Three Pine Bush athletes/coach inducted into Section IX Track and Field Hall of Fame

Three Pine Bush High School graduates were inducted into the Section IX Track and Field Hall of Fame this fall – Al Schmidt, Adam Mires and Amber Passalaqua Sherlock.

Adam Mires is a 1998 graduate of Pine Bush. Adam was a driving force in Pine Bush winning the 1998 OCIAA championship. He won the 800 meters, 1600 meters, 3200 meters and was a member of the winning 4 x 800 relay. He was a four-time New York State champion in the 800m, 1000m, and 1600m. Adam’s 4:16 in the 1600 meters is still the Pine Bush High School record. Nationally he competed in the 800m and one mile races. He went on to compete for Rutgers University where he again was successful on the track, being a two-time Metropolitan Intercollegiate Track and Field Association champion and a three-time Big East Conference medalist.

Amber Passalaqua, a 2010 PBHS graduate, exemplified an all-around athlete. Her strength made her one of the best pentathletes in the nation. She was the 2009 and 2010 New York State champion in the pentathlon, and still holds the Section IX record. She was also a team player, being a part of the 2008 New York State championship 4 x 400 meter relay team that competed in the prestigious Penn Relays in Philadelphia and the Millrose Games held in New York City where they placed third. She also competed in the high jump and hurdles, as well as on the competitive cheerleading team. As a senior, she placed second in the nation at the NSIC Indoor Track and Field championships at The Armory in New York City and won the 2010 Outdoor Track and Field AAU Junior Olympics. She went to Syracuse University on a full scholarship to compete as a heptathlete, where she took fourth in the Big East Championship and won the hept at the Cortland Classic. After her freshman year, she transferred to the University of Arizona to compete in the PAC 12 Conference and complete her education and her competitive years. Among the highlights there, Amber took third place in the PAC 12 championship in the heptathlon in 2014 and qualified for the NCAA D1 championships in long jump. She found great success both on the track and off at both schools.

Al Schmidt is a 1977 graduate of Pine Bush High School and a legendary track and field/cross country coach, serving the district for 40 years, from 1982 to 2022. Al Schmidt started his career in track and field as a runner on the modified team in 1971. In high school, he started running cross country under the great Coach Dan Brown where he found his passion for the sport. In the fall of 1976, they won the UCAL championships and Al represented Section IX at the state meet. In the spring of 1976 and 1977, they again won the UCAL championship in track and field. He was the county champion in 1977 in the two-mile run, and also held the school record in the one mile. 

He continued to run at Mohawk Valley Community College where he earned all-regional in cross country and track. He volunteered to coach both cross country and track and field at MVCC.

He came back to Pine Bush High School to coach in the spring of 1982 and never stopped until 2022. His time here is unsurpassed. During his coaching tenure here at Pine Bush he had two individual state and federation champions, as well as two relays that were state and federation champions.

“I have been blessed to coach many talented athletes who were able to excel and qualify Pine Bush High School for many championship meets such as Division I championships, multiple state meets, Penn Relays and Millrose games, along with multiple team awards over the years,” said Coach Schmidt. “I have watched the athletes grow and many went on to continue running in college and have gone on to become teachers, coaches, doctors, lawyers and sportswriters. I have been very thankful to have mentored so many individuals and many still keep in touch today.”

Current Pine Bush coaches Rob Lawrence, Anthony DiMarco and Robin Renahan attended the hall of fame dinner to honor the Pine Bush recipients.

“I have had the pleasure of being coached by and coached alongside Al Schmidt – Mr. Pine Bush Track & Field/ Cross Country, in my opinion,” said Coach Lawrence. “(He is) the best coach ever at Pine Bush. I was also a teammate of Adam Mires and recruited and coached Amber Passalaqua with Gerald Risco.”

Congratulations to Coach Schmidt, Adam Mires and Amber Passalaqua. You certainly make us Pine Bush Proud!