April 6, 2009

Winston-Salem, NC-The Salem College Athletic Department is pleased to announce the hiring of Shawn Marek as the new Head Cross Country Coach.  Marek has been involved as an athlete and coach in Cross Country and Track and Field for almost 20 years.  He attended Saint Bonaventure University, in Olean, New York, majored in Physical Education, and ran four years as an NCAA Division I athlete in the Atlantic 10 Conference. 

Since his college career, Marek has completed three marathons, twice qualifying for the Boston Marathon in the fastest time bracket. Currently, Marek teaches Physical Education at Latham Elementary in downtown Winston-Salem. Marek also has his Masters Degree in Sport Administration from Canisius College, and is a USA Track and Field Certified Coach.

Most recently, Marek was the Assistant Coach for the Varsity Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field teams at Cheektowaga Central in Buffalo, NY.  During his tenure, he coached various athletes to extensive personal improvements in order to qualify for Section 6 and even New York State Championships.  He also coached Varsity Outdoor Track and Field in the Manchester-Shortsville Central School District, in Manchester, New York.

He will be joined by his wife, Janele Marek, who will become the new Salem Assistant Cross Country Coach. She has been involved as an athlete in Cross Country and Track and Field for almost 20 years. While at Kutztown University, a NCAA Division II institution in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, Marek competed for four years on the Varsity Cross Country, Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field teams, in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference. She was a school record holder on the Indoor 4x800 and Distance Medley relay teams, an All-ECAC (Eastern College Athletic Conference) performer in the 4x800, and a member of the 1997 and 2000 PSAC Outdoor Track and Field Championship Teams.