Posted: April 10, 2007

Triathlon: Lange, Murray Named USAT Coaches of the Year

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (April 9, 2007) -- The USA Triathlon National Coaching Commission has selected Hank Lange as USAT Elite Coach of the Year and Ian Murray as USAT Developmental Coach of the Year for 2007. Lange and Murray are also the USAT nominees for the United States Olympic Committee Coach of the Year awards. The Elite Coach of the Year represents a coach of an elite athlete who competes at the highest level of their sport. Lange was the recipient of the Developmental Coach of the Year award in 2006 for his work with 2005 U23 World Champion Jarrod Shoemaker. Shoemaker has since moved on to full competition on the ITU World Cup circuit and is already among one of the top U.S. elite males. He had a personal best finish of third at the Edmonton World Cup and finished the season with a fourth place at the Cancun World Cup. He also captured the overall title in USAT’s Haul to the Great Wall Series. Shoemaker’s development is owed in part to Lange’s commitment. Lange, who hails from Brattleboro, Vt., has been coaching for 30 years, covering sports from swimming and running to cross-country skiing, and of course, triathlon. Along the way, he has and continues to work with a broad spectrum of athletes, from grade- school kids to collegiate fireballs, age-group workhorses and elite thoroughbreds. Among the first to make a profession from coaching triathletes, Lange continues to evolve his practice and his philosophy in working with athletes and coaches across the spectrum of age and experience, drawing on inspiration from one arena to inform his work in another. As a career coach, Lange distinguishes himself by his commitment to the integrated development of the individual, not just an individual’s athletic prowess. He is as much a personal mentor as he is an athletic coach. The success of his athletes is grounded in their self-development and growing intra- and inter- personal awareness. He believes that development is much more than a pipeline of athletic talent aimed at international excellence. His view is that the development of athletes is a lifelong process and that anyone who is in pursuit of a noble athletic goal is a developing athlete regardless of age or ability. The Developmental Coach of the Year goes to a coach of a youth club, high school or junior level athlete or a coach directly responsible for coaching athletes to the national or elite level. Murray, who resides in Los Angeles, Calif., is the founder and head coach of the Southern California Junior Elite Triathlon Club. A triathlon coach for nine years, Murray spent this time bringing new athletes to the sport, young and old. He guided several of his athletes to exceptional results in 2006. Esmee Levy was ranked fifth by USAT in the Youth Elite Female category, Jared Brown was the 13th ranked Youth Elite Male, Shana Strange was the eighth ranked Junior Elite Female, and Kelsey Parsons was the tenth ranked Junior Elite Female. Murray’s resume is certainly impressive (USAT Level II Certified Coach, Level II USA Cycling Coach, Total Immersion swim coach, F.I.S.T. certified bike fitter, National Academy of Sports Medicine certified), but it is his enthusiasm for the sport of triathlon that makes him an excellent coach. Because he came to the sport as an adult, he has a special touch with athletes who are new to triathlon. He is patient but encourages his clients to be the best they can be without burning them out, so they will be in the sport for years to come. Murray also serves as the head coach of the LA Triathlon Club, is founding head coach of the LA chapter of Team in Training, and is head coach of the AARP/USAT Tri-Umph! Program, LA. He remains active as athlete, having completed more than 90 multisport races. The USA Triathlon National Coaching Commission is made up of some of the finest multisport coaches in the world. They volunteer their time and knowledge for the sport, the athletes and the coaches. The mission of the NCC is to promote professionalism in multisport coaching and advise USAT staff regarding coach education. About USA Triathlon USA Triathlon is the national governing body for triathlon, duathlon, aquathlon and winter triathlon in the United States. USAT sanctions 2,000 races and connects with more than 85,000 members each year, making it the largest multisport organization in the world. Website: USATriathlon.org.