NEW ORLEANS - The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced the state-by-state winners of its ninth annual High School Track & Field Coaches of the Year Presented by the United States Marine Corps on Tuesday.
One boys coach and one girls coach from 50 states - as well as the District of Columbia - were honored for their successes during the spring of 2023, as selected by a committee of experts from around the nation (two coaches are honored, if they share coaching responsibilities).
State-by-state winners were selected based on their teams' performances throughout the 2023 outdoor track & field 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.).
Each honoree will receive a trophy from the USTFCCCA recognizing their achievements.
The winners from each state are in consideration for the association's National High School Track & Field Coach of the Year award. One boys coach and one girls coach from among all the states will be selected by a panel of experts and be announced next month as the national winners.
Jan Mitchell - Iona Preparatory
Iona Prep saw a giant leap onto the sprint scene in 2023, with their individual and relay talents scoring major wins at both the Catholic and Public State Championships. They were NY #1 for the 4x100m Relay Outdoors, and NY #2 for the 4x200m Relay Indoors. Additionally, three Iona Prep athletes made the final of the State Championship 100m Dash, in a field of eight athletes.
Dave Feuer - Cornwall
Peripherally, it would be easy to identify Indoor and Outdoor 3000m Champion Karrie Baloga as a standout of the Cornwall program. However, Cornwall also fielded the third place Federation 4x400m relay at the Outdoor State Meet, as well as the fourth place 4x800m team, using eight different athletes besides Baloga. This depth proves the Green Dragon system can work for all athletes.