LebCo Male Athletes of the Week: Chad Keller & Tyler Shunk (Week Ending April 28, 2024)

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Chad Keller

At this year’s Lebanon County Track & Field Championship Meet, ELCO’s Chad Keller put together a night to remember when he left Earl Boltz Stadium with two gold medals. The junior distance runner won the 1600m with a time of 4:35.81. He then finished the night off by running a key leg on the 4x400m relay, putting them in an excellent position to cross the finish line with the official winning time of 3:32.57. For those efforts, Keller was selected by the LebCoSports.com voters as a LebCo Male Athlete of the Week. 

With the success he had at the County Meet, Keller has continued to push the limits. This past weekend, he served as a leg on both the 4x400m and the 4x800m at the prestigious Henderson Invitational. In the 4x800m, Keller was joined by Luke Macchione, Ben Macchione, and Camden Marquette as they clocked an impressive 8:06.8 to take 2nd place. The same foursome later ran a 3:31.3 to take 4th in the 4x400m.

Speaking about Keller, ELCO Coach Bob Miller said, “Chad is one of the most consistent dedicated runners we’ve had in years. He is a calculating racer who has outstanding 400 speed as well as the stamina of a miler who will go on to great success.”

He went on to praise Keller as being well-rounded, stating, “He’s a great young man as well as a high-level student in the classroom.”

A true team player, Keller embraces his role and welcomes the challenge of his coaches, putting him in the right place to help the team. Keller said, “I can go to whatever events my coaches want to put me in, and I want to help the team win. I like the ‘team’ aspect that they want me to do and help out the team.”

He expressed his appreciation for Coach Miller and distance coach Mike Harnish. He especially is appreciative of the guidance that Harnish, a former ELCO standout who went on to star at Lebanon Valley, has provided him and the rest of the Raider distance crew.

Keller is also thankful for his God-given talent. Prior to races, he preps by listening to worship music to get him in the right frame of mind before switching over to the standard type of hype music you would expect from a high school athlete. 

However, Keller’s success has not come without its set of challenges. In Cross Country, he qualified for States as a sophomore. He entered his junior season with a personal best time but then started regressing. While this was challenging, he worked to overcome the mental and physical aspects of what could have been considered a slump. In the end, Keller finished the season by running seven seconds faster at the PIAA State Cross Country Championship than he had the previous year. More importantly, he used the experience to get better and to transform into a stronger athlete. During the outdoor season, he is showing just how much stronger he has become.

Keller’s personal goal is to run sub-4:30 in the 1600m and to help the 4x800m to qualify for the District 3 Championships. With the time they ran this past Friday night, the team-oriented goal should be well within reach. Keller has a couple more opportunities to reach his personal goal and with the way he is running right now hitting it could come very soon.

As far as college goes, Keller knows he would like to continue running. At this point, he is not sure where he will end up and is keeping his options open as far as a major goes. While his hobby is creative writing, he did not offer any indication that this would tie into a long-term career. 

While writing may not be in his future career plans, we are confident that he will be writing his own story the rest of this season and beyond. We wish Chad and all of the Raiders the best of luck as they storm into the championship season and hope that the experience gives him much more to write about.

Photo provided by ELCO Track & Field (Credit: Sara Miller)

Tyler Shunk

At the Lebanon County Track & Field Championship Meet, Northern Lebanon’s Tyler Shunk rose to the moment and took gold in the 3200m race. Beyond the thrill of victory, the senior’s winning time of 9:47.84 set a new school record. For his efforts, the LebCoSports.com voters rewarded the talented distance runner with the title of LebCo Athlete of the Week.

The idea of Shunk running well should not come as a surprise to those who were paying attention to his exploits throughout the Cross Country season and into the early Spring. During the Fall season, Shunk led the Vikings to the 2nd place finish at the District 3 Championships. Northern Lebanon went on to achieve a 12th-place finish at the PIAA State Championships. In the Spring season, Shunk added his name to the record books, setting the 3200m record at the Sterling Hoffman Invitational with a time of 9:57.73. While Shunk was impressive at all of those key moments throughout the year, he has used hard work and dedication to continue improving.

Northern Lebanon Coach Adam Molinaro said of Shunk, “I have witnessed a young man grow into both a great athlete and an unbelievable all-around person. From seeing his dedication and work ethic towards running as a freshman, I always knew that he would be destined for greatness.” 

Molinaro went on to talk about how Shunk approaches training, stating, “Seeing him push himself to his absolute limit day in and day out is truly something to behold. Tyler had the goal of breaking the school record in the 3200m this year, and even though he knew that it would be challenging, he was willing to do anything in order to achieve his goal.”

The Viking head coach went on to speak to Shunk about his overall impact on the team, saying, “Not only is his athletic ability special, but he is also a great leader of our Track and Field Team. The boys’ track and field team has shown success this year, and the main reason is because of the influence made by Tyler Shunk. He is the team’s captain, and his leadership, both on and off the track, has impacted the team, allowing them to rise above their personal expectations and compete each and every day.””

In a reflection on his role on the team, Shunk confirmed his coach’s sentiment when he said, “The team is the reason why I continue to strive for success. The team is what gives me motivation.”

While Shunk hopes to make Districts or even States in the 1600m or 3200m, his main goal going forward is ” to inspire the younger runners of Northern Lebanon so that they can continue the legacy of our track and cross country team.”

The big-picture-driven Shunk is guided by his time in the Boy Scouts. He told LebCoSports.com, “I try to live by the scout oath and law to the best of my abilities every day to be the best person I can be. I also do this to set a good example for others to follow.”

As far as a career goes, Shunk is hoping to use his academic and leadership skills to continue to mold the next generation. He plans to attend college and eventually become a secondary mathematics teacher. By going into education, he would also consider coaching.

While Shunk is planning for the future, he also knows that what he is able to accomplish before the end of this season is bound to have a greater impact than any medals he earns. We wish Tyler all the best in further becoming a source of inspiration for future athletes at Northern Lebanon. 

Photo provided by Northern Lebanon Track & Field

Click to read about the LebCo Female Athlete of the Week: Alivia Kline

For a full list of this week’s nominees, check out: Athlete of the Week Voting: April 22 – April 28

Previous Winners

Ethan Spang (Weeks of March 11th, 18th)

Paxton Thomas (Weeks of March 11th, 18th)

Sam Kolacek (Week of March 25th)

Tyler Burgess (Week of April 1st)

Andrew Via (Week of April 1st)

Zac Frentz (Week of April 8th)

Gavin Bicher (Week of April 15th)