Ex-track star Schnur to lead Tornado girls

By Mike Kilroy
Eagle Staff Writer

BUTLER TWP — Ten years ago, Annessa Schnur left her mark on just about every event as a member of the Butler High girls track and field team.
A decade later, she will do so again as the coach.
Schnur, a 2000 Butler graduate who parlayed a successful career with the Golden Tornado into a track scholarship at the University of Michigan, was hired as the Butler girls track and field coach at a school board meeting Monday night.
"This team has always meant a lot to me," Schnur said. "It's been a dream of mine to give back to the community and to the district."
Schnur, who teaches 11th grade English at the high school, will take over for Rod Harris, who spent six seasons as the girls track and field coach.
Schnur, 27, is no stranger to excellence.
During her high school career, she scored 800 team points — only the third Butler athlete to accomplish that feat.
She also appears on the all-time Butler County Track and Field Honor Roll Top 10 in 10 events, topping the list in the 400-meter run (55.9 seconds) and in the long jump (18 feet, 4 inches).
Those marks have stood for more than a decade.
At Michigan, she competed in the heptathlon, a competition that blends sprint and mid-distance running events with jumping and throwing events.
Schnur was a volunteer track and field coach at Butler in 2005-06, then became a varsity assistant in 2006-07 before coaching the junior high team the last two seasons.
"I'm excited about the freshman and sophomore classes because I was able to coach them in junior high," Schnur said. "I know they have a ton of talent."
Schnur will start her varsity coaching career next month when the indoor season begins.
Schnur played basketball during the winter when she was in high school and didn't participate in indoor track.
But she said she understands the importance of the indoor season.
"You get a lot of the core things done," Schnur said. "Strength training, cardio, coordination, plyometrics, weight lifting — all the things you really don't have time to do once the spring season starts."