Running has left a palpable mark on Kelley Cullenberg’s life.

“I have a tattoo of a runner above my ankle, on my leg, so it’s just makes up who I am, regardless of whether or not I’m actually at practice this spring,” she said.

For the first time in more than three decades, Mt. Blue High’s track and field team will be coached by someone other than Cullenberg, who stepped away after 32 seasons.

Corinne Galante is the program’s new coach.

Cullenberg is keeping her position as coach of the cross country team, as she has since 1993, because she said it is less time consuming for a coach compared to track. Her family also continues to run a four-day running camp in July in Bar Harbor.

“There was absolutely no way that I could give it all up at once. I would have such major withdrawals,” Cullenberg said. “Every day this spring, so far, I’ve woken up and been like, ‘I wonder what they’re doing in practice,’ and I have the meet schedule on my phone.”

Cullenberg said she wants to spend more time with her grandkids and on activities like gardening.

“I feel really fortunate because I stopped coaching (track) while still being passionate about it,” Cullenberg said. “I miss it so much, and it’s not like I was like, ‘Whoa, I should have probably stopped two years ago because I’m not enjoying it anymore,’ or the kids aren’t getting anything out of it.”

Mt. Blue Athletic Director Cyndi Pratt said Cullenberg’s coaching tenure is “marked by her unwavering dedication, strategic insight and profound impact on student-athletes.”

“Beyond her technical coaching skills, Cullenberg’s legacy is deeply rooted in the relationships she built with her athletes,” Pratt said. “Her commitment to their personal growth and well-being has left an indelible mark on the Mt. Blue community.”

Galante competed in cross country, indoor and outdoor track at York High before graduating in 2016.

She coached in York through the town’s Parks and Rec Department for several years, starting while she was in high school. She moved to Farmington in 2022 and continued to coach while teaching at Mt. Blue Middle School. In 2024, she was an assistant track coach at UMaine-Farmington.

“I worked at UMF this winter, thinking that it was going to be at least another five years until Kelley retired,” Galante said. “I was kind of thrown off when I saw that she was finally taking time for herself there.”

Galante said filling Cullenberg’s role comes with pressure, but she’s excited to continue to grow the program.

“(Cullenberg) set the bar high on what the team looks like, and the competitiveness,” Galante said. “She has had so many awesome traditions that she’s implemented with the athletes, so it’s overwhelming, but exciting to take that all on.”

Given that the middle school track program currently has 40 eighth-graders, Galante said she expects the high school team to continue to grow and thrive. Pratt noted that Galante’s fresh perspective and positive attitude are assets.

“We are very lucky to have Cori take over an extremely successful program that Kelley built, to carry on the track and field tradition at Mt. Blue High School,” Pratt said.