In a surprise announcement, Al Fricke announced his retirement from coaching the Hershey High School Cross Country team on Wednesday, November 6.

Fricke announced his retirement at the end-of-season banquet at the Englewood Hershey.

Fricke began coaching the cross-country team in 1977. He said he took over the role to ensure the Derry Township School District didn’t cut the team.

Fricke steps away from a very successful program. On the boys’ side, they have won 24 Mid-Penn Keystone Division titles—including the past five consecutively— six Mid-Penn Conference titles, two PIAA District III titles, and, in 1990, the PIAA AA Boys Team Championship. The girls have been similarly dominant with 29 Mid-Penn Keystone Division titles—including the past ten consecutively— three Mid-Penn Conference titles and three PIAA District III titles.

Additionally, his runners have earned many medals, including 25 PIAA State Championship medalists. This season, Hershey had two runners earn PIAA State Championship medals for the first time: Vinay Raman earned 3rd and Jacob Abraham 12th.

Fricke estimated he had coached 2,300 runners in his 48 years leading the Trojans.

The Hershey Cross Country team has had five coaches since it first started in 1964 and the longest tenured by far. The next closest is the Hershey Hall of Fame member A.O. Britain who coached from 1965 to 1971. Fricke has coached 80 percent of the sixty seasons Hershey has competed in cross country.

Fricke was inducted into the Hershey Athletic Hall of Fame in 2013, a member of the Central Chapter of the PA Sports Hall of Fame, and a member of the Capital Area Chapter of the PA Sports Hall of Fame. Fricke was also the head baseball coach from 2002-2010.

He said his plans for life after coaching would include a vacation with his wife, Carol, and “working on my golf game.”

Rob Sterner is an assistant coach for the Hershey’s Cross Country team.