St. John’s Alumnus Returns to High School Alma Mater as Athletic Director

Mr. Honerkamp anchored the track and field team in high school and caught the attention of Jim Hurt ’89G, former St. John’s Track and Field/Cross Country Head Coach. Coach Hurt recruited him and several other local runners, offering all of them full scholarships.

Initially, Mr. Honerkamp, a native of East Rockaway, NY, intended to go away to school. However, as one of six children, he knew it was a wise move financially to attend St. John’s on a full scholarship—and he has no regrets.

“Going to St. John’s was the best thing for me,” he recalled, noting that he and his friends helped build the track and field program into a great success. “We were in the BIG EAST Conference. We had great resources. I was competing in national competitions,” he recalled. “St. John’s was very loyal to me. The coaching staff saw great potential in me and my fellow recruits.”

He added, “By junior year we really hit our stride.”

That year coincided with the 1996 Olympic trials, in which Mr. Honerkamp competed. He was the youngest semi-finalist in the Olympic Trials at 20 years old, and in the top 10 for New York State in several categories for high school cross country and track.

“We made each other better,” he stressed. “At St. John’s, I didn’t have the distractions I might have had at other schools, and was really able to focus.”

Mr. Honerkamp credited former Provost and Dean of the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Robert A. Mangione ’77P, ’79GP, ’93PD, ’99Ed.D. as a particularly positive influence. “We were both from East Rockaway. He loved sports and was a youth basketball coach himself. He was a real mentor, and I would talk to him often. He became an unofficial advisor to me.”

At St. John’s, Mr. Honerkamp’s goal was to keep running at a professional level. As a student-athlete, he was ranked one of the highest in the country. Upon graduation, he competed at the postcollegiate level at Reebok Enclave based out of Georgetown University, where he also had a part-time job, which included his first coaching job at Episcopal High School in Virginia.

“There really aren’t many options to go pro in this field,” he explained. “There aren’t any drafts and great money-making opportunities.”

So, Mr. Honerkamp, who majored in History, had to get creative about his future. At age 25, he returned to East Rockaway to work in the family’s lumber and plywood business, which gave him priceless managerial and practical experience that he uses to this day.

“It was great because you attended the board meetings, but you were also sweeping the floors,” he said.

Mr. Honerkamp never stopped running, and participated in national championship meets. He eventually left the business and went to Colorado to train.

It was then that St. John’s re-entered his life. “Coach Hurt called me and said one of the coaches left suddenly, and asked if I would be willing and able to step in and finish the year.”

Mr. Honerkamp initially enjoyed the coaching experience, and decided to get his M.B.A. at the same time. However, the pace of college coaching was not for him, and after another year at St. John’s he was hired by the nonprofit organization New York Road Runners (NYRR). He spent six years there sharing his expertise in the sport and coached runners for the TCS New York City Marathon, among other prestigious events. He also created the NYRR’s Runner Products and Services Department, which is now one of the organization’s largest departments.

Mr. Honerkamp started his own consulting firm, Run Kamp, in late 2015. He offers several services including corporate wellness, running-related consulting, motivational speaking, freelance writing, and private coaching.

Pondering his future after retirement, Mr. Honerkamp considered eventually returning as a coach to Chaminade, where his passion for running began. “I had such a great experience there, so I thought, ‘Why wait until I retire?’”

As providence would have it, the Athletic Director position became available after he returned to the school as a part-time cross-country coach. “The timing was perfect,” he stressed.

Mr. Honerkamp started in September of 2022, and has spent much of his time assessing the needs of the program, getting to know staff, and building a vision for the future. “Even though I didn’t have AD experience, I come from the business world of sports where development and fund-raising are crucial, in addition to a working knowledge of athletics. I coached college and have an M.B.A. in Marketing Management, so it was a great fit.”

Mr. Honerkamp is responsible for 19 sports, including a new rugby team. Much of his day is spent managing logistics, approving budgets, allocating space for practices, maintaining and purchasing equipment, and hiring staff.

“I want to create relationships and make improvements where I can before I start implementing any major changes,” he stressed. “There are so many moving parts, a lot of problem solving, and never a dull moment. It’s great to be back.”