BY DEAN CRIDDLE – News-Democrat

BELLEVILLE —    When Mascoutah native Josh Lane arrived at Belleville East seven years ago, he had never attended a high school track meet.

Earlier last fall, the 30-year-old former member of the Gateway Grizzlies baseball team took over the reins of one of the premier boys track and field programs in the state when he was named as the Lancers new head coach.

“The first track meet I ever saw was my first as an assistant under coach (Jim) Loyet six years ago. Obviously, I still have a lot to learn about coaching track as a lot of people do,” Lane said earlier in the week. “But you prepare the kids to be successful. The same principles work in all sports. If they’re well prepared, know what to expect and have high standards, they’ll be held accountable.”  

Read more here: http://www.bnd.com/2012/01/05/2003337/pupil-becomes-teacher-as-lane.html#storylink=cpy

Seven coaches were voted into ITCCCA’s Coaches Hall-of-Fame at the recent Hall-of-Fame Committee meeting. They will be inducted at the annual ITCCCA Hall-of-Fame Banquet, following the Clinic on January 14, 2012. The selection meeting takes place in October each year. ITCCCA by-laws allow the committee to select up to seven members each year. This year there were nearly 50 coaches nominated.
The committee consists of 16 Hall-of-Fame coaches through Illinois. Each region of the State is represented. Fifteen of those coaches cast votes this year. Each of the candidates was discussed at length with concern focusing on the three C’s – coaching record, contribution to the sports outside of coaching, and character. The committee was faced with a tough task of only selecting seven inductees. Each of the members present placed a secret ballot where they were allowed to vote for seven coaches. The votes were cast and counted.

The following coaches have been selected for this year:

Richard Beebe ( Homewood-Flossmoor/Fenwick 1976-2010): The ITCCCA Hall-of-Fame Committee excitedly welcomes Richard Beebe. Recently retired, “Dick” coached track & field and cross country for a total of 40 years. He coached in Michigan for six years before coming to Homewood-Flossmoor. It was at H-F where he had his most success. He coached 25 State medalists, including three State Champions. in high jump and hurdles. Coach Beebe was known as a top technician in the high jump, he was quite a successful coach in the hurdles as he coached athletes to twelve State medals in the highs and lows. After retiring from H-F, he continue to teach and coach at Fenwick High School. He coached the Prairie State Games for 4 years, developed the H-F Track & Field Invitational into one of the top events in Illinois, and was a speaker at the ITCCCA clinic. “Dick” was a terrific motivator and great organizer. As an educator, he was named Illinois physics teacher of the year in 1999. Richard Beebe is a great addition to ITCCCA’s Hall of Fame.
Mike Brazier (Proviso West 1985-present): ITCCCA is deeply honored to induct Mike Brazier into its Coaches’ Hall-of-Fame. Mike has been the head girls track & field coach at Proviso West for twenty-five years. He has taught at the school for 45 years. During this time his teams have won three IHSA State trophies, including 2nd place in 1999. Mike has coached more than 30 All-State athletes. He coached Jasmin Jackson to State title in the long jump in 1997,1998, and 1999. His 400 meter relay won State in 1998 and 1999. Mike, also, worked with Regina George at St. Gregory. Because of Coach Brazier’s influence, Regina earned six IHSA State medals, including first in the 200. She is now at Arkansas and placed runner-up in the NCAA 400 in 2011. Mike has volunteered as a coach with Zephyrs track & field in the summer. He has always stressed hard work, good citizenship, and sportsmanship. His style is quiet, firm, positive, and encouraging. Mike Brazier is very deserving of recognition and entry into the Coaches’ Hall-of-Fame .

Bill Farley (Tinley Park/Hillcrest 1965-present): ITCCCA is thrilled to induct Bill Farley into the Coaches’ Hall-of-Fame. Bill has coached track & field for 45 years. He has, also, coached cross country many years during this time. He was at Tinley Park from 1965 until 1994. After that time he moved over to neighboring Hillcrest as an assistant in the track & field program. Bill has coached 40 All-State athletes in his career and has been a part of two State Championship boys track & field teams. He coached girls cross country at Tinley Park for 25 years. It was during that time, he coached his daughter, Lisa, to 11th in State in 1980. He coached two other girls to top 10 finishes and his team placed 7th in 1980. He started the Tinley Park Cross Country Invitational in the ’70′s. This meet continues to this day, is for both boys and girls, and now is named after coach Farley. Bill is a man who has dedicated over four decades of his life to Illinois’ track and is absolutely a “track person”. He loves the sport and athletes so much and continues to give 100% effort in his coaching. Bill has had an illustrious career and is a long-overdue inductee into ITCCCA’s Hall of Fame.

Chaille Gleason (Palatine 1991-2010): The Illinois Track and Cross Country Coaches Association is quite honored to be inducting Chaille Gleason. She retired after 20 years at Palatine to spend time with her three children. She was paid as an assistant, but in reality she was a co-head coach for one of the most successful programs in Illinois history. As an assistant, Chaille helped coached Palatine teams to seven State track & field trophies, thirteen Sectional titles, ten MSL Conference championships, and 15 MSL Indoor championships. The Palatine Track & Field team placed in the top 4 at the State Meet on ten occasions and is the only team to place in the Top Ten in each of the last ten seasons. Chaille was mainly responsible for the hurdles and jumps, but, also, developed the training program of the sprinters. Her athletes set school records in five relays. Athletes for which she was directly responsible earned State medals on 27 occasions. She coached Donna Wechet to the State Title in the 100 m. high hurdles in 1993. She, also, was an assistant in the cross country program and was a part of three State trophies, including two State Championships. Chaille was a frequent speaker at the ITCCCA clinic, coached in the Prairie State Games, and co-organized the Palatine Summer Track & Field program for 20 years. Chaille Gleason is an outstanding addition to the ITCCCA Coaches’ Hall-of-Fame
Tom McBride (Springfield Southeast 1981-present): ITCCCA is thrilled to induct Tom McBride into the Coaches’ Hall-of-Fame. Coach McBride is one of the most successful men to ever coach track & field in central Illinois. A teacher at Franklin Middle School in Springfield, Tom has been the head coach of the Springfield Southeast girls team for 30 years. Tom has compiled a remarkable record. His teams have won 4 State trophies, including State Championships in 2010 and 2011. He coached athletes to 78 State medal performances, and remarkable 14 State Championships. Coach McBride’s teams have won 16 Sectional and 15 conference titles. Three times he has been named ITCCCA-South Coach-of-the-year. Coach McBride has built pride and responsibility in his teams at Southeast and has meant so much to the school and the community. Tom McBride has had an illustrious career and is a great addition to ITCCCA’s Hall of Fame.

Donna Schulenberg (Eisenhower/Thornton 1978-2010): ITCCCA is excited to inductDonna Schulenberg into its Coaches Hall-of-Fame Donna began her coaching career at the junior high level in Crestwood where she coach Wallace and Dora Spearmon. She became head girls track & cross country at Eisenhower in 1978. While at Eisenhower, Donna coached athletes to 21 individual State medals, including four State Championships and one State record. Her relays won 18 State medals. Her Eisenhower track & field teams earned four top 6 finishes and won three Sectional titles. In 1992, Donna became an assistant at Thornton. She coached there until 2007. At Thornton, her athletes earned 15 State medals in sprint relays and 12 medals in hurdle events. Between the two schools, Coach Schulenberg’s athletes earned 62 State medals. In addition to the school team, Donna established the Metropolitan Striders in 1977. She coached the summer AAU program for 6 years. Several of Donna’s athletes competed quite successfully in track at the collegiate level. The Hall-of-Fame Committee is excited to include Donna Schulenberg in the Class of 2012
Rich Stein (Thornton 1978-2001): ITCCCA is deeply honored to induct Rich Stein into its Coaches’ Hall-of-Fame. Rich served as head cross country and assistant and head track & field coach at Thornton for 24 years. His teams won three Sectionals and placed 4th in State two times. He coached State Champions Mike Sokoloewicz in 2 mile run in 1980, the 3200 meter relay in 1988, and the 1600 meter relay in 1997. Know as a superb jump coach, he had a long list of jumpers place at State, including four athletes who earned runner-ups. Rich coach athletes to 26 State medals. He hosted many events at Thornton, including many SICA meets and the indoor and outdoor Thornton Track & Field Invitationals. Rich has served as an IHSA starter and has been a speaker at the ITCCCA clinic. Coach Stein was all about the athletes and did much to help them through the challenges of adolescence as well as athletics. Coach Stein had a special relationship with his athletes and is highly regarded among his coaching peers. Rich Stein is outstanding inductee into ITCCCA’s Hall of Fame.

By Brenda Young

BELVIDERE — When Aaron Leonard took an assistant boys track position last spring at Belvidere High School, one of the people he called for advice was his uncle, who also coached him in the sport.

Leonard’s uncle is Belvidere North boys cross country and track coach Troy Yunk, whose Blue Thunder squad, the two-time Class 2A state cross country champions, is ranked No. 1 in Class 2A and 28th nationally.

This fall, Leonard, 23, became Belvidere’s boys cross country coach, and on Saturday his young squad will compete alongside Belvidere North at the NIC-10 conference meet.

“After coaching at Belvidere for 20 years, I am still one of their biggest fans,” Yunk said.

Yunk’s team will seek its fourth straight NIC-10 cross country title, while the Bucs look

to improve upon a fifth-place finish from last year.

“We have a young group,” Leonard said. “Five of our seven top runners are underclassmen. We are in the middle of the pack in the NIC-10, probably somewhere between 5 and 7.

“We are improving every day. I think where our program has struggled is summer running. When fall turns around, we have to make up for lost time, where teams like North have it down pat to where offseason is key.”

Leonard knows about the work regimen that Yunk has implemented because he competed in track and cross country for his uncle while at Belvidere in 2002-06.

Leonard was a member of the Bucs’ state qualifying team in 2004.

“Some of the workouts I use today are based a lot on when I was running for Troy,” said Leonard, who attended Northern Illinois University.

Leonard said he knew he wanted to be a coach one day, but didn’t think it would be track or cross country.

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MACOMB, Ill. – The Western Illinois Athletics Department and Track & Field program have announced the Lee Calhoun Memorial Plaza Project, starting with an engraved plaque on the Lee Calhoun Statue out at the Hanson Field track.

Made by Lacky Monument in Macomb, the plaque was installed in late September.  The plaque is the first addition to the plaza that honors Lee Quency Calhoun, who was the track and field coach at Western Illinois from 1980 until his untimely passing in 1989.

“Lee Calhoun is an international track and field legend, and Western Illinois University is privileged to have had him as our head track coach,” Western Illinois Director of Athletics Dr. Tim Van Alstine said. “To honor Lee and his contributions to the sport of track and field, we have dedicated the entrance plaza, which is adjacent to the starting line of the 110 meter hurdles, in his memory.”

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YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — Zach Glavash (Chillicothe IVC), a former University of Illinois and Texas Tech track and field All-American has been named assistant women’s track and field coach at Eastern Michigan University, Head Coach Sue Parks announced Wednesday, Sept. 14.

“After talking to some of the top coaches in the nation about who would be a great fit for our assistant position, Zach Glavash was the one name that emerged,” said coach Parks. “I feel that Zach is going to help propel our already strong sprint/hurdle/jump group to a new level. Not only was Zach an elite athlete, he has also been a part of championship teams as a coach. He wants to win championships and take our athletes to the very highest level. I am excited to bring him to EMU.”

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CARBONDALE — The Missouri Valley Conference announced Wednesday Southern Illinois head track and field coach Connie Price-Smith will be inducted into the MVC Hall of Fame.

Price-Smith will enter the Hall as an “Institutional Great” when the league conducts its annual induction ceremony March 2, 2012 in St. Louis. She joins a 2012 class that includes Missouri State’s Charlie Spoonhour, Louisville’s Denny Crum, Northern Iowa’s Joey Woody, Creighton’s Paul Silas and Evansville’s Fred Schmalz.

“I am truly honored to be selected for such a wonderful award. To be selected among such an illustrious group of individuals is such a privilege,” Price-Smith said. “I am very grateful to the selection committee and I would like to congratulate all the other inductees.”

A four-time Olympian and one of the most decorated athletes Saluki track and field has produced, Price-Smith enters her 11th season as head coach at her alma mater. After spending her first three years as the head women’s coach, Price-Smith took over the combined men’s and women’s program in 2004-05 and has since kept SIU track and field among the top programs in the Missouri Valley Conference.