to take an assistant coaching job at Division I Villanova University, focusing on the pole vault.
Kraynak is a social studies teacher at Phoenixville Area High School. His son, John, played football as a running back and defensive back and also ran track for the Phantoms.
Kraynak also guided the Phantoms during their years in the old Ches-Mont League, whenboys’ track was dominated by Coatesville. Throughout his career, Kraynak has boasted a number of individual standouts such as 800-meter state champion Andy Tiefenthaler, a transfer from Houston, Texas, who claimed his crown in 1986; and Harry Favinger, who captured the Class AA 110-meter high hurdles state title in 1981.
Favinger, who later joined the United States Air Force, also managed to keep a part-time sports writing job at The Phoenix daily newspaper during his senior year of high school. The newspaper was known as The Evening Phoenix back then and was formerly known as The Daily Republican when it was established back on Oct. 3, 1888.
Posted by
Barry Sankey
posted by The Phoenix Files at
8:29 AM
3 Comments:
Ok. I agree with you on this article and I have been critical of you in the past; so I guess this is my Christmas gift. Phoenixville Track is poised to have the PAC Championship all to itself for a number of years. Being led by atheletes like highjumper Williams, hurderler Killeen and runners like Mackie and Flott. They do not have just one outstanding bunch of athletes, Coach K has built a team and thankfully other schools have not caught on. Methacton has Krais and Boyertown had an awsome distance runner in Weller. Phoenixville's team is still young, mostly soph and juniors. The 'team' has made it not individuals. It would be nice if they could all be mentioned or picturd in the paper, not just the few that seem to be favored.
Well, I agree with the above post. Coach Kraynak has done it with the team mentality and not just one standout athlete. Which is why I guess Barry had to go back 20 and 25 years for an individual standout. The team is still young and dedicated to running. Kraynak has provided proven leadership to this team both on and off the field. I thank him for the work that he has done in and outside of the classroom with my son.
Wow! Barry you almost caught on there. With yesterday's article. Yet instead of building on that article (and possibly leaving it on line for a day), you went right back to the old stand by. There is vast room for improvement in the sports staff and their writings.
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