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Wachtel to coach PHCC

Former River Ridge standout will lead the school's first team.

NEW PORT RICHEY - One of the county's most prominent distance runners will lead the state's first junior college women's cross country program.

Jacki Wachtel, a standout runner at River Ridge and Ohio University, will coach Pasco-Hernando Community College's inaugural team. She accepted the $6,000 part-time post Wednesday.

"You can't find a more high quality person who has done what a student-athlete strives for," PHCC athletic director Bobby Bowman said. "She's super-enthusiastic about this. It's obviously going to be a big plus for us."

Wachtel, 26, coached cross country and track at Mitchell, where she teaches math. She was out of town Thursday and could not be reached for comment.

An avid runner who earlier this month won the women's 5-kilometer race in the Citrus Summer Showdown, Wachtel will lead by example. She has run triathlons and marathons, including the Chicago Marathon with PHCC baseball coach Steve Winterling the past two years.

"She's my marathon partner, but I can't keep up with her," Winterling said. "She runs too fast."

Wachtel also ran with Winterling's daughter, 23-year-old Dawn Johnston, when the two attended River Ridge.

"She used to live close to (PHCC's campus off Ridge Road) and run around the ball fields so many times it was unbelievable," said Winterling, who recommended Wachtel to apply for the position. "I was always watching Jacki run and dominate everyone."

Formerly Jacki Waller, she was a four-time Sunshine Athletic Conference cross country champion at River Ridge. A 2001 Ohio graduate, Wachtel was a four-time all-Mid-American Conference runner and made the all-MAC academic team four times.

PHCC swapped women's sports, ending a seven-year run of tennis this month and adding cross country. Though there are no other junior college women's teams, Bowman said PHCC will compete in open invitationals in Florida and schedule out-of-state meets against junior colleges.

"I've been preaching cross country here for years," said Winterling, PHCC's only baseball coach in 14 seasons. "I think it's going to be an up-and-coming sport. And Jacki, she's an inspiration to the girls."

Bowman said there are 10 scholarships available and tryouts will soon be scheduled. Interested runners should contact Wachtel at (727) 816-3379.