Track and field gets new head coach

Wes Icard is the new Trojans track coach. He will be taking over for Ed Kirkwood, who was made Trojans athletic director at the end of last year.

Kirkwood was an assistant track coach for two years and head track coach for two years.

Under Kirkwood the girls and the boys won divisional titles in 2013 and in 2014. Also the girls were state runner- ups in 2013.

Kirkwood said he is excited to see Icard take over the team.

“Wes is extremely energetic and is a good coach,” Kirkwood said. “He has a good understanding of proper conditioning and training with his soccer background. With the staff that we have in place, I feel the new head coach transition will be fine.”

Icard is not new to coaching, at the beginning of the year he was the head junior varsity soccer coach. He will take over the varsity soccer team next season.

Icard played for Pahrump Valley Trojans and graduated in 2005. He played for Chris Johnson, who coached at Pahrump from 2004 until 2008.

Under Johnson the team went to the state semifinal game in 2004 and to the state title game in 2005. Icard played for both teams. He said he has been playing the game for 22 years and he continued playing in Europe after high school.

Icard was the offensive player of the year for the Trojans in the 2004 soccer season. He spoke about his experiences playing soccer in Germany at the beginning of soccer season.

“I learned Germans play a very technical game. So I have learned to slow down a bit. American style is pretty much go, go, go — attack, whereas Germans like to go really slow and then open it up,” he said.

He said he was excited about taking over the track team. They just had their first official track practice last Saturday. The team has close to 70 students showing up for practice.

“I walked into the athletic office to talk about soccer and found myself talking about coaching track,” he said. “I really didn’t have to think about it too long. I am still coaching soccer but I will be able to adjust my schedule and I am really looking forward to this opportunity.”

He said his assistants will be Jill Harris coaching hurdles, Dante Smith coaching sprints, Craig Rieger coaching long distance and Eric Kunzi coaching throws. Jason Varaghese will also be helping with distance and John Toomer will be helping with sprinters and field events.

The first track meet is coming up next week at Cheyenne at 3:30 p.m. for the Newcomers meet.