Ed Boardman took a step back from the outdoor season last year after leading the Herd through a hugely successful 15 years, but remains the Head Coach for Indoor Track & Field. As the outdoor Head Coach from 2008-2022 Coach Boardman added many years to the banners that hang in the High School Gymnasium. The banner that looms the largest being the Indoor Distance Medley Relay that won the NATIONAL Championship on March 10th, 2017. That night, at the Armory in New York City, Sam Affolder, Jared Griffie, Isaac Kole, and Noah Affolder broke the US National record for the event, last set in 2001; sixteen years prior. He also takes great pride in his milers’ dominance. For a HS boy to break into his top-5 at 1600, he would need to run 412 or faster. A HS girl would need to go 5:01 or faster. Many school records from around the state of PA would not even make his top-5. Not to mention that Noah Affolder’s 8:42.94 en route time is the fastest 3200 ever run in PA indoor history.
In his last stint as an Assistant Coach he spent 2004-2007 as the long distance coach at Shippensburg University during Spring Track seasons under the tutelage of Olympian and World Championships’ Bronze Medalist Steve Spence. During his four seasons of coaching at the collegiate level, his athletes claimed 22 PSAC places, including 5 individual Conference championships. He coached one All-American, Kelly Stewart, who placed 4th at NCAAs in the 10K and later qualified for the US Olympic Trials in 2008. Boardman attended Shippensburg University himself, was a varsity athlete throughout his four years of undergraduate study, and served as a team captain for both the cross country and track teams for the 1999-2000 season.
He works full-time for the Department of Defense in Mechanicsburg, Pa., where he is employed as a Financial Management Analyst. He also holds a Master's of Business Administration from Shippensburg University and used to even teach night classes at the University on the topics of Organizational Behavior and Strategic Business Management. He resides with his family in Shippensburg where his children are predominantly engaged in soccer, field hockey, and wrestling.
Boardman (Track & Field only) by the numbers:
7 Mid-Penn Commonwealth Division Team titles (3 Boys/4 Girls)
5 District III Team Championships (4 Boys/1 Girls)
1 State Team Championship-2017
2 State Team Runner’s-up-2014 (Outdoor) and 2017 (Indoor)
1 State 3rd place-2015
12- Individual/Event State Championships:
Ashley Corum at Triple Jump-2008, 2009, and 2010
Zach Brehm-800m in 2013, 1600m in 2014, and 3200m in 2015
-(Also the State Meet Record pre-Covid/new event order)
Deshawn Millington at Triple Jump in 2014
Isa Paschall at Triple Jump in 2015 (Indoor)
Isaac Kole at 1600 in 2017
Boys 4x800 in 2017 (Indoor)
Boys Distance Medley Relay-2017(Indoor)-Also the State Meet Record
Noah Affolder-Mile-2017 (Indoor)
Many State Medalists, and Many on to continue at Division I schools such as Penn State, University of Pittsburgh, University of Pennsylvania, Duquesne, University of Delaware, Liberty, University of South Carolina, Alabama, Duke, Miami, UNC, UNC-Wilmington, UMBC, Mount St. Mary’s, Oregon, BYU, University of Washington, Syracuse, VMI, American, William & Mary, and West Point.
D.J. Rodkey, who took over as the Head Coach of the Thundering Herd for Boys and Girls Outdoor Track & Field last season, joins the indoor track & field staff this year as a varsity assistant coach. Coach Rodkey is the Information Technology Teacher at Carlisle High School, entering his fourth year on the Thundering Herd coaching staff and his sixth year as a track & field coach. Prior to joining Carlisle, Coach Rodkey was the Head Cross Country Coach at Blairsville High School and an Assistant Varsity Track & Field Coach at Saltsburg High School, both of which have now merged to become River Valley High School. Rodkey has worked with multiple state qualifiers and medalists at Saltsburg and Carlisle, including 2018 state medalist Jenna Beitel. His most recent state medalist was Rhyan Mitchell, the 2022 District 3 Champion in the triple jump who also placed 6th at the PIAA State Championships and the prestigious Penn Relays that year. He has also had the privilege to be around some of Indiana County's hall-of-fame athletes and coaches including Angel Piccirillo and Rick Foust. Coach Rodkey has also had the privilege to work with several successful head coaches who became mentors to him including Ed Boardman (Carlisle), Michael Gentile (Homer-Center), Melissa Milanak (River Valley), Chris Matava (United), and Matt Rodkey (Homer-Center), his father.
Coach Rodkey has served as a PIAA Official for basketball, cross country, and track & field since the 2015-16 school year. Rodkey is a 2015 graduate of United High School and a 2018 graduate of the Indiana University of Pennsylvania where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Management Information Systems. Coach Rodkey also earned a Graduate Certificate in Sports Management from Liberty University in August 2022 and his USATF Level 1 Track & Field Coach Certification in March 2022. Rodkey specializes in jumps at Carlisle but also has experience coaching sprints and distance. Rodkey is also the founding advisor of Carlisle Esports where he serves as the General Manager. Additionally, he serves Carlisle as an Assistant Varsity Cross Country Coach and is also a volunteer Young Life Leader at Carlisle for South Central PA Young Life.
Coach Rodkey’s coaching philosophy and the RODKEY Rules are derived from his experience with his coaches while a student-athlete as well as from leadership studies during his courses at Liberty University which included leadership examples set by Vince Lombardi and John Wooden’s pyramid of greatness. Not every student-athlete may win, but everyone can improve. It is our goal as a coaching staff to help Carlisle student-athletes improve to go as far as they desire in athletics, academics, and life.
Dave Moore is entering his first season with Carlisle High School’s coaching staff. Prior to joining the Thundering Herd, Coach Moore spent 5 years (2015-2019) mentoring athletes in the middle- and long-distance events as an assistant coach for the men’s and women’s track & field and cross country teams at Penn State Harrisburg, working alongside then head coach Danielle Lynch to help take the track program off the ground through its inaugural NCAA seasons. While there, he was also a full-time faculty member in the college’s undergraduate Kinesiology program from 2016-2021. Many of his athletes achieved new personal bests, and his men’s squad continues to hold the top times for middle distance events in the program’s record books. Notable accolades also include coaching 800-meter runner, Joe Phifer, to become the program’s first indoor and outdoor ECAC DIII track and field championships qualifier and outdoor ECAC DIII medalist, with a qualifying and personal-best time of 1:53.00.
Before joining the PSU-Harrisburg coaching staff, Coach Moore served 4 years (2011-2014) as an assistant with the boys’ cross-country program at State College Area High School. While at State College, he, alongside then head coach Dave Felice and fellow assistant coach Rusty McCrea, helped guide the Little Lions to two (2013, 2014) PIAA District VI team victories, a Mid-Penn Conference tournament team championship (2013), as well as 4th (2013) and 11th (2014) place boys AAA team finishes at the PIAA state cross country championships.
Moore is a two-time graduate of Penn State University, earning his B.S. in Biology in 2007 and his Ph.D. in Physiology in 2014. While attending Penn State, he was member of the Triathlon Club before running his final 2 years with the cross country and track & field teams under the guidance and mentorship of the late, hall of fame coach, Harry Groves.
Tim Palmer joins the Thundering Herd Coaching Staff this season to assist with sprints. Coach Palmer graduated from Carlisle High School in 1986. During school those years, he participated in 4 varsity sports: one year in cross country, two in basketball, three in football, and four years in track & field. After graduation, he joined the (USAR) United States Army Reserves to stay actively fit. In 1992 he left the USAR, but still wanting to stay fit he participated in 5ks,10ks, half marathons, and directed a great team of people for a 5k run at the Hope Station in 2006. In 2007 he was employed with the West Shore YMCA where he received his personal training certification in March 2012. Then in the month of June 2012, he received his certification for R.I.P.P.E.D., and in 2013 received his certification for Body Pump. He taught Body Pump only at the Carlisle Family YMCA but taught R.I.P.P.E.D in the CFYMCA and at the WSY, Gold's Gym, Platinum Fitness, Carlisle Community Center, and in the Springtime on tennis court around Carlisle. Coach Palmer has always had a passion for the challenge to stay fit and to help those who have the same passion to stay fit and healthy while having fun. His saying is always "Feeling Fit Feels Good!!!"
Tyler Baitinger is entering his fourth year of coaching for the Thundering Herd Track and Field Program. Coach Baitinger volunteered the past tthree seasons and helped out mostly with the sprinters. Originally from South Jersey, Baitinger was a part of Clearview Regional's High School Track and Field program for 4 years (graduated in 2016). He went to West Chester University where he studied Sociology and Youth Empowerment (graduated 2020). During his last two years of college, he coached Track & Field for West Chester East High School. He has lived and coached in Carlisle ever since.
Hannah Cotton has lived in Carlisle the past three years working with Club Beyond, a military youth ministry, at the Carlisle Barracks. She ran Cross Country for a year at Covenant College before transferring to Messiah College where she graduated from in 2020. She loves running and is currently training for an ultra and is excited to be volunteering with the Track and Field Team. Other than running, Hannah loves all things outdoors, reading, and walking alongside students through her work and volunteering with Young Life.