By Michael Newman

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Here are the DyeStat Illinois Boys Coach of the Year during the 2014 Cross Country Season by classification. Congratulations to all the award winners and to the coaches that were considered for this award.

3A Boys – Jim Westphal, Hinsdale Central HS

It was a tough call for the Class 3A Boys award. It came down to four West Suburban Conference Silver Division Coaches that were in the final consideration.

It was not a typical year for York and their coach Joe Newton. Their young team struggled through most of the season including barely getting out of the Niles West Sectional with a fifth place tie in that meet. The Dukes rebounded by placing sixth in the 3A Boys State Meet, then coming back the following week for a shocking third place finish at the NXN Midwest Regional ahead of all Illinois teams except Sandburg.

Glenbard West started off the year ranked 15^th in the DyeStat Illinois 3A Boys Pre-season rankings. Convincing performances by Kyle Nugent’s team winning at Fenton and Kaneland and then placing third at the tough WSC-Silver meet showed that the Hilltoppers belonged with the state’s heavyweights. Despite two of their top runners falling early in the 3A State Meet, West rebounded to finish fifth in that race.

One of the most remarkable performances was that of Lyons Township at the end of the year. Michael Danner was shaking his head after the WSC-Silver Meet when they finished a distant second behind Hinsdale Central and barely ahead of Glenbard West and York. It did not look like the team would make the podium after a fifth place finish at the 3A Marist Sectional. The Lions rebounded in a big way at Detweiller Park getting a trophy in finishing third in the 3A state meet.

Hinsdale Central did not look like they had a chance to defend their state championship especially after finishing a distant second at the 3A Marist Sectional to an overpowering Sandburg squad. It looked bleak in that chance especially with two of their top three runners fighting off injuries. The approach that Coach Jim Westphal had with his team the week approaching the state meet was that of this was a new week and to forget what had happened the week before. The team believed in themselves as they toed the line for the start of the 3A State Meet. The result was their second straight state championship.

Congratulations to Jim Westphal as the 2014 DyeStat Illinois 3A Boys Coach of the Year.

2A Boys – Neal Garrison, Mahomet-Seymour HS

Just like with the 2A Girls award for Coach of the Year, it would have been easy to give the award to Yorkville’s Chris Muth. The Foxes were the defending 2A state champions and had the top 2A runners in the state Jake & Luke Hoffert. Muth did a good job in developing the younger runners behind the Hofferts. That resulted in a second straight state championship.

The team that was a surprise early in the year was Mahomet-Seymour. Neal Garrison’s team caught most of the state’s heavyweight teams off guard at the Richard Spring Invitational. When a 2A team finishes in the top 5 in that meet, it is worth investigating. When the Bulldogs finished second ahead of teams like York caught basically everybody off guard…except themselves.

They continued to roll sweeping their conference, regional, and sectional meets. They captured the program’s first state trophy when they finished second behind Yorkville in the 2A State Meet. The sudden emergence of Mahomet-Seymour this season was enough to give this award to their coach.

Congratulations to Neal Garrison as the 2014 DyeStat Illinois 2A Boys Coach of the Year.

1A Boys – Dave Remmert, Monticello HS

While everyone was looking at defending 1A champions Elmwood-Brimfield, Winnebago, and up and coming Rockford Christian, forgotten was Monticello. The Sages started off the season ranked 6^th in the DyeStat Illinois 1A Boys Pre-Season Rankings. Dave Remmert changed up their schedule this season with trips to Springfield Lanphier and then followed that up at the Richard Spring Invitational. Confidence was there when they went into the St Joseph-Ogden Classic and left the meet with a win. Monticello did battle area power Tolono Unity losing to them at the Okaw Valley Conference Meet. When they rebounded to win the Patriot Invitational at Detweiller Park, they did not look back.

Their 1A State championship was convincing with a 40 second split on their five runners resulting in them being 52 points ahead of 2013 champion Elmwood-Brimfield. It was a testament to the job that Coach Dave Remmert did with his team in the 2014 season.

Congratulations to Dave Remmert as the 2014 DyeStat Illinois 1A Boys Coach of the Year.