By Tim Fulton

Walter Hall is a quiet gentleman, and a giant of a coach. He has spent 45 years at Mt. Vernon High School guiding thousands of young women to amazing accomplishments.  He started in 1971 under the legendary Mt. Vernon coach Bob Brook as a boys’ assistant coach and then helped start the girls’ track team in 1972 as head coach. He has coached the girls ever since.

In that time Hall has coached 184 NYS Section 1 individual champions and has won 20 team Sectional titles. His league stopped dual meets in 2004; he finished with a record of 153-15. Most of those years he was coaching against Hall of Fame Coach Andy Capellan of New Rochelle.  If not, those numbers would be even more impressive.

Hall has coached 29 state champions (11 indoors, 18 outdoors), in the 100, 200, 300, 1,500, 3,000, 55 hurdles, 100 hurdles, 400 hurdles, high jump, triple jump, long jump and all three relays.  His teams have qualified for the Penn Relays Championship of America in the 4x1 (2012), 4x4 (1987) and 4x8 (1981, 1987).

Mt. Vernon’s indoor school records are remarkable.  Stars include Tanaya Yarde (6.78 55m), Christyna Faulkner (7.96 55H), Lexus Harney (13.9h 100H) Sasha Gay Richards (11.6 100m), Deajah Stevens (24.19 200) and Breanda Crump (1:32.14 600).  Desiree Scott ran 4:34.1 in the 1,500 and 17:00 for 5K in 1982.  Shannaine Osbourne (19-07.75- LJ), Zakiah Modeste (40-6 TJ) and Magon Moncrieffe (5-10 HJ) hold the jumps school records.  Moncrieffe was 1994 indoor National Scholastic champion.

Coach Hall is also known for putting together great relay teams. Indoors his girls have run 1:40.56 and 3:51.01 for the 4x2 and 4x4. Outdoors they have gone 46.65 (4x1), 1:39.33 (4x2), 4:02.8’ (SMR) and 3:46.70 (4x4). 

He has also served as Section 1 outdoor track & field coordinator for more than 25 years where his quiet grace have helped Section 1 teams thrive at the state championships.

Hall, along with the seven coaches listed below will be inducted into the Armory Coaches Hall of Fame during the AT&T Coaches Hall of Fame Invitational on December 17, 2016.

2016 Armory Coaches Hall of Fame Inductees

Phyllis Anderson – A Philip Randolph (NY)

George Febles – Fordham Prep (NY)

Tom Heath – Christian Brothers (NJ)

Tim Hickey – Philadelphia, (PA)

Dennis Kornfield – Uniondale (NY)

Mark Mendes – Stuyvesant (NY)

Lisa Morgan  – Columbia (NJ)

“Each of these coaches have shown exemplary leadership and through their support have helped countless student-athletes achieve their dreams on and off the track,” said Dr. Norbert Sander, President of the Armory Foundation. 

The Armory will post a bio for each of this year’s inductees to the AT&T Coaches Hall of Fame meet page.

The induction ceremony will take place at the center of the Armory oval on December 17, 2016 at 12:30 p.m. and be broadcasted live via RunnerSpace +Plus along with the rest of the day’s competitions. 

This will be the second edition of the AT&T Coaches Hall of Fame Invitational, which last year attracted more than 3,000 athletes from 133 schools across the Northeast. 

Like last year, athletes will compete in varsity, freshman/sophomore, and small and large school divisions. Schools with less than 525 boys or girls in grades 9-11 will compete in the small schools division. Each athlete will be allowed to compete in three events and there will be no limit on the number of team entries per event. 

The Winner of the AT&T Coaches Hall of Fame Invitational boys and girls miles will receive an invitation to the 110^th NYRR Millrose Games High School mile if they have broken 4:20/5:00 at some point in their career as of January 24, 2016. Otherwise those invitations become “at large” bids.

Admission: adults $10, students $5, and children under 3 feet 6 inches are free. 

Visit the AT&T Coaches Hall of Fame meet page HERE.

Current Armory Coaches Hall of Fame Members are:  Joe Biddy – Suffern (NY), Steve Borbet – Bay Shore (NY), Ed Bowes  - Bishop Loughlin (NY), Andy Capellan – New Rochelle (NY), Bill Carriero– Chaminade (NY), Shaun Dietz  - Medger Evers (NY), Mike Glynn – Ridgewood (NJ), Jimmy Jackson – Boys & Girls (NY), Art Kranick – Saratoga Springs (NY), Linda Kranick – Saratoga Springs (NY), Jim Mitchell – Bronxville (NY) and Nicola Martial – Medger Evers (NY).