Inaugural State-by-State USTFCCCA High School Cross Country Coaches of the Year Announced
Award History
USTFCCCA XC High School State COY

Inaugural State-by-State USTFCCCA High School Cross Country Coaches of the Year Announced

NEW ORLEANS – The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced Thursday the state-by-state winners of its inaugural High School Cross Country Coach of the Year.

One boys coach and one girls coach from each of the 50 states – as seen in the lists below – were honored for their successes during the 2014 cross country season, as chosen by the USTFCCCA High School Coach of the Year selection committee.

The winners from each state are in consideration for the association’s first-ever National High School Coach of the Year award for cross country.

"High school coaches have a profound impact on young athletes’ lives," said USTFCCCA CEO Sam Seemes. "For so many runners, their high school cross country coach is the person who opened the world of running to them."

"We’re excited to be able to recognize and reward those high school coaches for the successes of their teams this season," added Seemes.

State-by-state winners were selected based on their teams’ performances throughout the 2014 cross country season. Among the factors taken into consideration were team score and placement at the state championships, margin of victory, performance against rankings if available, individual championships, and how their teams’ performances stacked up to previous years (e.g. first title in school history, consecutive titles, etc.)

The national winners will be announced next week.

Boys Coaches of the Year by State

State Coach Name Coach School
Alabama Claborn Campbell Cold Springs High School
Alaska Marcus Dunbar Kodiak High School
Arizona Chris Hanson Desert Vista High School
Arkansas Carlton Efurd Rogers High School
California Tyree Cruz Ventura High School
Colorado Jon Dalby Mountain Vista High School
Connecticut Robert Murray Danbury High School
Delaware Annie Zeberkiewicz Tower Hill School
District of Columbia Anthony Belber Georgetown Day School
Florida Doug Butler Holy Trinity Academy
Georgia Jack Coleman Marietta High School
Hawaii Katie O’Neil Mid Pacific Institute
Idaho Tracy Harris Mountain View High School
Illinois Chris Muth Yorkville High School
Indiana Steve Lewark West Lafayette High School
Iowa Todd Goodell Linn-Mar High School
Kansas Justin Wrigley St. Thomas Aquinas High School
Kentucky Stan Clark South Oldham High School
Louisiana Chaz Caiado John Curtis Christian School
Maine Jim Harmon Scarborough High School
Maryland Terry Gibbons Catoctin High School
Massachusetts Phil Maia Lowell High School
Michigan Asa Kelly Benzie Central High School
Minnesota Bill Miles Wayzata High School
Mississippi Heath Dudley J. Z, George High School
Missouri Bryant Wright Festus High School
Montana Clint May Bozeman High School
Nebraska Reverend Robert Tillman Creighton Prep School
Nevada Ed Parise McQueen High School
New Hampshire Mike Smith Mascenic Regional High School
New Jersey Tom Heath Christian Brothers Academy
New Mexico Sal Gonzales Rio Rancho High School
New York Bill Aris Fayetteville-Manlius High School
North Carolina David Christian Broughton High School
North Dakota Darrell Anderson
Dave Zittleman
Bismarck High School
Ohio Tom Rapp Mason High School
Oklahoma Steve Patterson Jenks High School
Oregon Carol McLatchie Summit High School
Pennsylvania John Neff North Allegheny
Rhode Island Ken Skelly LaSalle Academy
South Carolina Bill Wrightson Hilton Head HS
South Dakota Eric Pooley Sioux Falls Lincoln High School
Tennessee Len Jeffers Daniel Boone High School
Texas Justin Leonard Southlake Carroll High School
Utah Logan Fielding Desert Hills High School
Vermont Geoff Bennett South Burlington High School
Virginia Mike Mangan Lake Braddock Secondary School
Washington Gene Blankenship Medical Lake High School
West Virginia Jonathan Griffith Bridgeport High School
Wisconsin Tom Kaufman Madison West High School
Wyoming Greg Schabron Laramie High School

Girls Coaches of the Year by State

State Coach Name Coach School
Alabama William Calvert Saint Bernards Prep School
Alaska Bill Steyer Homer High School
Arizona Dr. Jeff Messer Desert Vista High School
Arkansas Sharon Jones Siloam Springs High School
California Doug Soles Great Oak High School
Colorado Mike Caller Fort Collins High School
Connecticut Judi Lafontaine Tolland High School
Delaware Marnie Giunta Padua Academy
District of Columbia Kevin Hughes Georgetown Visitation Prep School
Florida Kristin McWilliams Winter Park High School
Georgia Eric Heintz Marist High School
Hawaii Dennis Swart Kaiser High School
Idaho Ty Axtman Timberline High School
Illinois Dan Iverson Naperville North High School
Indiana Steve Lewark West Lafayette High School
Iowa Christy Nimrod Decorah High School
Kansas Justin Wrigley St. Thomas Aquinas High School
Kentucky Rick Heim Sacred Heart Academy
Louisiana Mark LaHaye St. Joseph’s Academy
Maine Lin White Orono High School
Maryland Dan Jones Liberty High School
Massachusetts Cara Van Cott Needham High School
Michigan Doug Jager Grand Rapids Christian High School
Minnesota Dave Emmans Wayzata High School
Mississippi Tim Sayers Ocean Springs High School
Missouri Gaylerd Quigley Nerinx Hall
Montana Clint May Bozeman High School
Nebraska George O’Boyle Pius X
Nevada Roy Session Centennial High School
New Hampshire Tim Cox
Brent Tkaczyk 
Coe-Brown Northwood Academy
New Jersey Rob DeFillipis Red Bank Catholic
New Mexico Nick Martinez La Cueva High School
New York Bill Aris Fayetteville-Manlius High School
North Carolina Mike Miraggliuolo Green Hope High School
North Dakota Julie Stavn Century High School
Ohio David Dobson Centerville High School
Oklahoma David Ayres Bartlesville High School
Oregon Carol McLatchie Summit High School
Pennsylvania Greg Sargent Pennsbury High School
Rhode Island Kelly Martin LaSalle Academy
South Carolina Eric Cummings Riverside High School
South Dakota Jesse Coy Rapid City Stevens High School
Tennessee Raymond Farmer Morristown-West High School
Texas Rebekah James Canyon Randall High School
Utah Bruno Hunziker American Fork High School
Vermont Scott Bliss Champlain Valley Union High School
Virginia James DeMarco Blacksburg High School
Washington Steve Olson Lakeside Nine Mile Falls
West Virginia Daniel Demchak University High School
Wisconsin Mark Johnson Eau Claire Memorial High School
Wyoming Jeff Brazil Jackson Hole High School

ABOUT THE USTFCCCA

The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) is a non-profit professional organization representing cross country and track & field coaches of all levels. The organization represents over 8,000 coaching members encompassing 94% of all NCAA track & field programs (DI, DII, and DIII) and includes members representing the NAIA as well as a number of state high school coaches associations. The USTFCCCA serves as an advocate for cross country and track & field coaches, providing a leadership structure to assist the needs of a diverse membership, serving as a lobbyist for coaches’ interests, and working as a liaison between the various stakeholders in the sports of cross country and track & field.