Former Cross Country McInerney Honored

CHARLESTON, Ill. – Even in his most modest moment, John McInerney cannot deny this: He can whistle loudly.

"I don't know if our kids respond but they can hear it," he said with a laugh. "I think it's more for me to get rid of some nervous energy. Some kids along the trail might hear it."

Others have recognized that McInerney can do much more than whistle in the midst of cheers from spectators.

The former Eastern Illinois coach and current volunteer assistant at Charleston High School has been chosen for the Illinois Track and Cross Country Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

"I shouldn't say it's about time but it's very deserving," said Tom Woodall, a Hall of Famer who was McInerney's coach at Eastern Illinois. "As a runner he was very hard-working and so unselfish. The team always came first."

An All-American runner for EIU's 1977 NCAA Division II national championship team coached by Woodall, McInerney later became the Panthers' coach winning five Ohio Valley Conference championships in a seven-year span and also serving as a distance coach for EIU track teams that won 13 OVC titles in indoor and outdoor track.

"When he stopped coaching at Eastern it was for good reason," Woodall said. "His boys were growing up and he wanted to watch them. His decision to do that was a good one but it's too bad for Eastern."

Actually, it was Charleston High School's gain.

Derrick Landrus, a former EIU basketball standout who was the Charleston High School cross country coach, asked McInerney to help with the team when McInerney's son Riley got into high school.

Landrus did that despite some wondering if he should be intimidated or threatened by an assistant with more distance running experience.

"I said 'I'm not dumb. I want to win,' " Landrus said.

"He's meant a lot to the program for sure. Even more so he is just a great person. I think I was doing a pretty good job before he came but hopefully now I've learned some things from him I can use when he's not doing this."

Also helping in track, McInerney last spring got to enjoy watching Riley win the IHSA Class 2A state championship in the 3,200 meters, a victory the father says was more of his son's doing but maybe an accomplishment that helped with this Hall of Fame honor.

"Helping out at Charleston High School the four years and Riley's success didn't hurt even though I didn't have much to do with that," John McInerney said. "With a good runner you just try not to mess him up."

Others have also succeeded with this coach who simply claims to have not messed them up with Todd Moroney in 1997 and Jason Bialka in 2001 and '02 as NCAA cross country national qualifiers under McInerney.

McInerney credits some of his coaches from his running days including a football turned cross country coach at Crystal Lake.

"Bill Hutchinson played for Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl as a blocking back," McInerney said. "He got out of football coaching and coached cross country. He didn't know a lot about cross country but was just a great coach. He cared about the kids. The same way in track we had some coaches who really made it fun."

Walt Scott and Dan Bolin were among those coaches of influence.

"And then coming to Eastern with Tom Woodall, that obviously was huge with the team aspect," McInerney said. "He taught me so much and that sure made a difference."

Now McInerney has been helping at Charleston High School for free which has its advantages including flexibility to miss some activities in order to both watch Riley run for Eastern Illinois as a freshman and also his younger son Colin play football this year when switching fall sports at Charleston.

"I've got some freedom and flexibility to do that," McInerney said. "Now with Colin playing baseball and Riley running at Eastern. I told Chad (Miller, Charleston's track coach) I would be there when I can. It is kind of nice being a volunteer."

Of course, being a Hall of Famer is nice as well adding this ITCCA honor to earlier being named to the EIU Hall of Fame.

"I'm humbled by it," McInerney said. "Kind of like when I went into the Eastern Hall of Fame, I think of a lot of others more deserving."

Leave it to others to note how McInerney well belongs among those to be inducted into the state association's Hall of Fame on Jan. 11 at Oak Park.

"I'm so thankful he came to Eastern and for the way he has conducted himself as a coach and a mentor to people," Woodall said. "I have a feeling he will have a lot of people attending to see him."