Neal Charske

Year Inducted: 1997

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Neal coached high school locally for 42 years in both boys and girls track and cross country. He coached a number of great athletes including Bob Reef, an All-American at Miami University, Maureen Cogan, the state champion in cross country and Big Ten 5000m champion at OSU, and Cindy Brown, who had the fastest female marathon time in 1989  and won the Honolulu Marathon. Neal also coached several runners who became coaches including Hall of Fame member Mike Baumer at Wright State University.

Neal has been a track & field official since 1964. Besides working at many area meets, he officiated USA national masters championship meets and in 1996 served as clerk for the Atlanta Olympics. He was inducted into the Ohio Track & Field Hall of Fame in 1985. He is also a member of the Fairmont Athletic Hall of Fame and the Ohio Officials Hall of Fame.

Neal received the Fred Cope Award and the Ed Barker Award, both given to the top person in the state for outstanding contributions to the sport of track & field and cross country.

Neal is the director of the Kettering Cross Country Invitational, one of the largest high school meets in Ohio. He is also the founder of the Mid-East Cross Country Championships which features the top senior runners from four states.