Riley McInerney joined the Indiana State coaching staff as an assistant track & field coach, specializing in distance, in January 2022.
Alongside Brad Butler, McInerney has seen Indiana State's distance crew continue to steadily improve, as Cael Light picked up Honorable Mention All-MVC honors in cross country, while multiple top-10 distance program marks were set during both indoor and outdoor season. The DMR team of Ethan Breen, Tahj Johnson, Wyatt Wyman and Jackson Krieg moved up to second in indoor program history (9:47.61), with Breen (mile, 4:06.99) and Krieg (3000m, 8:17.69) moving into the top 10 in individual events as well. Logan Pietrzak climbed the charts in the 5000-meter run during both indoor (14:32.17) and outdoor (14:17.21) season, while Breen (3:46.59) and Jason Dworak (3:48.45) both entered the top 10 in program history in the outdoor 1500-meter run. Breen, Krieg, Dworak and Light moved up to second in program history in the 4x1600-meter relay (16:45.61), while the outdoor DMR team of Breen, Krieg, Wyman and Cameron Stevens also moved to second in program history with a time of 9:51.00. On the women's side, Erica Barker cracked the top 10 in program history in four different events (indoor 3000m - 9:53.95, indoor 5000m - 17:01.48, outdoor 5000m - 16:48.33, outdoor 10,000m - 35:56.60) and Cassidy Bagby earned a spot in the top 10 in the 3000-meter steeplechase (11:10.54). Barker (6k), Krieg (8k), Dworak (8k), Pietrzak (8k) and Light (10k) all climbed into the top 20 in cross country program history.
McInerney joined the Sycamore coaching staff prior to the 2022 indoor season, which saw an strong run of success for Indiana State. Jocelyn Quiles was a standout performer that season, winning the 1-mile run at the MVC Indoor Championship and setting the Gately Park facility record of 4:45.89 in the process. Quiles also broke the 5000-meter run school record by nearly 10 seconds, running a time of 16:17.95 at the Drake Relays to take down the previous top mark. Between cross country, indoor track and outdoor track, Quiles ranks in the top three in school history in six different events, with nearly all of those marks coming during the 2021-22 season. Cale Kilian also developed into one of the top distance runners in the Missouri Valley Conference, setting top-five marks in program history in the mile (4:06.90) and 3000-meter run (8:09.86), earning all-conference honors in the former at the MVC Indoor Championships. Wyatt Wyman also had a breakout season for the Blue and White, setting top-10 marks in program history in the 800-meter run both indoors (1:50.37) and outdoors (1:50.14) while earning all-conference honors during indoor season in the event. Indiana State's men's distance medley relay team of Jackson Krieg, Ben Shepard, Jocqael Thorpe and Ethan Breen earned all-conference honors during indoor season, while the DMR team of Breen, Tahj Johnson, Wyman and Kilian set the outdoor school record of 9:49.87 at the Drake Relays. A pair of Sycamore men's distance runners set top-10 marks in program history during outdoor season as well, with Kilian (3:44.04) and Logan Pietrzak (14:24.10) earning top marks in the 1500-meter run and 5000-meter run, respectively.
McInerney joined the Sycamores after a two-year post-collegiate career with the Rhode Island Track Club. The semi-professional team, based in Providence, Rhode Island, specialized in Elite Development for its athletes focusing on qualifying for USATF National Championships and the US Olympic Trials. McInerney competed for the team in events ranging from the mile up to the half marathon.
Prior to his time with the Rhode Island Track Club, McInerney spent the 2018-2019 school year volunteer coaching at Eastern Illinois University. That year, McInerney helped three athletes to All-OVC honors in cross country, as well as helping the men’s outdoor track team to a conference championship. Three of his athletes received All-OVC honors at the 2019 outdoor championships.
McInerney competed at Eastern Illinois University from 2013-2018. In cross country, he was a three-time All-OVC performer finishing 12th (2013), fourth (2015) and eighth (2016). In 2015 McInerney received All-Midwest honors for his race at the NCAA Regional Championship, placing 24th. On the track, McInerney was a part of three conference championship teams: 2015 (outdoors), 2016 and 2017 (indoors). During his indoor track career, McInerney was a two-time conference champion in the mile, as well as a member of the conference-winning distance medley relay team. In all, he was a seven-time All-OVC honoree at the indoor championships. During his outdoor track career, McInerney was a 3-time NCAA national qualifier in the 3,000m steeplechase and holds the Eastern Illinois record of 8:47.29 in the event. In all, he was a 3-time All-OVC honoree at the outdoor championships. In 2017, McInerney was awarded the EIU Senior Male Athlete of the Year Award, the Presidential Award and was named one of six OVC Scholar Athletes. He graduated cum laude with honors with a degree in Physical Education, Health Education, and Driver Education.
McInerney was born in Charleston, Illinois, where he was the 2013 IHSA Class 2A state champion in the 3200m run, setting the state record for the event which still stands. He was born to John and Peggy McInerney and has a younger brother, Colin.
