Irvington HS track and field teams give good efforts at County Relays; boys’ coach Marvin Hawkins to be inducted into IHS Hall of Fame

Irvington HS head boys’ track and field coach Marvin Hawkins. Photo by Steve Ellmore.

IRVINGTON, NJ – The Irvington High School boys’ and girls’ track and field teams enjoyed solid efforts at the Essex County Relays on Friday, May 4, at Livingston HS.

On the boys’ side, the shuttle hurdles relay team finished fourth in 1:02.79. The 4×400-meter relay team took fifth in 3:25.95. The 4×100-meter relay team finished sixth in 43.89.

The girls’ team was led by the 400-meter team intermediate hurdles relay that took third in 3:34.63 and shuttle hurdles relay team that took fourth 1:10.11.

Irvington will gear up for the Super Essex Conference Championships on Friday, May 11, at Newark Schools Stadium.

IHS head boys’ track and field coach Marvin Hawkins is among the inductees of the 2018 Irvington High School Athletic Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony will be held today, May 10.

Hawkins also is the IHS cross-country and indoor track and field coach. Hawkins is a graduate of Essex Catholic High School in Newark, Class of 1974. He ran cross-country, indoor and outdoor track under legendary coach Jack O’Leary.

He also is a graduate of Seton Hall University, Class of 1978, with a bachelor of science degree in elementary education.

He has been a teacher (fifth/seventh grade) for 27 years in the Irvington school district. He was nominated for Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers (1994, 1996, 2004, and 2006).

Hawkins was the 2005 Star-Ledger Boys Outdoor Coach of the Year and Essex County Coach of the Year six times. He also was the Worrall Community Newspapers Coach of the Year, 13 times.

His coaching record is 414-254, which includes 23 team championships (13 state titles, six county, four conference) and 266 individual championship titles. He also coached 18 All-Americans and two Olympians.

More than 90 percent of his student-athletes attended college on full or partial scholarships.

Hawkins was inducted into the New Jersey Scholastic Coaches Association Hall of Fame earlier this year.