Frank Sirianni

Class of 1956

Official - Track

Inducted: 2009

When it comes to girls track and cross-country in Ocean County, and for that matter, the state, the name of Frank Sirianni is synonymous.

Sirianni, was a senior English teacher at Toms River High School South, when he became the pioneer in the success of the girls running programs. During his years at Long Branch High School, Mr Sirianni participated in track, cross country, basketball, soccer, and baseball.

Mr Sirianni began his career in Toms River in 1970. The former University of North Carolina track and cross-country star retired from active coaching in 1988 after serving for 26 years, 13 of them as head coach of the Toms River South girls cross-country team. Sirianni launched his coaching career by starting the boys and girls interscholastic track program and Invitational state meet at the intermediate level in Toms River. His teams went eight years before losing a meat.

The running enthusiasts served as one of the five members of the New Jersey State interscholastic athletic association State winter track committee and was also a member of the track and field officials Association and the New Jersey track coaches association. In 1985 he was selected as the outstanding track coach by the NJSIAA . In March 1987, he was also involved as a certifier of times at the Eastern championships at Harvard University. Sirianni's first influence on the girls program began in 1976 when he successfully petitioned the shore conference executive committee to establish separate boys and girls Shore Conference track and field meets. In 1978 Sirianni initiated the NJSIAA girls state championships, which are conducted in February at Princeton University. In 1980 at the persistent request of Sirianni, separate boys and girls state relays were run at Princeton. The state relays now have four individual groupings involving 200 schools.