SPORTS HALL of FAME COACH
Stephen 'Spike' Pananya

Since when does a volunteer coach rank so highly on the list of eligible nominees for the Sidney Alumni Sports Hall of Fame? Since this volunteer coach has helped produce SIX New York State Public High School field event jumping champions - that's when!

Stephen "Spike" Paranya has a resume which centers around two distinct loves and successes. One is well-known, his love for education. The other is not as well-known, his love of track and field, Both parlayed nicely into his work in the Sidney Central School system and its perennially strong track & field program.

Spike's accomplishments at Lexington High School in Massachusetts reflect the same two avenues as mentioned above. He was President of his school's National Honor Society and Student Council. In track & field, he won two state championships in 1956 - 880 yard run and long jump- in his enrollment class.

That fall, during a stellar senior year, Spike set Massachusetts records for Cross Country, which was followed by similar results in the 1000 yard (indoors) and 880 yard (outdoor) runs. In fact, the 880 time he recorded was the fifth fastest by an American scholastic runner in the country!

At Wesleyan University, Spike continued in track, concentrating on middle distances. There, he won the ICAAAA mile run both indoors and outdoors. and at the NCAA meet his junior vear ran to a 7th place finish in the 1500, followed by an even better 5th place standing in the mile.

Track stayed a constant even during his 3 years in the Marine Corps (1961-64) where he attained the rank of Lieutenant and got his first experience as an administrative coach in 1964.

Let's fast-forward through his years of teaching science in high school and college. earning his Master's from Harvard ('66), a Doctorate from U-Mass ('74) and an initial principal's job in New Hampshire. That brings us to 1979. when Dr. Paranva became a fixture at all three elementary schools in the Sidney district.

How it took Douq Quinnev (HOF'04) six years to convince this track and field dynamo to climb aboard full-time is-unclear;by 1986, the connection was indeed made to make Spike an offirial volunteer jumping coach! He blended with several other gentlemen - Bill Munro, Mark Hinsch, John Cappello, and Larry Armour (HOF'08)-to elevate the high jumpers and to insnire the long and triple jumpers to take off. [Yes. puns intended.]

Here is more you need to know from the perspective of Spike's coaching. Eleven times, Sidney jumpers won Section IV titles. Ten consecutive revisions of the section's indoor and outdoor high jump records came from Sldney Student-athletes! State Champions in this event were:Bonnie Shoemaker(HOF '04) in 1992, Adam Farrell in 2002, and Amanda Haney in consecutive seasons of 2003 and 2004.

Spike was part of a decicated group who believed in the track and field program and believed in its student-athletes. Reflective of that, all teams during the years Doug Quinney was the head varsity coach for both genders and both seasons earned New York State Public High School Scholar-Athlete Awards, emblematic of a 90+ GPA bt team.

From the age of nine, Stephen "Spike" Paranya was addicted to track and field, based on a visit to the Boston Garden to watch a track meet. There are dozens of current and former Sidney tracksters who sure are grateful he brought that love to Sidney.

On theit behalf and all who are in attendance tonight, we congratulate Spike Paranya as he joins his son Karl (HOF 06) in the Sidney Alumni Sports Hall of Fame.