Amy Posner Wolff
Track & Field Head Coach
I am very excited to start coaching my 22nd season, 2nd as co-head, for MIHS Track & Field. I am a local girl, who graduated from Lake Washington High School where my coach Roger recently retired. My senior year he said something that changed my life, “When you run in college…” Up until that point I had never considered running at the next level. He encouraged me to walk on the University of Washington track team where I ran the 400m Hurdles. I cannot imagine a spring without track in my life. I coach because of Roger.
After completing my Masters in Physical Ed/Sports Admin at Seattle Pacific University, I became the Recreation Director at the Bellevue Club. In 2001 I missed being part of a track program, so I reached out to local high schools. Mercer Island was the only one hiring. Fast forward, I ended up moving to MI, having three kids, and falling in love with the community. Pre-covid I managed the MI Orangetheory, where I currently coach classes a few days a week (come take my class:)
What I love about high school track & field is there is something for everyone at every level. As long as students commit, and work hard, they will improve their times/distances/heights. In doing so, they learn about being part of a team, work ethic, and new skills. There is no app for that. To me, That’s winning!
Stacy Edwards
Track & Field Head Coach
Stacy is in his sixth season with the Mercer Island Track program and his tenth year with MIHS Athletics. Stacy is currently and assistant coach with the Mercer Island Boys Basketball team and spent six years coaching in the Girls program. Prior to joining Mercer Island athletics, Stacy coached multiple sports at the middle and high school levels, in addition to high level football coaching at the University of Montana and various Arena Football teams across the country.
Stacy has extensive athletic experience, competing in high school basketball, football, and track and field at Pasco High School. After high school, he went on to compete in track & field and play football collegiately at The University of Montana. After college, Stacy played professional football in the CFL, AFL and IFL. He also has extensive officiating experience in both basketball and football.
Stacy states his coaching philosophy as: An athlete′s character is more important than their talent! My goal is to create well-rounded players on the court, field and track as well as in the community and classroom. I strive to enhance the talents and confidence of my players, while developing their leadership skills, self-discipline, and work ethic.
Mike Grady
Pole Vault Coach
Michael is a former Councilmember for Mercer Island, where his focus was on sustainability and parks and recreation issues. He is the founder Éireann Emerald Solutions, which works with Tribal Governments and First Nations to develop clean energy and green infrastructure.
He has a diverse sports background. In high school, he played football and basketball and ran track, high jumped and pole vaulted. In college he continued to pole vault, but also played rugby. His junior year he tried out for the U.S. Luge Team and continued with luge when he was a pilot in the Air Force.
Michael is the proud father of 5 children and actively volunteers and coaches for local schools, churches, the YMCA and the Boys and Girls Club. He continues to run and pole vault in local masters’ meets and can be seen after a good snow storm luging with the neighborhood kids on the icy hills and roads of south Mercer Island!
John Janusson
Shot Put & Discus Coach
John is excited to join the Track and Field staff as a Throws coach – focusing on the shot put and discus.
As an athlete, John was a successful age class competitor in Canada. He was the Canadian National Champion U16 in Shot Put, three year Alberta High School Provincial Shot Put Champion and 10 time Alberta Club Provincial champion. He attended the University of Calgary on athletic scholarship, but retired from the sport to focus on an engineering career.
He lives on Mercer Island and is the proud father of two girls in MISD. He has worked for many years as an engineering manager in tech, leading large teams of engineers to build technology such as consumer electronics and drone delivery services. He used many lessons learned from sport to develop his engineering teams, now hopes to return some of his leadership experience back to sport.
John believes the coach should identify the goals of the athlete and help them achieve that goal. Some athletes may be very focused on performance and achievement, while others may be looking to get involved in a fun activity. The challenge is to create a fun, inclusive environment for all, but also enough challenge and support to achieve performance goals.
Victor Yan
Pole Vault Coach
Victor recently moved to Mercer Island from the SF Bay Area, and is excited to help out the MIHS track and field team as a volunteer pole vault coach! Victor has previously worked with local high schools in California, in the horizontal jumps and pole vault.
As an athlete, he has been a part of the track team (primarily as a pole vaulter) from middle school through college. Career accomplishments include making the state meet his senior year of high school, and being voted as team captain his senior year at Carnegie Mellon University. As a coach, Victor focuses on developing proper form and technique to mitigate athlete injury, as well as making sure the kids are having a good time!
Susan Empey
Long Distance Coach
Susan Empey joined MIHS as a cross country assistant coach in 2017 and became the head coach in 2018. She has coached the distance track events since 2018, coaching several athletes to KingCo, District and State championships plus many top-10 State finishes.
While not a runner in high school she competed at the state level in swimming all four years at Kennedy High School but fell in love with running while a student at Santa Clara University. After eventually returning to Washington state she began running more competitively and qualified twice for the Olympic Trials in the marathon and won several national masters titles in XC, track and road racing. She also qualified twice for the Age-Group World Championships in the ½ Ironman distance.
Susan’s two children, Megan and Peter, graduated from MIHS and she and her husband, Gordon, happily still live on Mercer Island.
Nicole Nelson
Sprints & Jumps Coach
Coach Nicole has been coaching the jumps (high, triple, and long) at MIHS for over 10 years. She competed in track and field, soccer, and basketball in high school and went on to play soccer for Willamette University. Nicole is a Doctor of Physical Therapy with board certification as a Sports Clinical Specialist, and she currently focuses on pediatrics. She and her MIHS alum husband Adam have three children. Nicole loves being part of the MIHS track and field team and is looking forward to a full length season this year!
Piper Casey
Sprints & Jumps Coach
After volunteer coaching last year, Piper is back this season as an Assistant Coach. Piper graduated MIHS in 2016 and as a former track athlete, she broke the school record with her 4×400 team, winning the state title. Her favorite events are the 200, 400, relays, long jump and triple jump! She recently graduated from the School of Public Health at the University of Washington, works for Ridwell, and is currently training for her next marathon!
Enrique Hernandez
Shot Put & Discus Coach
Enrique is a first-year coach, eager to begin working alongside the Mercer Island High School Track and Field Team. I am currently wrapping up a M.A. program to be certified in Secondary high school ELA. I was lucky to be chosen to be a student teacher in the MIHS English Department at the beginning of the school year up until Thanksgiving break of 2022. Shortly after that I began subbing in all departments for the high school eventually leading to a long-term subbing position as the Security Liaison for MIHS
I graduated from Mount Vernon high school, where I ran the 4×100 relay, participated in long jump, and shot put. I was not a competitive athlete beyond high school but chose to participate in many sports throughout my high school career for the provided structure, friendships, and life lessons my coaches were able to instill.
One of the goals I have for my time as a coach is to inspire young leaders and athletes to create healthy habits that set them up for long term success. Taking small steps that are practical and approachable ending with the student’s goals achieved or new PR’s met. Often, we rush to get to our end goal, with my time as throws coach I look forward to slowing down and taking the time to appreciate the mechanics and proper progression techniques that will lead to our athletes success.
Scott Levering
Pole Vault
Coach Scott acquired his passion for pole vault at the early age of ten. His father, a pole vault coach at a local high school in Michigan, set up the backyard trampoline as a makeshift pole vault pit, which is where Scott caught the pole vault bug. Scott continued to vault through college at Grand Valley State University where he pursued his degree in Physical and Health Education.
Scott coached high school track and field for five years in Michigan before moving to Seattle. He has been coaching at MIHS since 2015. If you asked him what he enjoys most about coaching track, he would tell you it’s the gratification of playing a small role in the development of our youth as they transition into young adulthood.
Track and field creates the perfect environment for our student-athletes to develop the skills necessary to become successful adults. It is a place where one can set and pursue individual and team goals; practice how to win with grace as well as learn from and accept failure; learn the value of hard work and determination; and finally, a place to have fun and achieve success.