Girls' Cross-Country Coach of the Year: SJ-O's Jason Retz
Monday, December 15 2014 - IHSA State Meet - Jason Retz|
Why he’s Coach of the Year: Guided the Spartans to a regional (first since 2012), a sectional (first since 2007) and a Class 1A state title (first since 1990) in his first year as coach. SJ-O had three runners — Faith Houston, Abby Gawthorp and Abby Fisher — finish in the top 25 at the state meet, as the Spartans won their state title by 84 points.
Season highlights: “Sweeping the state series — winning regionals, sectionals and state — was a historic accomplishment. My highlight was getting to share the championship with my role models. I didn’t have to call most of them on the phone because they were at the meet. I was able to run up and give them a bear hug. Those are the people that deserve the credit. I guess I was just smart enough to listen to what they were teaching me. This group of girls is special because they are better people than they are runners. None of them are the same, but they fit together like a puzzle. Sometimes you need to flip a piece over to fit, but when they are in the right place, they click. They are family, not teammates. I’m just lucky I was able to be a part of their success.”
A few of my favorites: Bacon ... Last text to Coach Rein ... First job was walking the corn and beans ... Role models, Coach Acklin, Coach McDannald, Coach Garrison, Coach Maroons, Coach Orvis, Coach McInerney, Coach Stiff, Coach VanDeveer and Coach Howarth ... I’m driving a Chevy Avalanche ... Favorite restaurant, Red Lobster ... Favorite athletes, the kids I have had a chance to coach ... Favorite TV show, “The Walking Dead” ... Favorite book, “The Runner’s Field Manual: A Tactical (and Practical) Survival Guide” ... If I weren’t teaching and coaching, I would be a sports broadcaster. (I get to do that for Spartan basketball!) ... Three things on my bucket list: save a life, watch the Tour de France, go to the Olympics.
About Coach Retz: “He definitely motivates us and pushes us to be the best we can be. He doesn’t set limits on us. He always wants us to reach our full potential, and he helps us to get there. It’s nice to have someone like that there to motivate you and keep you focused on your goals. He’s definitely very involved in the sport. He’s always focused on that, it seems like. It’s not just at practice. He cares all the time — constantly talking to us in the hallways about trying to get better, keeping us involved and staying motivated.” — SJ-O senior Abby Fisher