Medina native coaches track teams to state title in Nevada

Troy Callard has recently moved back to the area after building sports program for school in Reno

Provided photos: Troy Callard, a 2001 graduate of Medina High School, waves the trophies his boys’ and girls’ track teams at Coral Academy of Science in Reno won as State Champions.

LYNDONVILLE – A Lyndonville resident and graduate of Medina High School is sharing a story of success on how he helped build a state champion athletics program at a charter school.

Troy Callard is a son of David and Nelda Callard of Medina and 2001 graduate of Medina High School. After earning a bachelor’s degree in education at SUNY Cortland and his master’s in adapted physical education at Brockport, he learned from a friend in Reno in 2013 about an opening at the Coral Academy of Science a charter school with an enrollment of about 300.

Callard sent in his resume on Thursday, got a call on Friday setting up an interview on Monday and was hired the next day. He left New York on a Thursday, got to Reno on Sunday and started work on Monday.

He soon learned the charter school didn’t have any sports programs. Having played soccer in the fall, swimming in the winter and track and field in the spring while in Medina High School, he knew the excitement of playing sports, and contacted the National Interscholastic Athletic Association.

“I got approval in 2017 and started with track,” Callard said. “The kids were excited to have sports. Before the pandemic hit, our sports program was growing and we were having some success.”

Medina native Troy Callard and members of his girls’ and boys’ track teams at Coral Academy of Science in Reno celebrate after being named State Champions for 2023-24. Callard and his wife have recently moved back home to be near their families

Callard would start boys’ and girls’ track and boys’ and girls’ basketball teams. They competed in three sports seasons – cross country in the fall, basketball in winter and track in the spring. As everything got back to normal after the pandemic, they climbed in the rankings, winning Regional titles in 2022, 23 and 24. Then the boys and girls track teams this spring both won the State Championships in their sport.

At home, Callard and his wife Tanya, also a Medina native, had been talking about moving back to Western New York.

“Tanya had just finished her bachelor’s degree at the University of Nevada at Reno and wanted to do her master’s at the University of Buffalo,” Callard said. “Being closer to family became very important after the pandemic, and just made sense.”

They returned home this summer and settled in Lyndonville. While Tanya goes to college, Troy is working with a friend who installs security equipment.

“It’s definitely a slower pace of life than the city,” he said.