The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches
Association (USTFCCCA) announced the state-by-state winners of its third annual
High School Coach of the Year award for cross country.
Laddie Lawrence of Staples High School and John Goetz of Ridgefield High were the Connecticut honorees for their successes during the fall of 2016, as selected by a committee of experts from around the nation.
State-by-state winners were selected based on their teams' performances throughout the 2016 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.).
Each honoree will receive a trophy from the USTFCCCA recognizing his or her achievements.
Laddie Lawrence, one of the most accomplished coaches in the state, has been coaching for nearly 50 years and has consistently developed winning teams over his entire career.
As head coach of the cross country, indoor track and field, and outdoor track and field teams, Lawrence's Wreckers have racked up a combined 32 FCIAC team championships, 38 state class or State Open championships, two New England championships, 31 undefeated seasons and his teams had a combined 1,762 - 389-2 record (a winning percentage of .814) after this this cross country season.
Staples had a magical season this fall, going undefeated in dual meets and fighting off Danbury who was 3rd in New England to win the FCIAC, Class LL, State Open and New Englands. And to put a cherry on top, the Wreckers qualified for NXN, being only the 2nd team from Connecticut to do so.
John Goetz began his cross country career at Weston High where he compiled a dual meet record of 47-17 in three years. But it has been the last six years at Ridgefield where he has overseen a program that has gone 95-5 and won five FCIAC titles with one runner up finish and three Connecticut State Open championships with six New England team appearances.
In 2016, Ridgefield was undefeated and swept the Fairfield County Conference, the Class LL and the State Open championship meets with a pack that was often no more than 20 seconds apart.
The winners from each state are in consideration for the
association's National High School Cross Country 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 later this month as the national winners.