Longtime teacher and track coach retires

CHENEY – After 36 years of teaching and 30-plus years coaching track and field, Tom Stralser is retiring.

"It's been quite a journey," Stralser said. "I came to Cheney High School (CHS) in 1990 and started coaching in 1992. Before that I was a teacher and the head boys and girls track coach at Riverside High School."

Stralser taught biology at both institutions and was the 1994 Washington State Biology Teacher of the Year.

He began his coaching stint at CHS as an assistant for sprints, hurdles and pole vault. When storied Blackhawks girls track coach Joan Hisaw retired in 1987, Stralser took over the helm.

"She was the quintessential recruiter-she could sell a freezer in January to someone who lived north of the Arctic Circle," Stralser said. "The kids loved her. The program exploded after she and Todd Herring were hired. So it was easy for me to take over as head girls coach because of what she had built."

Stralser led the girls' program through the 2017-18 season. And although the girls never won a state championship under his watch, Stralser said his squad did have two or three top-four finishes. He did have two pole vaulters who achieved much success under his tutelage.

"I had a pretty good athlete in Sophie Van Worner who was a state championship the year before COVID-she was something special. We were expecting her to repeat-I think she could've cleared thirteen feet. She later went on to compete for WSU for a couple of years," Stralser said. "Erin Clark was the first girl I coached to vault over 12 feet. She was a state placer and a Big Sky Champion at Eastern. She cleared 13'7-that's a big-time jump."

Stralser retired from teaching in 2016.

"I gave up the head coaching job a year later because I found it more difficult than it needed to be out of the building-I'm old school-I think you're more effective if you are in the building," Stralser said. "You're able to put out fires quicker and take care of other things that are happening faster than if you are out of the building."

After Coach Herring left Derek Slaughter was brought on board a year later to oversee the entire program.

"He (Slaughter) is the male counterpart of Joan Hisaw," Stralser said. "With Derek as the head coach, there's no doubt in my mind the Cheney program will compete at the level that we've had it in the past-be in contention for state championships."

Slaughter had high praise for Stralser too.

"Tom was instrumental in two different track programs in his 30-year coaching career. He started his coaching career and Riverside High School and helped build that program to the prominence it carries today, Slaughter said. "Once Tom made it to Cheney, he began to change students' lives by being a pole vault and later a head coach to the girls' team. He also coached his children to succeed in the sport he loved.

"Tom was involved with many state placers, school record holders and state championships in 2017-18. Each time there was a league meet he would talk about the scoring down to the point and what each athlete was capable of doing. Cheney is losing a huge part of their success and history with his retirement from this amazing sport."

Stralser plans to spend a lot of time fly fishing in his retirement. He'll also hang out at track practice every once in a while.

Looking back, Stralser said teaching and coaching at CHS after leaving Riverside High was the best choice he could've made.

"You couldn't have scripted my experience any better," he said. "This was my dream job-I knew I would be here until the day I retired."