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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend May 28, 2005 Pete Voskes chats with students at North Medford High after being introduced as the Black Tornado�s new track and field coach on Friday. Mail Tribune / Roy Musitelli Tornado tabs Voskes North Medford bypasses Mason and chooses 26-year-old assistant By DON HUNT Mail Tribune To outsiders, Pete Voskes was the underdog in his quest to take over the North Medford High head track coaching position. How could school administrators choose Voskes over Marnie Mason, a candidate with impeccable credentials and more experience? Some observers may still be asking that question after North Medford athletic director Tim Sam introduced Voskes as the Black Tornado’s new head track coach at a press conference Friday in the school’s gym. But Sam believes North Medford hired the right person. Advertisement "What impressed us about Pete was his knowledge, orgranization and passion for the sport," said Sam, noting that Voskes came to his interview session with a 15-page packet detailing his plans. "And he connects with the kids incredibly well. "We think he’s going to bump up the numbers and make the track program even stronger than it’s been." Voskes, 26, replaces Mark Hodges, who is leaving to become a strength training instructor and head football coach at Fernley, Nev. High. Mason had served as North Medford’s head cross country coach and tutored the Tornado’s distance runners in track during the 2001-2002 and 2002- 2003 school years before heading to the University of Oregon, where she served as the Ducks’ head women’s cross country coach and distance coach in track. Mason resigned this spring, citing a desire to return to the classroom. She’ll have her old job back as a special education teacher at North Medford in the fall. Voskes, meanwhile, succeeded Mason at North Medford and didn’t take long to leave his own imprint on the cross country program. His strong rapport with his runners became evident this spring when dozens of them — along with many parents — signed a petition on his behalf and sent it to the North Medford administration. Controversy entered the picture in mid-April when The Oregonian published a story that essentially handed the soon-to-be vacant Tornado track job to Mason. Voskes said Friday that he talked with Mason for about 20 minutes at Hayward Field on the UO campus when the Tornado was en route to the Centennial Invitational on April 22. "It was a strange, unique situation but neither of us was upset at the other person at all," Voskes said. "I have the utmost respect for Marnie. She’s done incredible things for the sport." Voskes said he tried to call Mason Friday morning and would continue to try to contact her this weekend, adding that he’d love to have her on the Tornado track staff. "Our goal is to get to the next level and she would definitely help to get us there," he said. Voskes said his first priority is to boost the Tornado boys’ team and get it on a par with the girls’ program, which has won four of the past six Southern Oregon Conference titles. "Ultimately, we want to get the girls’ and boys’ teams on the trophy stand at the state meet (where the top four teams are awarded)," Voskes said. "This is a school with a proud tradition and there are athletes out there that can help us." Voskes is an eighth-grade social studies teacher at Hedrick Middle School and has been recruiting kids in his classroom to join the track program. "I think it’s an advantage being at the middle school as far as the recruiting process goes," Voskes said. "Larry Binney did great things in softball all those years while teaching at Hedrick. You gain the kids’ trust and get them involved before they ever get to high school." Voskes plans to build the Tornado’s reputation as a track power by starting all-comers meets this summer, establishing a summer track club with his middle school and high school runners and bringing back the Rogue Relays, a once popular, early-season meet that flamed out following the split of Medford High in the mid 1980s. The all-comer meets will kick off at 5:30 p.m. on June 7 at North Medford High. Voskes graduated from Ashland High in 1996 and from Linfield College in 2000. His father, Hans, is the head track coach at Phoenix High. Reach reporter Don Hunt at 776-4469, or e-mail [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. 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