Matt Molinaro (Sterling Heights, Mich./DeLaSalle) will join Hoka's New Jersey New York Track Club, a premier elite track club based in New York to begin his professional running career.
Molinaro, the 2018 Indoor 800-meter run National Champion, met with Hoka in early June and agreed to train with the club in New York.
Following many years in New Jersey, the club moved headquarters to Westchester, NY in 2017 and now trains out of The Masters School in Dobbs Ferry, Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, The New York Armory in New York City, and Rockefeller State Park in Pleasantville.
Headed by Frank 'Gag' Gagliano, HOKA NJNYTC is training and competing with the top athletes in the world.
"I've never ran or raced in Hoka's before, but I've heard great things about them from everyone who has, and I'm really excited to try them," said Molinaro. "Many kids who compete in sports dream about making it to the professional level in their sport. Being from a division III background, a lot of times resources and opportunities are limited to really excel in athletics. However, Coach Maus saw my potential as an athlete and with his and ONU's support, I was able to get a few shots to compete at meets with pros and D1 athletes.”
Molinaro continued, “I couldn't thank Coach Maus or Ohio Northern University enough for what they did for me in my athletic career. Running for ONU and getting some amazing opportunities made me more confident in my own potential as an athlete, and realize that the professional level wasn't just a dream."
Molinaro will be doing base mileage training during the summer of 2018 before making his move to New York in September to begin training with the team.
"I'm extremely proud of Matt and excited for him," said head track and field coach Jason Maus. "This kind of opportunity doesn't happen very often and certainly not very often in NCAA DIII. This is a great opportunity and I'm excited to see what he can do at the next level with NJNY. I'd like to thank them and Coach Frank Gagliano for giving Matt an opportunity. I believe they see some potential in him and I know that he'll do his best to represent NJNY and Ohio Northern very well."
Molinaro is expected to graduate at the end of summer. He is an exercise physiology major.
