Renz retired from coaching after last season following a 28-year career, including the last 14 at Liberty. He was named the BVarsity All-Area coach of the year 13 times and is now working as a dean at Stockdale.
“I’m excited,” Threlkeld said. “The expectations that they already have there really excite me. I hold myself to a high standard and I think they already have a standard set there, so I’m super excited to be part of what they already have going on and to push those kids to be the best they can be.”
Despite the excitement for the change, it wasn’t an easy decision for Threlkeld.
“It was a decision that I had to pray about and really think about,” he said “I talked to my family about it … but I’m young and after competing at such a high level in college, with the knowledge that I have, it’s one of those things where I want to take it to a higher level at a school like Liberty, and put all my eggs in a basket there and see how it turns out.”
Threlkeld advanced to the CIF State Championships in the 800 in both his junior and senior years at North, and followed that by winning the 400 at the Junior Olympics with a personal-best 49.36.
He then embarked on an impressive career at Cal State Bakersfield, where he placed 15th in the 800 at the NCAA Division-I West Regionals as a junior, finishing the season with a PR of 1:48.93 in 2019. He also PR’d that season in the 400 with a 47.45.
“I think I relate very well with this generation,” Threlkeld said. “Track and field has a lot to do with the mind and how you think, and how you’re able to perform at the Valley and State meets. I’m looking to help the kids sharpen their minds. I’ve been there before and I know what that feels like. And I know what it takes when putting in the work in the off-season.”
Putting in the work and sharing his knowledge with others is something Threlkeld says he’s been doing since he was in grade school.
“Since I was a kid I’ve always understood running mechanics and I’ve always wanted to be the fastest kid in grade school, so I’d always sort of coach myself,” Threlkeld said. “I’ve had some great coaches along the way that taught me a thing or two, and coaching is something I really have a passion for, and there’s no other place I’d rather be than at a track meet. I really enjoy running and I watch it in my free time. That’s what really took me to the coaching scene.”
Now he looks forward to working with a different set of athletes.
“I think it’s important to push the kids to their limits, and help kids grow, and that’s something I just love doing,” Threlkeld said. “I did my time running and now it’s my time to give back, and that’s what it’s really all about.”