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NORFOLK — For more than three decades, Blair Kalin has been spotted coaching track and field each spring around Northeast Nebraska.
But a successful career that has solely been associated with the town of Hartington had humble beginnings.
“I started coaching track at Hartington High School in 1991, and we didn’t have very many kids out,” said Kalin, who got interested in coaching as a pole vaulter at Coleridge High School. “I think we had a total of eight or nine kids out, girls and boys.
“We had to get the kids interested, and we had some kids who bought in. Our numbers started increasing, and we got better as a team.”
Kalin’s teams got a lot, lot better. He led the Hartington boys to a Class D state title in 2013, their first since 1948. A second boys championship came in Class C in 2018 for Kalin, who then was coaching the Hartington-Newcastle consolidation.
“It’s been a very rewarding sport,” Kalin said. “You watch kids develop and improve as they come in as freshmen and during their sophomore years.”
For his dedication and success, Kalin has been selected as the 2025 winner of the Northeast Nebraska Track and Field Achievement Award.
Each year in conjunction with the Norfolk Classic, the annual award is given to recognize an individual from Northeast Nebraska who has dedicated part of his or her life to the development, expansion and improvement of track and field.
Kalin’s pitch to high school athletes in an attempt to boost his inaugural small roster isn’t any different from what he says to today’s potential track and field participants.
“The thing about track is there are so many different events, and you have to find where kids can perform at their best,” Kalin said. “You’ve got to motivate them and encourage them that it helps with their other sports as well. You’ve got to find kids that are willing to perform and try different things.”
After spending more than 30 years at Hartington and Hartington-Newcastle, Kalin moved across the street and is in his second season coaching at Cedar Catholic.
For Kalin, coaching track and field in the community of Hartington has been a perfect fit.
“I’ve enjoyed the community. There are a lot of hard-working people in this community,” he said. “I get along with the community members.
“Another thing that’s helped track up here is we built a sports complex several years ago. That’s really helped the sport improve in the town of Hartington to have a track to work out on and to have a lot of track meets in Hartington.”
Among Kalin’s fondest career memories is the 2013 state title. Hartington was in fifth place after the first day, 8.5 points out of the lead. But it surged to the title on the second day, securing the championship trophy in the final event, the 4x400 relay.
“On the first day of that state track meet, we didn’t perform at our best,” Kalin said. “On the second day, we regrouped and scored well.”
With the 2018 title came an award as the Nebraska Coaches Association Hudl coach of the year for boys track.
Kalin enjoys the mental aspect of coaching when it comes to the state track and field meet.
“You’ve got to try to find out what the other teams have and figure out where you can score your best,” he said. “It becomes kind of a chess match to see where your kids will actually score the most points. That’s something we’ve always tried to do and have kids willing to try other events.”
Kalin’s teams have won 12 district championships, six district runner-up finishes, seven Lewis & Clark conference championships and five conference runner-up finishes.
What has kept Kalin coaching track and field for 34 years?
“You’ve got to love the sport, and I love the sport of track and field,” he said. “You have to have good people around you. I’ve had tremendous assistant coaches over the years when I was at Hartington and Hartington-Newcastle, and I have tremendous coaches here at Cedar Catholic,” he said. “That’s a key, but to watch those kids develop, improve and get personal bests throughout the year is rewarding as a coach.”
