Twenty-one high school coaches from across the country have been selected as 2013 National Coaches of the Year by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Coaches Association.

The NFHS, which has been recognizing coaches through an awards program since 1982, honors coaches in the top 10 girls sports and top 10 boys sports (by participation numbers), and in one “other” sport that is not included in the top 10 listings. The NFHS also recognizes a Spirit coach as a separate award category. Winners of NFHS awards must be active coaches during the year for which they receive their award. This year’s awards recognize coaches for the 2012-13 school year.

Recipients of the 2013 NFHS national awards for boys sports are:

David Gentry, football, Murphy (North Carolina) High School; John Jones, track and field, Columbia (South Carolina) Spring Valley High School; Dennis Bower, basketball, Onalaska (Washington) High School; Larry Turner, baseball, Owasso (Oklahoma) High School; Gregory Oglesby, soccer, Southlake (Texas) Carroll Senior High School; Bill Johnson, wrestling, Norton (Kansas) Community Senior High School; Claney Duplechin, cross country, Baton Rouge (Louisiana) Episcopal High School; Skip Griese, tennis, Ada (Oklahoma) High School; James McGill, golf, Ottawa Hills (Ohio) High School; and Joe Pereira, swimming and diving, Salt Lake City (Utah) Skyline High School.

Recipients of this year’s national awards for girls sports are:

Richard Kates Jr., track and field, Higham (Massachusetts) Notre Dame Academy; Rhonda Farney, basketball, Georgetown (Texas) High School; Mary Jo Cerqua, volleyball, Baldwinsville (New York) High School; Thomas Hasbrouck, soccer, Buckhannon-Upshur (West Virginia) High School; Jeff Hulse, softball, Olathe (Kansas) East High School; Steven Porter, cross country, Milan (Michigan) High School; Philip Rudolph, tennis, Fayetteville-Manlius (New York) High School; Richard Hawks, swimming and diving, Greenwich (Connecticut) High School; and Margaret Stanley, golf, Socorro (New Mexico) High School. There was no national coach selected for girls lacrosse.

The recipient of the National Coach of the Year Award for spirit is Michelle Akers of Logan (West Virginia) High School, and Jennifer Haney of Hudson (Ohio) High School was chosen in the other sports category for Field Hockey.

In addition to the 21 National Coaches of the Year, the NFHS Coaches Association has selected John E. Nicolaysen of Oakland, New Jersey, as the recipient of the National Coach Contributor Award. This award is presented to an individual who has gone above and beyond and who exemplifies the highest standards of sportsmanship, ethical conduct and moral character, and who carries the endorsement of his or her respective state high school association.

The NFHS has a contact person in each state who is responsible for selecting deserving coach award recipients. This contact person often works with the state coaches’ association in his or her respective state. He or she contacts the potential state award recipients to complete a coach profile form that requests information regarding the coach’s record, membership in and affiliation with coaching and other professional organizations, involvement with other school and community activities and programs, and coaching philosophy. To be approved as an award recipient and considered for sectional and national coach of the year consideration, this profile form must be completed by the coach or designee and then approved by the executive director (or designee) of the state athletic/activities association.

The next award level after state coach of the year is sectional coach of the year. The NFHS is divided into eight geographical sections. They are as follows: Section 1 – Northeast (CT, ME, MA, NH, NJ, NY, RI, VT); Section 2 – Mideast (DE, DC, KY, MD, OH, PA, VA, WV); Section 3 – South (AL, FL, GA, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN); Section 4 – Central (IL, IN, IA, MI, WI); Section 5 – Midwest (KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD); Section 6 – Southwest (AR, CO, NM, OK, TX); Section 7 – West (AZ, CA, HI, NV, UT); and Section 8 – Northwest (AK, ID, MT, OR, WA, WY).

The NFHS Coaches Association has an advisory committee, composed of a chair and eight sectional representatives. The sectional committee representatives evaluate the state award recipients from the states in their respective sections and select the best candidates for the sectional award in each sport category. The NFHS Coaches Association Advisory Committee then considers the sectional candidates in each sport, ranks them according to a point system, and determines a national winner for each of the 20 sport categories, the spirit category and one “other” category.

A total of 515 coaches will be recognized this year with state, sectional and national awards.

Following are biographical sketches of the 2013-14 National Coaches of the Year.

BOYS SPORTS

Baseball

Larry Turner

On the diamond, Larry Turner has tallied a 969-212 career record in his 34 seasons as the baseball coach for Owasso (Oklahoma) High School. During his tenure, Owasso has grabbed 25 conference, two district, 21 regional and 12 state titles. Turner is the current president of the Tulsa Metro Baseball Association (TMBA) and has served four terms in the position in the past. In addition, he has earned 18 Coach of the Year honors and the Oklahoma Coach of the Decade for 2000-10. He was inducted into the Owasso High School Athletic Hall of Fame and the Oklahoma Baseball Coaches Association (OBCA) Hall of Fame. Turner is a member of the TMBA, the OBCA, National Baseball Coaches Association and the American Baseball Coaches Association and serves as the assistant athletic director at Owasso.

As a team, Turner and his coaches and players volunteer at the United Methodist Pumpkin Patch every October by unloading 6,000 pumpkins. They also visit the veterans at the Claremore Veteran’s Hospital and local elementary schools to read to students through Rams and Reading. “Athletics teach kids to be accountable, make our school/community proud of them and allow them to be appreciative of what they have,” Turner said. “Everything else has a way of working out.”

In addition to creating several fundraising initiatives at Owasso, Turner also started a “credit” system, decreasing the amount of money parents pay for equipment. When parents volunteer time working different events for the baseball team, they receive “credits” that go toward paying for their son’s equipment.

Basketball

Dennis Bower

Although Dennis Bower holds a 518-195 career record after 39 seasons at Onalaska (Washington) High School, a win-loss record doesn’t stand out to the boys basketball coach. “Coaching and athletics are more than the wins and losses. I truly believe that it is our responsibility to promote and pursue excellence in education, sportsmanship and citizenship through all activities,” he said. “We are entrusted to instill life skills and attitudes in the student-athlete to allow them to be viable and productive citizens for the 21st century. We guide, teach, motivate, inspire and support kids every day to achieve this ultimate goal.”

With that goal in mind, Bower established Athletes for a Better World (ABW) at Onalaska, a student-athlete organization committed to individual character, teamwork and civic responsibility. At each home varsity contest, ABW presents a sportsmanship medal to a player from the opposing team. In 2005, ABW was honored by the National ABW organization.

As a coach, Bower has been awarded numerous coach of the year recognitions, including the league (16 times), The Daily Chronicle (1994, 2002, 2011) and Washington State Basketball (1994). He was named Coach of the Decade by the Southwest Washington (SWW) 1A League District Tournament Committee for 1998-2007 and selected to the Washington State Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013.

Bower has served as the athletic director for Onalaska for 16 years and was the baseball coach for one year. He has held a president position for the SWW 1A League, the Central 2B League and the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association District IV Executive Board. He is a member of the Washington Interscholastic Basketball Coaches Association, Washington State Coaches Association and the Washington Secondary School Athletic Administrators Association.

Cross Country

Claney Duplechin

Finishing his 30th season coaching boys cross country at Baton Rouge (Louisiana) Episcopal High School, Claney Duplechin has won 25 championships at both the district and state level and has served as the president of the East Baton Rouge Track and Cross Country Coaches Association for 25 years. In 1999, he won the Louisiana State Coach of the Year, and three years later, he won the National Gill Track Coach of the Year. Duplechin has been named Coach of the Year for East Baton Rouge Parish Boys Cross Country and Track for 20 and nine years, respectively and was given the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Louisiana Track and Field Coach Association (LTFCA).

Duplechin is a 10-year member of the LSU Track and Field Officials Association and has been in charge of the state cross country polls for Louisiana. He is also a member of the Louisiana Track and Field Officials Association, the LTFCA and the Louisiana State Track Advisory Board. Continuing his work in athletics, he aids with the local Senior Olympics and provides clinics for the Senior Olympics coaches. He has been the meet director for 36 district and 30 regional track meets and is a three-time clinician at the Louisiana State Coaches Clinic. Duplechin served on a board that worked to incorporate wheelchair athletes into state meets.

The cross country coach has been tremendously involved outside of his high school team. At the middle school level, he started the cross country program. He has also started the Cajun dance class at the high school, and he was involved in the beginning of the softball, girls track and baseball programs at Episcopal. Duplechin’s contributions in athletics motivated Episcopal High School to build a “Coach Dupe” trail, a three-quarter-mile loop around the school, to honor him in November 2013.

Football

David Gentry

As the Murphy (North Carolina) High School football coach, David Gentry holds a 340-171 career record for the past 42 seasons, coaching 14 conference, nine district, eight regional and five state champion teams. In 2013, he was honored as USA Today’s Best High School Coach in North Carolina, USA Today’s Seventh Best High School Coach in the United States Southeastern Region and the first “Game Changer” by WLOS TV Sports for making a difference in Western North Carolina athletics. In Western North Carolina, Gentry is the all-time winningest high school football coach and ranks fifth in the state. He was also named to the “100 to Remember Coaches List” by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA).

Gentry won the Carolina Panthers Coach of the Week award in November 2007 and the Kiwanis All Star Glenn C. Marlow Award in 2010. He boasts one state, one Region Eight and 12 conference Coach of the Year awards. At Murphy, he holds multiple roles, including the athletic director since 1983 and the assistant boys track and field coach. Previously, he has held head coaching positions for boys basketball, boys and girls track and field and golf. Making additions to Murphy, Gentry has started programs for volleyball, wrestling, baseball, softball, boys and girls soccer, track and field, cross country and swimming.

The football coach is a member of the North Carolina Coaches Association and North Carolina Football Coaches Association and sits on the Board of Directors for NCHSAA. His philosophy on athletics is to instill in his athletes “the drive to improve every day, otherwise they take a step backward.” Off the playing field, Gentry is a member of the Shepherd of Mountains Church.

Golf

James McGill

James McGill has a 21-season coaching career for the boys golf team at Ottawa Hills (Ohio) High School, tallying a state, five regional, 12 district and 11 conference championships. McGill has been named the Coach of the Year by the Northwest District Gold Coaches Association four times and the Toledo Area Athletic Conference (TAAC) nine times. Within the TAAC, he takes responsibility for individual and team points used to determine all-conference players, as well as running and maintaining the conference website. McGill has also built and maintained greenbeargolf.com, a site dedicated to the Ottawa Hills golf team.

Within the Toledo Junior Golf Association (TJGA), McGill stands as co-executive director. He’s been a member of the Board of Directors at TJGA for 14 years and co-director for seven years. In another committee position, he is involved in the charity golf tournament, which donates all proceeds to the Brian N. Hoeflinger scholarship fund. McGill has spent ten years coaching basketball at Ottawa Hills, and previously at Toledo (Ohio) Woodward High School and Toledo (Ohio) DeVilbiss High School.

Outside of golf, McGill aids students in afterschool activities, such as a running a computer lab with online activities to help improve test scores. Continuing his work on and with computers, he organized a computer group that formatted donated computers, added software and donated them to families within the community.

Soccer

Gregory Oglesby

After 21 seasons as head coach of the Southlake (Texas) Carroll High School boys soccer team, Gregory Oglesby holds a career record of 344-126, with seven conference titles, seven district titles and two state titles. He served as a regional representative for the Texas Association of Soccer Coaches Organization (TASCO) for one year and was named Coach of the Year by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) in 2011. He has won 22 various coach of the Year awards, including NSCAA State, TASCO State, Ft. Worth Star-Telegram, TASCO Regional, Boys and Girls District and Dallas Morning News.

Oglesby doesn’t just keep his coaching talents to one team. While at Carroll, he has served as the varsity assistant volleyball coach for 15 years, the assistant tennis coach for three years, and the head girls soccer coach for four years. He is a U.S. History teacher and the former department head, as well as former outdoor education teacher. He’s a presenter at the State Middle School Association Conference.

Outside Carroll, Oglesby coaches club soccer, which he has done for 30 years. He founded the Challenge Select Soccer Club and Dragon Soccer Camp. “My job is to make every student-athlete the best person he can be. The lessons learned in the process of striving to be the best you can are life lessons that will greatly guide them in becoming successful citizens, husbands, fathers and men who will be a positive influence,” he said. Carrying his faith, Oglesby is a former church deacon for the Memorial Baptist church, where he served as a Sunday school teacher for 17 years. He’s volunteered for Fellowship of Christian Athletes and is a member of Coach’s Outreach, as well as a child sponsor for Compassion International.

Swimming and Diving

Joe Pereira

With a 198-88 career record, Joe Pereira has coached the boys swimming and diving team at Salt Lake City (Utah) Skyline High School for 36 seasons. While at Skyline, he has coached seven district champion teams, as well as eight state champion teams and nine runner-up finalists. He is a 13-time divisional Boys Swim Coach of the Year and 16-time divisional Girls Swim Coach of the Year. In 2002, he was awarded Utah 4A Division Coach of the Year for all sports, as well as 2009 NFHS Girls Swimming Coach of the Year.

Pereira serves as president of the Utah Coaches Association, chair of Region Swimming, as a representative for the Utah Swim Coaches and a member of the Utah High School Activity Association Swimming Advisory Board. He has coached the Skyline girls and boys water polo teams, served as a basketball statistician and member of the football chain gang, and refereed “A+” US Water Polo.

At Skyline, Pereira started numerous classes, including Learn to Swim, Lifeguard Training, Water Safety Instructor and Recreational Swim. He is a 15-year member of the Salt Lake City Board of Trustees in the special service district, where he served as chair for four terms. Pereira is also a five-year Magna (Utah) Community Council member.

Tennis

Skip Griese

Skip Griese has served as the boys tennis coach at Ada (Oklahoma) High School for the past 29 seasons. He’s coached 24 regional champion teams, eight Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association (OSSAA) runner-up finalists and five OSSAA state title teams. He was named regional coach of the year and coach of the year for four years each, OSSAA All-State coach for two years and Oklahoma District Coach of the Year in 2008 for boys tennis. He was coach of the year for girls tennis in 2003 and 2006.

Starting his tennis coaching career in 1984, Griese has served on the Ada Tennis Association Board since that year. He served as president of the Oklahoma Tennis Coaches Association from 1989 to 1990 and has been a board member for 10 years. He has served as the director of the City of Ada Summer Tennis Program since 1984 and co-founder of the Chickasaw Native American Summer Tennis Camp since 2005. A member of the Ada Tennis Club, Griese started a cardio tennis program for adults.

At Ada High School, Griese initiated the Financial Literacy Department in 2012 and stands as co-chair. He has been the Veterans Day coordinator since 2006 and takes part in the junior high after school tennis program in the fall. He has been the seventh and eighth grade basketball coach since 1986 and volunteers his time as an assistant coach for the high school girls basketball team. He reflects on athletics: “High school athletics should instill in the student-athlete the love, dedication and hard work that goes into the commitment to excel in any adventure in life. These qualities, along with a team atmosphere, will help this individual to be a productive and self-motivated citizen after their high school athletics career.”

Track and Field (Outdoor)

John Jones

Starting his 35th year coaching track and field at Columbia (South Carolina) Spring Valley High School, John Jones boasts a 256-56 career record, with 15 conferences wins and five state titles. As a successful coach, he believes student athletic participation is vital at a high school. “High school athletics are an integral part of the overall education system in which students learn self-discipline, teamwork, goal setting, work ethic and sportsmanship.”

Jones has been named coach of the year from Spring Valley’s Regional area 33 times, the South Carolina Track and Cross Country Coaches Association (SCTCCCA) six times and the South Carolina Athletic Coaches Association (SCACA) four times. He was inducted into the SCTCCCA Hall of Fame and the SCACA All Sports Hall of Fame in 2005 and 2007, respectively. He also served as athletic director at Columbia from 1995 to 2005. For the past 31 years, Jones has been the meet director for all eight South Carolina High School League (SCHSL) state cross country meets, as well as the SCHSL state track and field meets for 29 years.

To better serve high school athletes, Jones founded the Taco Bell Track and Field Classic, the Sandhills Cross Country Invitational, the Spring Valley Sports Hall of Fame, Spring Valley competitive cheer and girls and boys swim teams, the Viking Track Club and an indoor and outdoor pole vault camp. He developed and directed a distance camp in Western Virginia for the past 15 years for Spring Valley athletes, as well.

Wrestling

Bill Johnson

Bill Johnson has a 26-year coaching career on the Norton (Kansas) Community Senior High School wrestling mat with a record of 222-78. He has coached 14 conference champion teams and six Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) state teams. He has been on the executive board for the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association (KWCA) since 1989. He belongs to the Kansas Coaches Association, USA Wrestling Coaches and the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).

Johnson was awarded KWCA 321A Coach of the Year in 1997, 2001, 2010 and 2013 and the National Wrestling Coaches Association Coach of the Year in 2005. In 1998, he was inducted into the Fort Hays State University Athletics Hall of Fame. Two years later, he was inducted into the NAIA Athletics Hall of Fame. Johnson is also a member of the KWCA, Kansas Coaches Association, USA Wrestling Coaches and the NSCA.

Johnson started the Local Huddle of Fellowship of Christian Athletes at Norton, which he continues to help lead. Continuing his faith, he is the president of “The Rock,” a non-denominational, all-volunteer Christian youth center. Johnson is the local coordinator for “Kids Voting Kansas” and has served as a football coach for the junior high.

GIRLS SPORTS

Basketball

Rhonda Farney

Spending her time on the hardwood, Rhonda Farney has tallied a 974-265 career record as the girls basketball coach for Georgetown (Texas) High School for the past 39 seasons. She has brought home 20 conference titles, as well as a Texas University Interscholastic League (UIL) state title. She has been a board member for the NFHS Coaches Association and president of the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches (TABC) and the Texas Girls Coaches Association (TGCA).

Farney was named the American Statesman Coach of the Year for six total years. She was also named the coach of the year for the TGCA (two years), Fox Southwest (one year), the TABC (two years), and the NFHS Coaches Association District Six (two years). She coached the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Nike All-American game in 1996 and 2003 and was inducted into the Texas Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013.

Off the court, Farney takes part in Georgetown High School’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes. She was the school’s assistant principal from 1988 to 1990. She has been involved in Partners in Education, First Serve and the Strong Women Speaker Program, both programs created to aid students in their education and involvement in the community. As a coach, Farney said, “Nothing is more rewarding than to foster an attitude that allows diverse young women to come together and play as a team with one common goal.”

Cross Country

Steven Porter

For the past 39 seasons, Steven Porter has dedicated himself to the sport of running. As the girls cross country coach for Milan (Michigan) High School, he’s compiled 18 conference championships and a Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) state title. He started his coaching career at Milan as the first boys and girls cross country coach, continuing his tenure as the school’s only girls cross country coach.

Porter has held a membership and various offices in the Michigan Interscholastic Track Coaches Association (MITCA), including cross country and track and field chairperson and public relations director. He was a nominee for the MITCA Cross Country Coach of the Year in 1986, 1987 and 2006, winning it 1988. The Michigan High School Coaches Association (MHSCA), where he currently holds a membership, named him the MHSCA Cross Country Coach of the Year in 1991 and 2013. Porter has won the Monroe Evening News Cross Country Coach of the Year 11 times.

Off the course, Porter stands as the math department head at Milan. He is a class advisor and has been the National Honor Society advisor for 39 years. He wants to teach his cross country runners to “do the right things first, the first things right and do it that way each and every time.”

GIRLS SPORTS

Field Hockey

Jennifer Haney

For 17 seasons, Jennifer Haney has been coaching high school field hockey. The Hudson (Ohio) High School coach has led her teams to a 158-50-23 record. In addition, Haney’s teams have won three conference championships, two district championships and two regional championships.

“It is my belief that sport imitates life in many ways,” Haney said. “In my experiences, field hockey has been an excellent tool in teaching young athletes the importance of hard work, perseverance, education and creating a passion to strive to their full potential.”

This philosophy led Haney to begin successful youth camps at her school. The camps, began in 2001 and annually host 50 to 60 attendants.

Haney’s involvement in the field hockey community includes being a member of the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (FHCA) and the Ohio FHCA, in which she served as president for two years, as well as serving as a Northeast Ohio field hockey representative.

Golf

Margaret Stanley

In seven of the 11 seasons that Margaret Stanley has been the girls golf coach in Socorro, New Mexico, her team has won a state championship. Since the 2008-09 season, Stanley has led her team to a record of 329 wins, only nine losses and one tie. Her teams have won five of the seven state championships in five years.

The success of her teams has led to Stanley being honored as the New Mexico Activities Association (NMAA) District Coach of the Year for 10 years in a row. She has also been the recipient of the NMAA State Coach of the Year and the New Mexico High School Coaches Association Region 8 Coach of the Year. Stanley has also held the position of A-3A representative to the NMAA Golf Specific Committee and Golf State Championships A-3A Tournament Director.

Eight years ago, Stanley began a middle school golf program for boys and girls – the only feeder into the high school program. She also restarted the Renaissance Program, which is a national program that encourages the entire student body to have good grades, good attendance and good behavior.

“I believe sports programs should not teach the fundamentals and rules of that sport, but it should teach students skills that they will use for life,” Stanley said.

Soccer

Thomas Hasbrouck

In 1985, Thomas Hasbrouck started the boys soccer program at Buckhannon (West Virginia) Upshur High School and followed with the creation of the girls program in 1995.

Hasbrouck coached the boys team from its inception until 2008 and has been coaching the girls team since 2003. In the 10 seasons that he's been the girls coach, his teams have a record of 122 wins, 77 losses and 13 ties. He's led them to three conference championships, two district championships and one team regional championship.

Under his tutelage, the women's teams have excelled not only on the field, but in the classroom. They earned NSCAA Team Academic Awards in six consecutive years from 2007 to 2012.

This is not Hasbrouck's first NFHS Coach of the Year honor - he received the award as a West Virginia boys swimming coach in 2003. He's also involved in other youth camps and organized an indoor soccer program from 1985 to 2002.

Softball

Jeff Huske

In 14 seasons as the head softball coach at Olathe (Kansas) High School, Jeff Huske has accumulated a record of 308-22 with seven state championships. In the past five years, his teams have recorded 112 wins and 11 losses on their way to two state championships.

"We play to win, but I try to stress that winning is not everything and that if you've done the best you can, then you can be congratulated on a job well done," said Huske. "Athletes should be proud of their efforts and performance."

His philosophy has led to success on the field and that success is rewarded with coaches honors. Huske had six Sunflower League Coach of the Year selections and was named the Kansas Coaches Association State Softball Coach of the Year three times (2004, 2009, 2013).

When Huske is not coaching softball, he can be found coaching the girls tennis team or doing work for the various coaching associations to which he belongs.

Spirit

Michelle Robertson

“I believe that athletics is much more than an opportunity to improve our overall physical health; rather, it is a daily learning process of the fight that we have within us to work harder, push further and give more of our heart to reach our goals,” said Michelle Robertson, the spirit coach at Logan (West Virginia) High School.

In the 16 seasons that she has been coaching, her teams have 127 wins and 34 losses and one state championship. In the past five years, they’ve only lost six times on the way to 71 wins.

Robertson is active in the Logan school community – serving as the secretary of the Booster Club, judging the senior class project, serving as a parent volunteer for the baseball team and a basketball tournament volunteer. She started the Mr. Wildcat Homecoming King Competition, Logan High School Basketball Gold Rush Night and the annual cheer fun night for area youth.

The West Virginia School Athletic Coaches Association named Robertson the State Cheer Coach of the Year in 2009-10 and she was the 2013 West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission State Cheer Coach of the Year.

“The knowledge gained in athletics of perseverance, responsibility, determination, mental strength and drive carry forward throughout the various aspects of our lives and help meet challenges with a better sense of confidence,” Robertson said.

Swimming & Diving

Richard Hawks

Richard Hawks, the swimming and diving coach at Greenwich (Connecticut) High School believes that students may not remember if they won or lost, but that they will remember the relationships that they have built through their participation in the sport.

Since the 2008-09 season, the girls swimming and diving team has a record of 50-0 with five state championships. Hawks’s career coaching record is 258-5 with 18 team state championships, since he began coaching 25 years ago.

Hawks’s relationship-driven philosophy led him to start a team outing to give the swimmers and divers a chance to be together outside of the pool environment, as well as a three-day trip to the Brattlboro (Vermont) Austine School prior to the season where the team can bond and develop relationships before the season begins. The team donated $3,000 to the school, this past year, to build additional high ropes elements.

In 2013, Hawks was named the Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference Coach of the Year to add to his other accolades. His other awards include being named Greenwich Time Coach of the Year (1994), CISCA Coach of the Year (1992, 2000), CHSC Coach of the Year for All Girls Sport (2006) and CHSCA No. 1 Girls Sport Team in the State for All Girls Sports (2009).

Tennis

Philip Rudolph

Over the past five years, the girls tennis team at Fayetteville-Manlius (New York) High School has a 70-0 record with five conference championships. That is in thanks to Coach Philip Rudolph, who has a career record of 420 wins and six losses along with 26 district championships.

Rudolph has been recognized as the coach with the longest winning streak (328) in high school tennis and the longest active winning streak in any sport. He has received many honors from the high school and school board as well as having been named the United States Tennis Association Eastern Region High School Coach of the Year.

When he’s not coaching girls tennis, Rudolph also coaches the freshman boys lacrosse team and the freshman boys basketball team. He is also active in numerous camps, clinics, leagues and tournaments for both tennis and lacrosse. He dedicates time to these other programs throughout the school year and summer.

Track and Field

Richard Kates Jr.

Richard Kates Jr. has been coaching track and field for 25 seasons and has only recorded three losses. His teams have won 205 times, while earning 25 conference and district championships, five regional championships and two state championships.

“Track and field should be a passion, not an obsession,” Kates said. “It is you versus the watch or tape measure. You are responsible for your performance. Your teammates are there to help and support in reaching your achievements and goals both on and off the field.”

This philosophy has lead to a state championship and perfect 40-0 record since the 2008-09 season for the girls from Higham (Massachusetts) Notre Dame Academy.

Kates has been recognized as Coach of the Year by several associations and organizations including USA Track and Field, Dual County League and Massachusetts State Track Coaches Association (MSTCA). His teams have won eight Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association sportsmanship awards. Kates has been inducted into two halls of fame – SchoolSports in 2002 and MSTCA in 2005.

Volleyball

Mary Jo Cerqua

On October 1, 2013, Mary Jo Cerqua earned her 450th career win as a volleyball coach. In the 24 seasons she’s been coaching, her teams have earned a 455-36 record and 17 conference championships. Since the 2008-09 season, Cerqua has coached her teams at Baldwinsville (New York) High School to 91 wins, five losses and a team state championship in 2010.

Cerqua opened the opportunities for students to play volleyball by beginning a sixth- and seventh-grade intramural volleyball program. She also started camps for fourth through sixth graders, as well as a camp for the eighth and ninth graders. Throughout the school year, she holds volleyball clinics for sixth through eighth graders.

She is involved in the volleyball community as a Section 3 Volleyball Representative and a Section 3 Volleyball State Representative. She has been awarded the Section 3 Coach of the Year numerous times as well as the State Coach of the Year.