Back in the day, on my second day of high school, my frosh year, I did a 10 miler at coach's request--I ended just getting good and kicking ass at Div I University down the road. Your son's got too many distractions, ie, downloading Ipod tunes and reading chat boards hoping to be good.
sounds like your son should have been running in the summer. thats not the coaches problem. Maybe he should try underwater basketweaving.
Well, too many detractors focusing on the same issues year after year, and most without direct knowledge, is why. I have nothing but respect for him, and he has been immensely influential with my older kids. So, I figure I can at least try to present the facts as best I know them. The jealousy I get; I've seen that very closely at past meets.
What about Brother Colm O'Connell? He is the track coach at St. Patrick High School in Iten Kenya?
They have produced dozens of world champions and almost 100 runners that have competed in the world championships or Olympics.
In 1988 alone 10 of his alumni were part of the Kenya Olympic team.
At the Zurich meet in 1997, three alumni all set world records on the same night!
Wilson Kipketer is only fifth best 800 runner on this high school record list.
ON THE SIDE, he is Issac Songok personal coach. Songok out kicked Bekele to win the Olso 5k earlier this year and narrowly lost to him in 12:48 last week.
Some articles about him;
http://www.mensracing.com/athletes/interviews/2005/colmoconnell.html
Having run versus Kingwood and McCullough (Woodlands) HS, I can vouch for the caliber of their teams and their respective coaches (although Zoe Simpson wasn't coaching Kingwood back then).
However, the biggest knock against the Woodlands is that Dan Green works them hard and makes his runners realize their potential IN HIGH SCHOOL. I don't know of a single Woodlands runner that made it big time.
Contrast that with Kingwood.
Did not Mathers get penalized by the state for illegal recruiting.
Greg Weich, this guy has taken numerous runners to Footlocker finals. Some of the athletes he has coached are the Kaltenbech girls, Brett Vaughn, Kira Sammons and the world famous Ryan"I'm the next Pre"Deak.
Sorry didn't follow the rules. Greg Weich, Smokey Hill HS, Aurora Colorado. If I was still fast I would have this guy coaching me.
Your final answer!! wrote:
Greg Weich, this guy has taken numerous runners to Footlocker finals. Some of the athletes he has coached are the Kaltenbech girls, Brett Vaughn, Kira Sammons and the world famous Ryan"I'm the next Pre"Deak.
Ummm no
I'll second Matt Jones from Shenendehowa (the other was all the way back on page 1!). He hasnt been coaching for a long time but hes had some really good teams, including 3 top 10 teams (#9 94 #2 in 98 #7 in 03) as well as a few other ranked teams (95,97,02)Can get teams from under the radar to contenders, watch out for them on the national scene if he can do it again this year.
Of course I'm bias since I ran for xc at Shen from 98-03 but I would say hes got to be a top 10 candidate since the 90s.
Your final answer!! wrote:
Greg Weich, this guy has taken numerous runners to Footlocker finals. Some of the athletes he has coached are the Kaltenbech girls, Brett Vaughn, Kira Sammons and the world famous Ryan"I'm the next Pre"Deak.
Sorry, you're final answer is incorrect.
Sammons - transfer
Deak - transfer
Kaltenbachs - two for one deal (meaning the coach of Red Bank Regional qualifies since he coached the Trotter twins)
If you're looking at coaches by athletes at FL then the Kranicks do pretty well:
Cheri Goddard
Erin Davis x3
Danielle Coon
Nicole Blood x3
Caitlin Lane
Lindsey Ferguson x3
Hannah Davidson x2
Greg Kelsey
Sammons went from 11:02 to 10:20. Vaughn, Schulz, Kaltenbachs live in the area, all were All-Americans. Say what you want about Deak. NTn 2nd place also.
What do you have agaist Brian Hunsaker? When he coached me he wasn't to far out of high school himself and was an 856 2 miler in HS.
His workouts were amazing and if you could handle them(not get injured) you run incredibly fast. You felt his presence as somebody who had been there and was training you the way a champion is trained and he exuded his confidence on you. What it your riff?
So those of you coached by some of these great coaches, what made them so great? Can you identify what made them outstanding coaches?
Weich's stable:
M. Kaltenbach - 3 time footlocker finalist, 4:43 (mile) and 10:03 (3200) p.r.'s , along with a multitude of national and state titles, and graduated with only one in-state defeat EVER in cc/track!
K.Kaltenbach - 3 time footlocker finalist, and one time footlocker champ, 4:45 indoor mile, 10:18 (3200), 16:51 5k plus numerous state and national titles.
Morgan Schulz - 10:30 for 3200 (sea-level), and 4:56 for 1600 (altitude) plus a footlocker finalist.
Keara Sammons - sure she was a transfer, but she spent more years at Smoky Hill than in Arizona and she came in with a 11:08 p.r and left Smoky as a 2 time footlocker finalist, a state champion, and a 10:20 p.r in the 3200.
In addition, Weich coached a handful of other girls to sub 18:40 at altitude and also coached a 9:01 girls 4x8.
Brent Vaughn - only became a runner during track season his sophomore season and was the state cross champ within one and a half years and set state record of 9:05 (3200) at altitude along with running 8:45 at Arcadia.
Ryan Deak - again, yes he was a transfer, but he sure didn't regress under Weich, rather he had his best (6th) Footlocker finish while at Smoky as well as making a junior world cross team and running 4:12 for 1600 at altitide.
Many other boys under Weich's tenure earned Div 1 or Div 11 scholarships as well.
cc rules wrote:
Weich's stable:
M. Kaltenbach - 3 time footlocker finalist, 4:43 (mile) and 10:03 (3200) p.r.'s , along with a multitude of national and state titles, and graduated with only one in-state defeat EVER in cc/track!
K.Kaltenbach - 3 time footlocker finalist, and one time footlocker champ, 4:45 indoor mile, 10:18 (3200), 16:51 5k plus numerous state and national titles.
Morgan Schulz - 10:30 for 3200 (sea-level), and 4:56 for 1600 (altitude) plus a footlocker finalist.
Keara Sammons - sure she was a transfer, but she spent more years at Smoky Hill than in Arizona and she came in with a 11:08 p.r and left Smoky as a 2 time footlocker finalist, a state champion, and a 10:20 p.r in the 3200.
In addition, Weich coached a handful of other girls to sub 18:40 at altitude and also coached a 9:01 girls 4x8.
Brent Vaughn - only became a runner during track season his sophomore season and was the state cross champ within one and a half years and set state record of 9:05 (3200) at altitude along with running 8:45 at Arcadia.
Ryan Deak - again, yes he was a transfer, but he sure didn't regress under Weich, rather he had his best (6th) Footlocker finish while at Smoky as well as making a junior world cross team and running 4:12 for 1600 at altitide.
Many other boys under Weich's tenure earned Div 1 or Div 11 scholarships as well.
I believe Ms. Sammons ran in Arizona from 7th grade on. She was certainly competitive there as a freshman. She transfered to SmokyHill at the tail end of her sophomore year (late track season)so I'm not sure that spending more years in CO than AZ is true. But let's see if any of these girls do anything of note in college. Megan Kaltenbach did at least make it to NCAAs in the 1500 this spring. I haven't heard anything positive from the others.
I've heard a lot of great things about Green and his performance resume is amazing, but are seriously commending him for "butt chewing" and making kids cry?
Megan lead off the national champion DM during indoors and has progressed nicely as of late setting solid pr's in the 1500 and 3000 after overcoming some injuries and routine college adjustments eary on. Katelyn and Morgan were basically injured for most of their freshman years in college.
In reference to Sammons, I think cc rules was alluding to the fact that she had her most success under Weich's tutelage and that she spent the majority of her high school career at Smoky Hill not in Arizona.
Regardless, this post is about "best high school cross country coaches." It doesn't have anythng to do with college and beyond - so given that fact NO ONE can argue with Weich's success as a high school coach. Very few coaches produce one footlocker finalist - let alone five (and Vaughn very well could have been).