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U.S. Olympic Committee names finalists for Annual Coaching Awards
The United States Olympic Committee on Friday announced the finalists
for its National, Developmental, Volunteer and Paralympic Coach of the
Year honors. Finalists were also named for the "Doc" Counsilman Science
Award.
U.S. Olympic and Pan American sports organizations selected their 2006
Coaches of the Year as part of the USOC Coach of the Year Recognition
Program. The finalists in each category were selected by a panel of
former coaches and officials.
Finalists for the USOC National Coach of the Year include, representing
USA Track & Field, Clyde Hart, who coached Sanya Richards and Jeremy
Wariner to undefeated seasons in 2006 in the women's and men's 400
meters, respectively, as his athletes dominated the world. Both athletes
won a share of the IAAF Golden League Jackpot for winning all six
prestigious Golden League meets and were named the Jesse Owens Award
winners by USATF as the top track athletes of the year.Hart was named
the 2006 Nike Coach of the Year by USATF, having previously won the
award in 2004.
In 43 years as coach at Baylor University, Hart has coached 29 national
champions (14 individual and 15 relay) and 475 All-America performances
and 118 women's All-Americans. His men's 4x400-meter relay teams have
earned outdoor All-America status for 25 consecutive years and captured
14 NCAA titles. Hart's teams have turned in 10 World-record performances
(nine individual and one relay) and nine NCAA record efforts.
Additional finalists in the USOC National Coach of the Year category are
Steve Fraser (Colorado Springs, Colo./USA Wrestling), Bud Keene (Stowe,
Vt./U.S. Ski and Snowboard), Ryan Shimabukuro (Layton, Utah/U.S.
Speedskating) and Andy Sparks (Temecula, Calif./USA Cycling).
Finalists for the title of Volunteer Coach of the Year include,
representing USATF, Booker Woods of Los Angeles, who in his 34 years of
volunteer coaching in track and field and cross country has produced 104
national champions, and during that time his Los Angeles Jets club team
has set 23 national records.
In 2006, Woods coached five athletes to wins at USA Track & Field
Regional Championships, and 43 of his athletes qualified for the USATF
National Junior Olympic Championships in Baltimore, Md. In addition to
pursuing success on the track, Booker's program motivates children and
adolescents to perform well in the classroom and be productive citizens.
He encourages parents to be involved in the children's academics, sports
and spirituality.
Additional finalists in the USOC Volunteer Coach of the Year category
include Tom Barker (Victoria, Texas/USA Archery), Jack Kelly (Westport,
Conn./U.S. Field Hockey), Patrick Barry (Las Vegas, Nev./USA Boxing) and
Chuck Slaughter (Amarillo, Texas/U.S. Fencing).
For more information on the USOC Annual Coaching Awards, visit
www.usocpressbox.org .
Lightning kills prep runner
A lightning strike killed a high school runner as he left a pole vault
pit shortly before a track meet Thursday in Carbondale, Ill., according
to ESPN.com News Services.
Corey Williams, 18, was returning to the main track area from the pole
vault pit about 4 p.m. when the lightning bolt hit him. Coaches and
others tried to revive him, but he was declared dead by the time he
reached a hospital.
"It sounded like a sonic boom," Nick Evans, a member of the 1,600-meter
relay team with Williams, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
More than 200 people attended a candlelight vigil for Williams on
Thursday night, and classes at the school were canceled Friday to give
the students time to grieve.
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