PROFESSIONAL STAFF
Troy Pappas
Founder/Head Coach/Athletic Director
Seeing the lack of a developmental youth track programs, Troy founded the Moorestown Track and Field Academy in 2004. With enrollment of athletes from throughout the Philadelphia area, including athletes visiting relatives from Europe and the US West Coast, Troy changed the organization's name to World Athlete Track Academy in 2006.
Since 2003, he has been the Boys Track Coach at Moorestown HS. His teams won the 2017 NJSIAA Central 3 Sectional Championship (Moorestown's first sectional title in 43 years) and 3 BCSL Divisional championships (2006 - it's first title in 19 seasons, 2009 and 2013). His athletes have won championships at the divisional, county, sectional, group and NJ Meet of Champions. Brandon Outlaw won the 2017 400M title at the NJ Meet of Champions. In 2008, Bryan Burnham, now a wide receiver for the British Columbia Lions of the Canadian Football League (CFL), placed 2nd in the NJ Meet of Champions Long Jump. Troy's 4x100 Relay took 2nd at the NJ MOC in 2010. Moorestown's Sprint Medley took 4th place and gained All American status at the 2017 New Balance Nationals in Greensboro NC. That same relay team was ranked #1 in New Jersey and #4 in the US. Many of Troy's athletes have continued to compete in college, including Virginia, Notre Dame, Cornell, Rice, Tulsa, College of NJ, Johns Hopkins, Rowan, Temple, Swathmore, Ursinus and Elizabethtown.
He is the Past President of the Burlington County Track Coaches Association.
In 2003-2004, Troy was the Boys Assistant Basketball Coach at Lenape HS, helping the team to a 28-0 record and a NJ Group 4 State Championship. He was also the Boys Basketball Coach at Medford Tech in 2002-2003. He started his coaching career as Boys and Girls Track Coach at Immaculate HS in Danbury HS. Troy ran the 400M and 400IH for Bucknell and was a member of 3 East Coast Conference Championship teams. A former health care executive, he has a Master in Public Health from Yale. Troy has been on the faculty at Temple University, Rutgers-Camden, Wilmington University and Philadelphia University. His courses included sports entrepreneurship, business strategy and coaching science.
Mariana Smith
Assistant Coach
Alexis joined World Athlete in 2019. She also works at LifeTime Fitness in Mt. Laurel. She has a degree in sports physiology, runs distance races and is originally from Brazil.
Jordan Fagan
Assistant Coach
Jordan also joined World Athlete in 2018. He was an Assistant Track Coach at Kingsway HS. He competed for Georgian Court in the jumps. Jordan is a Science teacher at Allen Middle School in Moorestown.
Kristen Hawkes
Assistant Coach
Soon after her daughter joined World Athlete, Kristen has been a part of the coaching staff. Now in her 3rd year, she has assisted in the World Athlete Fall, Indoor and Spring programs.
Fred Mansell
Assistant Coach
Like Kristen, Fred got involved in World Athlete through his son. In his fourth year, Fred assists with the Fall, Indoor and Spring programs.
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