A new beginning at Pearl River as Dempsey replaces Doherty as cross-country coach

For 46 first days of practice, kids came and kids went.

Some coming in were the children of ones from long-ago first days.

But through it all there was one coach.

Until Monday.

Monday an era ended with the Pearl River girls cross-country season officially launching with Sheri Felestein Dempsey as coach.

For 46 seasons, Dan Doherty was the sometimes loved, sometimes hated, but always much-respected coach. .

Now, the title belongs to the former Nanuet High star, who, first as a high school athlete and then as a coach, helped end two amazing records Doherty's teams owned.

Doherty, who announced his retirement last November , left as the most successful high school cross-country coach in state history.

He gained legendary status winning eight state public school cross-country championships (his teams were runner-up 15 times), won two state Federation (all sizes of public and private schools) titles, and, overall, won a remarkable 639 meets.

That includes the 341 dual meets Pearl River won against only five losses.

Those numbers would have been 342-4 if not for Dempsey, who was part of the Nanuet 1990 team that edged Pearl River by a single point to end what was an unfathonable streak of 86 straight dual meet wins.

Dempsey, who won three individual Rockland girls cross-country titles and three Section 1 individual cross-country titles, helped lead that 1990 team to a second-place finish in the state Federation.

Then, in 2012, she coached Nanuet's girls to the Section 1 Class B crown, ending Pearl River's streak of consecutive section cross-country championships at 33.

Now, Dempsey, the wife of Suffern girls cross-country and track coach Jeff Dempsey and a longtime Nanuet fifth-grade math teacher, will try to build on Doherty's work.

"I don't think anyone can fil his big footsteps," she said, explaining Doherty leaves a "very big legacy."

"He was an amazing coach and accomplished amazing things," she said.

Dempsey knew that from running against his teams, coaching against his teams and rooting for his teams, since her daughter, Caitlin, now a freshman runs cross-country for Pearl River. (Her son, Andrew, a junior, runs for Pearl River's boys team).

Dempsey, who coached for 15 years at Nanuet, stopping in 2014 to focus on her then-young children, said she got her kids' nods of approval before accepting the job in July.

"That was a big decision," she said.

With parents as cross-country coaches and kids as runners and with Caitlin running for her coach/mom, the natural inclination might to make cross-country a big topic of conversation at home. But that's not Dempsey's plan.

"I think the big thing for us is to enter the house and be in a safe space now as mother and daughter. It's important to separate that when we come home. And for my son it's similar. I'm Mom," she explained, saying their "world ... won't just revolve around cross-country."

But, away from home, people will be at least temporarily focused on how Pearl River does in the post-Doherty era.

Dempsey, whose resume also includes formerly coaching the second-through-eighth-grade Rockland CYO cross-country program and who continues to coach the summer Rockland Track Club with her husband, said her style differs from Doherty's.

But she said she shares his expectations that kids be dedicated, hold each other accountable and work to better both themselves and their team.

The Pirates graduated several seniors, including two who finished in the top 11 out of more than 300 runners overall at the Section 1 championship.

While Dempsey will rely on what she says is a good core of about six veteran runners, including "great role models" in fifth-year runners Kristen Gazzara, Meabh McDonnell and Aislinn Fennell, Pearl River is a small (16 runners), largely young team that includes several eighth-graders.

"I'm looking for our veteran girls to improve from where they were and our younger ones to see they're joining a legacy. I think it's important for to grow their self-esteem," she said, referring to her team's best runners, as well as everyone else, including those largely using cross-country to stay in shape for other sports.

Dempsey, who said her own high school coach, who's still Nanuet's coach, Larry Beckerle, taught her, 'Sometimes things don't go the way you want but you pick yourself up and great things can come later.'

That will be one of the messages she delivers to her team, along with, you get out of the sport what you put into it.

Her team has seemed to already embrace that message with many attending running camps this summer.

Gazzara, and McDonnell seniors whjo have been best friends since they ran for a year on the modified (middle school) team before joining varsity, contrasted Dempsey's and Doherty's approach, while praising both.

Doherty leaves Pearl River: After 46 seasons, demanding and record-setting Rockland coach announces retirement

"Running with Dan, there was a lot more pressure. Every day we wanted to do our best for him. There was this legacy. This is more relaxed," Gazzara said. "Dan was so strict. He expected a lot, which bonded us."

"We ran for Dan and each other.," McDonnell said. ... "There are the same goals and expectations. (Dan) was an incredible coach and had his own way he perfected over 46 years. This is something new but refreshing."

This season's prospects

How well this young team will do is anyone's guess.

Demspsey expects Tappan Zee, North Rockland and Suffern to be very strong this season.

"There will be a lot of learning curves and transitions," she predicted of her own group.

"We'll go out and battle the best we can," she said. "The first half (of the season) will be a learning experience and then we'll make goals."

"Friendly bets (with her husband, Beckerle or other coaches) might be down the road, but not now," she said with a laugh.

McDonnell said her team will run frr fun but that doesn't mean it won't be looking for wins and strong finishes. She said, despite its youth, it won't place limits on itself.

"It's really just the idea of enjoying the process and seeing where we can go," she said.

Nancy Haggerty covers cross-country, track & field, field hockey, skiing, basketball, girls lacrosse and other sporting events for The Journal News/lohud. Follow her on Twitter at @HaggertyNancy .

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: A new beginning at Pearl River as Dempsey replaces Doherty as cross-country coach