Amanda Hascin’s coaching career has suddenly come full circle.

The first-year Tamaqua cross country head coach is also entering her 23rd year teaching Spanish in the district. She thought her days coaching scholastic athletics had ended nearly two decades ago when she stepped away from coaching softball to focus on her young family.

Last year, the 1999 Tamaqua graduate volunteered with the cross country team for the first time, and then-head coach Megan Frantz approached her about leading the program in 2025.

After Frantz decided not to return following the 2024 season, the Blue Raiders found their new leader right in the building.

“My first gut reaction was, I’m not ready. I don’t know enough,” Hascin said. “I’ve only been into running myself for about the last two years.”

Hascin takes over for Frantz, who followed longtime coach Tom Kanger — one of the Schuylkill League’s longest-tenured coaches who coached Tamaqua from 2002 through the fall of 2023 — at the helm.

Now, in her 23rd year at Tamaqua, Hascin finds herself back on the sidelines, this time with two children old enough to join her, including her 12-year-old, who will run on the junior high team.

“I did miss coaching,” Hascin said. “I played softball at Susquehanna and then came back to Tamaqua and was the JV coach for three years and varsity coach for three years. My kids are now 9 and 12, so they’re of a better age, and they can come with me.”

Building the foundation

The transition comes at a key time for the Blue Raiders. Both the boys and girls teams qualified for states in 2024 under Frantz, but the program has been working to build camaraderie since Kanger left for Blue Mountain.

“He was the coach for as long as I had been teaching,” Hascin said. “When he left to go to Blue Mountain, the kids were, of course, bummed.”

Hascin knew she needed support in her new role.

Enter Joe Holland, a science teacher whose classroom is next to hers, and Brandon Fogarty, a 2020 Tamaqua graduate who ran under Kanger and now competes in ultra-marathons.

“They were the main reason I decided to say yes,” Hascin said of her assistants. “I have two incredibly knowledgeable assistants who have literally been running their entire lives and know a lot about the sport.”

That knowledge will be key as Tamaqua prepares for different expectations between its boys and girls programs this fall.

Boys: Youthful but talented

From the outside, the boys’ team might look like it’s in for a rebuild after graduating six seniors, four of whom were consistent top-five runners. Among those losses were Anthony Marchetti and Levi Kunkel, both state qualifiers in 2024.

But young doesn’t mean inexperienced.

Sophomores Aidan Elston and Parker Steencken both emerged as top runners during their freshman seasons and will serve as captains despite their youth.

“They were both top runners last year as freshmen, and I’m hoping they go to states,” Hascin said. “They have a solid chance to make it far this year.”

The Blue Raiders also return seniors Logan Morgans and William Behun, both of whom ran under Kanger during the program’s 2023 state championship run. They will provide leadership even if they weren’t regular varsity contributors last season.

The biggest boost could come from the middle school ranks. Freshmen Hunter Steencken — Parker’s younger brother — along with Memphis Kline and Kevin Lawfer, all excelled at the junior high level and could contribute immediately.

“All three ran middle school last year, and they’re jumping up to the high school level, but I think they’re going to make some noise,” Hascin said.

And yes, there’s a third Steencken brother — he’ll be in seventh grade this fall.

Girls: Experience and depth

The girls’ team returns with championship-level expectations. The squad went undefeated and claimed the Schuylkill League championship in 2024, losing only seniors Isabella Jones and Samantha Plasha.

“For the girls, we have a lot of returners,” Hascin said. “They’re kind of the opposite of the boys.”

Leading the way are three seniors — Ava Jones (Isabella’s younger sister), Mollie Walker and Cali Frantz — all of whom placed in the league last year and have postseason experience. Junior Madelyn Schaefer adds more veteran leadership.

The lineup will be strengthened by freshman Shaylee Gormley, moving up from the middle school program, and sophomore Millie Black, a multi-sport standout making her cross country debut.

“She’s one of our top basketball players. She’s a key volleyball player. She’s going to do both this year — volleyball and run — and I think she’s going to make a big difference on the team,” Hascin said of Black.

Summer success shows promise

Summer workouts have drawn impressive numbers. Despite being voluntary, Hascin has averaged close to 20 athletes at Wednesday long runs, with 18 showing up for the season’s longest — a seven-mile effort.

“They have a really strong base coming into the season on Monday,” Hascin said of the Aug. 11 practice start.

Perhaps the clearest sign of the program’s health is Saturday’s inaugural alumni run — a twist on the traditional time trial, inviting former Blue Raiders to run alongside current athletes.

“The coaches and I were talking, and we want to do a time trial to see where our kids stand starting the season, but we just wanted to give it a little twist and make it more fun,” Hascin said. “We’re going to try to bring as many people back as we can just for something fun.”

Managing expectations

The 2024 records show a program with championship pedigree. The boys went 15-1 and won the Schuylkill League title, while the girls posted a 14-1 mark and finished second in the league.

Those are big shoes to fill, especially for a boys’ team led by sophomores. But Hascin isn’t shying away from the challenge.

“That is really one of the things that’s been a transition over the last two years when they lost him (Kanger),” she said. “I’ve seen it already in the summer workouts — just last night we did a really hard run, and at the six-and-a-half-mile mark, we were running up a very steep hill in Tamaqua. I had some of my older girls and boys go back down the hill for the younger ones to push them and help them up. They’ve really embraced promoting teamwork.”

The Blue Raiders open with experienced girls looking to defend their league title and young boys eager to prove they can fill some very big spikes. Under Hascin’s leadership, both teams will be running toward the same goal — showing Tamaqua’s cross country tradition remains as strong as ever.

For a coach who once thought she wasn’t ready, Hascin sounds like she’s exactly where she belongs.