Leonard Named State's Cross Country Coach of Year

Carroll cross country coach Justin Leonard

After leading the Carroll Dragons boys’ cross country team to the Class 6A title, coach Justin Leonard has been named the state’s Cross Country Coach of the Year. It was the fourth consecutive state championship for the boys. He also led the girls’ team to a fourth-place finish at state.

The following is a release by the US Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association…

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.)