About the Coaches

Nick Darr is our sprint coach and Interim Head Track & Field Coach. He was an assistant track coach at Gettysburg High School for 3 years. One year as the boy's throws coach and two years as the boys and girls' sprint and hurdles coach. At Gettysburg, he coached one District III 400m medalist and state qualifier in 2023. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning coach and ran sports performance programs at Gettysburg HS and Freedom HS before becoming a Health and Physical Education Teacher at Liberty.

Joe Spang previously coached from 2003 to 2009 and has been teaching at Liberty for 22 years. As a coach, he saw multiple athletes qualify for state meets and oversaw four school record-holders. A 1996 graduate of Liberty, Joe competed in the Long Jump and Triple Jump and was a member of the then-school record-holding 4x100 team in 1993.  

Spang was a 4-year starter as wide receiver for Lycoming College and was a member of the school’s national runner-up team in 1997, which appeared in the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl.  In addition, Spang coaches cross country at Nitschmann Middle School.

Rachel Byrne is an assistant distance coach and a 2019 graduate of Liberty, where she competed in multiple state championship meets. As an athlete at Moravian, Byrne was a national qualifier in the 4 x 100m relay and still holds four Moravian University records. Byrne is also an assistant coach for cross country at Liberty HS.

Christa Sharrer is an assistant distance coach and a former Division I runner at LaSalle University, where she was a nationally ranked distance runner and Olympic Trials qualifier. As a high school athlete, Sharrer was PIAA Cross Country state runner-up in 2003 and PIAA Champion in the 3200m. Sharrer is also an assistant cross-country coach at Liberty High School.

Cassie Ciciliot-Laudenslager is our head throwing coach. Also a social studies teacher at Liberty, Ciciliot-Laudenslager was a former district champion in the discus while competing for Parkland. In just her first year, one athlete was crowned EPC Champion in the girls discus.

Robin Hochella joined the track staff in 2025 and will be working with our throwers. In addition to serving with the track team, she is a Liberty girl's soccer team coach.