Mitch Angelel graduated from Central Washington University in 1925 and began his teaching and coaching career in Thorpe and Cle Elum. In 1929, he began a 40 – year tenure at Mason Junior High School in Tacoma. He coached several sports but track and field was his first love and his teams were perennial champions. He also coached at University of Puget Sound and had two undefeated years at Stadium High School. Mitch organized the Tacoma Track and Field Club and was instrumental in developing the Pierce County and Pacific Northwest Junior Olympics program. He was active in track and field until he passed away in 1992.

Spike Arlt has been involved in track and field and other sports ever since his high school days in Ritzville, Washington. In 1956 he set a high school record for the 120 yard high hurdles that has yet to be broken. At Washington State University he was selected as Athlete of the Year in 1960 while combining his interests in athletics with an equally avid interest in industrial technology, electronics and physical education. He has been honored by Central Washington University athletics with the “Spike Arlt Invitational Track Meet” for years.

Spike joined the Central Washington University Faculty in 1968 in both physical education academic and athletic coaching roles. Shortly thereafter, (1974) with the help of aerospace engineer Jim Gardner, he developed the first interactive computer models for individualized, performance based training workouts and competitive racing schedules for athletes and coaches. He became the first coach to design and develop custom computerized daily workouts and take them to practice.

Over the years he has amassed a storehouse of statistical data-based athlete training schedules and athlete performances at the local, state, national and international levels of competition. Soon he began utilizing this data and information in the interactive computer program. This suddenly outgrew computer capabilities for processing speed and file storage size. Finally, after advances in computer technology and operating systems, changes in programming languages and six evolutions of reprogramming, the Arlt Technologies, Inc. Event Performance Ratings Tables were developed. These tables were for men and women to determine talent levels of athletes for all events. The “Quick Track and Field Assistant”, the new software program developed by Arlt Technologies for running events only, moved into the latest Windows XP Professional environment for training and competition use. This became operational in 2004. Development continues towards all events including the jumping and throwing areas.

Spike has now been joined and supported by his three active coaching sons, Richard, Robert (Bob) and John. He continues to pursue, develop and expand more offerings to the sport he loves so much.

Even though he is honored as a retired Professor Emeritus from Central Washington University, he continues seasonal coaching at the high school level with his son John as his assistant coach.

A graduate of West Seattle High School (1960) and Central Washington University (1967), Baskett has created an extremely impressive athletic and coaching resume. Baskett began his track and field career as a school record holder in the shot put at both West Seattle and CWU. Baskett then moved into coaching where he quickly led the Mead High School boys program to an unprecedented 159-0 dual meet record in 17 years. During that undefeated 17-year stretch, the boy’s team finished in the top four at the 3A state meet 15 times, including five state team championships and 29 individual event champions. Baskett-led Mead teams were ranked as high as thirrd in the nation two times (1990 and 1995). In only four seasons with the Pirate track and field program, Baskett has quickly turned the Pirate throwers into not only the top in the conference, but in the nation. At the NWC championships the Whitworth men’s throwers dominated the field by accumulating 73 points while winning the shot put and discus. Baskett has coached 20 NCAA national qualifiers and eight All-Americans in his four seasons at Whitworth, and in 2008 and 2009 was honored for his coaching success by being named the NCAA West Region Assistant Coach of the Year. Baskett continues to teach Art at Mead High School.

George Beetchenow coached track and field at Moxee High School (now East Valley High School), Eisenhower High School and A.C. Davis High School. To a man, the athletes that George Beetchenow coached during his track and field career would tell you that he made them think deeply and made them a better person during their time spent with him. His accomplishments are many but he is a coach who seeks no accolades. He measures the mark he’s left behind with the simple fact that one of his former athletes he coached fifty-four years ago at Moxee High School remembered his 93 birthday on last year—a simple gesture that speaks volumes as to the impact that he has had on the lives of the young men he coached. George coached the first 60 foot shot putter in state history – Bill Buchanan at Moxee High School in 1957. He coached the first high school state champion in the decathlon – Mike Clark at Moxee High School in 1958. In 1976, he achieved the coaching mark of having four throwers over 50 feet at Davis High School, a rare accomplishment few schools have achieved since. To gauge how much of an impact he has had on the sport in the Yakima Valley, all you have to do is look at his former athletes that he coached who still hold school records at various schools in the Yakima Valley more than thirty years after his retirement. Bill Buchanan – Moxee High School – Shot Put 1957 Mike Garrison – Eisenhower High School – Discus 1975 Dan Oaks – A.C. Davis High School – Discus 1980 Randy Beetchenow – Carroll High School – Shot Put 1983 More than recognizing his coaching accomplishments, Coach Beetchenow would be more comfortable sharing his recognition with all his former athletes.

Buck began his career at Spokane Community College in 1971 as an instructor in physical education classes and as the first Men's Cross Country and Track Coach. As the Men's Cross Country Coach from 1971-75, Buck won four AACC/NWAACC titles in five years, including one perfect score (15) in the league championship.  As the Head Men's Track Coach from 1972 to 1982, he won 10 AACC/NWAACC Championship titles that included more than 66 individual conference champions and three Olympic athletes.  His track coaching record at SCC is unequaled in NWAACC history.  Buck also played a major role in the football program as an assistant coach for five years and then as head coach in 1987 until football was dropped from the NWAACC in 1989.  He retired from CCS in June of 1998 to work on his ranch in Colbert, Washington.

Tom Buckner credits much of his life's success to his involvement in athletics, especially track and field. A retired former school teacher, Buckner was born on May 28, 1941 in Seattle.

He graduated from Hudson's Bay High School (Vancouver, WA) in 1959 and Central Washington University in 1966. He participated in track and football in both high school and college.

In 1959, Buckner tied the state record in the 200-yard dash when he ran a time of 21.2 seconds. Buckner won a state title in the 100-yard dash in 1958 and was second in 1959. He also was a state champion as part of the Hudson's Bay 4x220 relay team.

After graduating from CWU, Buckner began a coaching career at Franklin Pierce High and coached football and track for the Cardinals from 1966 to 1978 before moving across the state to Mead High from 1979 to 1986. While with the Cardinals of Franklin Pierce, Buckner and assistant Jerry Russell won four consecutive state track and field championships--in 1974, 1975, 1976, and 1977. With a number of top 10 places earned while at Mead, Buckner was an overwhelming selection into the Washington State Coaches Track & Field Hall of Fame in 1998.

Buckner continued his coaching career at Gresham High in Oregon, and most recently in Colorado and in 2009 he serves as the boys and girls track coach at Montbello High in Thornton, Colo.

Buckner also found success on the ski slopes of Washington. He was a ski racer at Crystal Mountain and other places from 1968-88. Buckner also has been an advisor to the U.S. Development Ski Team in the area of mental performance skills.

During the 2010 track season, Coach Chuck Byers reached a milestone that few other coaches have achieved. 2010 marked the 7th decade in which Coach Byers has coached high school athletics.  Chuck began his coaching career in 1955 coaching football and track at Sequim Junior High School.  In 1958 Coach Byers came to Mark Morris and over the next twenty seven years he was an assistant coach in junior high football, diving, boys’ basketball, girls’ basketball, and track and field. Coach Byers was head cross country coach for five years and head track coach for twenty years.  During his tenure as track coach; Coach Byers coached six athletes who won state titles.

Chuck retired from classroom teaching in 1985; however, he did not retire from coaching.  From 1985 to 1992 Chuck coached at White Salmon, Castle Rock and Rainier (OR) high schools.  In 1992 Chuck returned to MM as assistant track coach and has been in this position for the past twenty years.  In addition, Chuck has been an assistant for the girls’ basketball program at Lower Columbia College since 2000.  Chuck was a 1950 graduate of R.A. Long High School, where he was an accomplished athlete. Chuck competed in Track and Field at Seattle Pacific University.  Coach Byers is a member of the Seattle Pacific Hall of Fame

It's a fun story. When coach Herb Callan moved to Goldendale from Texas in the late 1960s, he was surprised that girls track wasn't established in Washington. So he put together the first invitational state meet in 1969. Ninety-eight girls from 32 schools competed. The meet kept growing, and in 1972 drew more than 900 girls from more than 130 schools.

The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association took over girls track in 1973 and held two state meets (one for big schools and one for small schools) at other sites.

Dennis Birney, a Goldendale faculty member and former athletic director, arrived in town in time for the 1972 meet. He said the whole community pitched in to make the event a success, and athletes stayed with families. He remembers a girl from Seattle exclaiming, "I'm staying at a place that has cows and chickens!"

Birney said that women have approached him at state track meets and said, "I was in the state meet at Goldendale, and my daughter is in this meet."

Callan made a huge contribution to girls track in Washington by organizing the Goldendale state invitational meets.

Lee Cave had a coaching philosophy that lasted him a lifetime.

“You’ve got to beat me. I’m not going to let you win. You’ve got to beat me. And if you do, you’re a better athlete that day. But it will give me more motivation.”

Those were the words Cave would tell his athletes during a 57-year coaching career, which included 53 years in Clark County.

Cave lived by those words until the end.

Lee Cave, former teacher and coach at Hudson’s Bay, Fort Vancouver, and Columbia River high schools and assistant track and field coach at Heritage, died Thursday due to complications related to cancer. He was 82.

“He always had a challenge for everybody,” said Chelinda Dettorre, Heritage’s volleyball coach and daughter of Lee and Audrey Cave. “I don’t think there would be anybody that would ever say he didn’t challenge you to be greater than you were.

“He’s been so many things to so many people.”

Cave began his teaching and coaching career in 1953, in tiny Nespelem, a town in northeast Washington. In 1957, he accepted what he called his “dream” job, a position at Hudson’s Bay High School in Vancouver, a place that “year after year, had put out outstanding athletes.”

From Bay, he moved to Fort Vancouver, and then was at Columbia River when its doors opened in 1962. He spent 21 years with the Chieftains before retiring from teaching. Coaching was still in his blood, though. He was an assistant with Heritage’s track and field program until this past spring.

In all, he spent 58 consecutive seasons as a coach or an official — or both — in track and field.

He retired from coaching after this past year, but not without another success story. Cave relayed a story that a coach can truly appreciate.

Sophomore discus thrower Zach Hall began the season as the fourth-best thrower — on the team. By the end of the season, Hall was seeded seventh going into district and ended up second. At bi-district Hall took first place and qualified for state.

“That’s why you get all giddy about (coaching),” Cave said last May.

Then he added another one of his favorite lines.

“They say you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink. Oh yes, you can. Give him some salt in his food along the way.”

In other words, keep coaching, keep pushing, keep encouraging.

Dettorre called her dad kind, fair, and consistent.

“You didn’t always like what he expected from you. In the end, you found out he was right on. He just made you better. He made you a better person.”

Cheyanne Knight, one of Cave’s granddaughters, is Skyview’s volleyball coach. Interestingly, the Heritage and Skyview played each other Thursday night.

Dettorre said Cave was a mentor to both of their coaching careers.

“I can hear myself when I’m coaching, saying something that he said to me,” Dettorre said.

Dettorre was a sophomore at Hudson’s Bay when she picked up a tennis racket for the first time. Her father wrote “NGU” on the handle — Never Give Up.

Dettorre went on to play college tennis at Portland State.

“That was his motto in life, as well. You just never give up,” Dettorre said. “You keep going forward and have the best attitude you can.”

Bio "The Columbian News Paper"

Herm graduated from Coulee Dam High in 1951 and went on to Eastern Washington, where he was a distance runner until graduating in 1955. Herm spent seven years as an elementary and junior high track coach at Coulee Dam and Quincy before moving to Spokane to become head track coach at Ferris.  Herm coached in Spokane for 19 years and his teams won 15 league titles in the Greater Spokane League and a state title in 1971.  Herm coached several outstanding athletes, including Rick Riley and Judd Eddy.  He remains active in teh sport as an assistant at West Valley

1974-77: Played football and basketball, and ran track for Cashmere High School; highlights included state team championships in track and basketball; and state and national records in AAU high school decathlon.

1978-82: Attended Washington State University. Played basketball as a redshirt freshman for coach George Raveling, then joined track team, running 110 and 400 hurdles and setting school freshman record in javelin (sixth in Pac-10); broke school record in decathlon and took third in Pac-10 in 1981; capped collegiate career with Pac-10 decathlon title, fourth in 1982 NCAA nationals; ranked sixth in the nation by U.S. Track and Field; finished third at National Sports Festival.

1982-1992: Taught and coached boys and girls track at Ritzville High School, winning seven state team titles; 1991 state track and field coach of year.

Being nominated and admitted into any Hall of Fame is an honor that only a select few have the privilege of enjoying. To be recognized on a national level is even more special. Dr. Ken Foreman is one of the select few that has been honored nationally by his induction into the National Track and Field Hall of Fame. It is only deserving that he be honored in the state where he built his success. Coach Foreman is recognized as the founder of the Seattle Pacific track and field program. He is credited with building the program from nothing. His career is one of great success. The respect and admiration held by his colleagues and former athletes is probably the greatest indicator of his success. It's by no surprise that he is a charter member of the Falcon Legends Hall of Fame. By all accounts, Coach Foreman is one of the true innovators in the sport, a cornerstone in the foundation of track and field in Washington State.

Coach Foreman served as the head coach at Seattle Pacific University during three different periods 1950 to 1957, 1965 to 1978 and from 1985 to 1999. Coach Foreman also founded the Falcon Track Club in 1955 serving as the squad's coach until 1977. In 1972, Coach Foreman's Falcon Track Club squad captured the AAU cross country title. He became well known for coaching Doris Brown Heritage, a member of the National Track and Field Hall of Fame, who was a five time World Cross Country women's champion between 1967 and 1971. In 1977, Coach Foreman founded the Sports West Track Club serving as its director until 1998. During his career, athletes he worked with won fourteen AAU titles and one AIAW title. In recognition of his coaching, Coach Foreman served as the U.S. World Cross Country Team Coach in 1967, 1970 and 1973. He was named as the U.S. women's head coach for the 1980 Olympic Team and he served as the Team USA head coach at the 1983 World Outdoor Championships. During his coaching career, Coach Foreman worked with a number of Olympic athletes. Some of the Olympians he coached were Kelly Blair-LeBounty, Lorna Griffin, Pam Spencer and Sherron Walker. Between 1968 and 1974, Coach Foreman served as the AAU Women's LDR Chairman. In 1978, he was the recipient of the AAU/USATF Joseph Robichaux Women's Track and Field Award.

On December 5, 2009, Coach Foreman was inducted into the USATF Hall of Fame. His induction took place at the Jesse Owens Awards and Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony which is held in conjunction with USATF's 2009 Annual Meeting in Indianapolis, Indiana. Coach Foreman was joined in the 2009 class by Andre Phillips, Joetta Clark Diggs, Randy Williams and Willie Steele. Noted especially for his contribution to women's track and field, Coach Foreman's induction is a testament to his commitment to the sport and his legacy left in the hearts and minds of his former athletes. His induction into the Washington State Track and Field Coaches Hall of Fame recognizes the important contributions he made to the sport during his coaching career. His enthusiasm for the sport of track and field and his love for coaching has made Falcon track and field a special experience for generations of SPU student-athletes. His induction into the Track and Field Coaches Hall of Fame is a testament to his numerous contributions to the sport in Washington State.

Coach Freeman graduated from Western Washington University in 1964. While at WWW, he set a school record in the 3-mile run with a time of 14:26. After graduation, he began his coaching career in the sport of Cross Country at Mt. Baker High School. In 1975, he took over the Boy’s Track & Field program from Bob Tisdale. He coached for 24 years until his retirement in 1998.

During his tenure as the Mt. Baker Boys track & Field Coach, he built upon the great tradition that Bob Tisdale had started. His teams won numerous league and district titles and they captured three state titles in 1975, 1988 and 1989. Jim’s boys medaled in every event at the state championship meet while he was a head coach, an accomplishment he and his assistant coaches are the most proud of.

Although he retired from coaching, Jim continues to be active in many different ways helping kids. He currently teaches math at the Lummi Tribal School, he serves on the Mt. Baker School Board and he is an assistant women’s basketball coach at Whatcom County Community College. His induction into the Track & Field Coaches Hall of Fame is a testament to his numerous contributions to our sport in the state of Washington.

Mike Hinz first experienced the sport of track and field in high school as an athlete. In his first year at WSU, he was inspired by the legendary coach Jack Mooberry. Life intervened and it would not be until the late 1980's when coaching would present him an opportunity. It was working with his son John in the throws that first opened the door. He hasn't looked back since. Getting what he would describe as a "late start," Mike felt the need to catch up through the study of technique, training theory and psychology via reading, studying video, attending clinics and through college coursework. He discovered a passion for the sport that continues to this day. In over twenty years as a high school and club track and field coach, Mike has experienced great success. He has greatly contributed to the sport of track and field. His own words say it best, "Winning awards is OK. Winning meets is fun. Seeing athletic success at high levels is great. The true joy in coaching is in assisting athletes in setting goals, making a commitment to achieve those goals and attainment of whatever goals may be appropriate for them in a healthy and supportive environment."

Mike first experienced track and field at East Valley High School in Yakima. He competed in the 880 and mile relay. He says the highlights of his first experience were getting his name in the paper for the first time after placing 3rd in the 880, earning a letter in the sport, running on the mile relay team with his brother Marv and placing at the district meet. Mike graduated from EVHS in 1963 and enrolled at Washington State University. He was inspired by legendary coach Jack Mooberry in a track and field PE class. However, his college experience was interrupted by service in the U.S. Marine corps from 1964 to 1968. He explains his military service this way, "Unfortunately, track and field was one of the few courses I excelled in that year and owing to inadvertently forgetting to attend class regularly and playing pinochle at times when studying might have been more prudent, my next four years were spent in the Marine Corps." During his four years in the Marines, Mike served a two-year deployment to Vietnam and he trained as a distance runner who was self-coached. As Mike explained in his own words, "I became reasonably proficient despite training in US Keds sneakers and having an idiot for a coach." Mike went on to earn two degrees from Washington State University. He retired as a Scientific Instructional Technician Supervisor in the Chemistry Department at WSU in 2003.

Mike's work with his son John in preparation for the 1987 season led to an opportunity to coach for the Pullman Comets Track and Field Club in 1988. In 1989, Mike became a volunteer assistant coach at Pullman High School. In 1993, he became the head coach for the boys and girls teams at Pullman High School. He also became the head coach for the Pullman Comet Track and Field Club that same year. Mike's Pullman teams have won six state championships - three boys team titles and three girls team titles. Pullman has had many other team trophies. There was a six year stretch where Pullman won all their conference dual meets and there was an eight year span where Pullman only had one loss each by both the boys and girls teams. There have been numerous individual athletes to have won state titles and district titles both on the track and in the field. There have also been numerous individual athletes who have placed at meets on the district and state levels. Mike has been recognized by being named the Great Northern League coach of the year five times. He has been recognized as the Washington State coach of the year twice. Mike was a finalist for the Inland Northwest coach of the year and was the NFHS Northwest Sectional Coach of the Year and a finalist for the NFHS National Coach of the Year.

Mike's commitment to the sport in admirable. He has worked with the administration of the Inland Empire/Inland Northwest Association of TAC/USATF since 1990. He has served as the president of the Inland Northwest Association of the USATF. He has attended the TAC/USATF Annual Meeting every year since 1990. He has served as the District 7 Representative to the WSTFCA Board of Directors. He assisted in the early organization and administration of the Washington vs Oregon Meet of Champions. He has been a long-time member of the WSCA and WSTFCA. His enthusiasm for the sport of track and field and his love for coaching has made Pullman Greyhound track and field a special experience for generations of Pullman High School student-athletes. His induction into the Track and Field Coaches Hall of Fame is a testament to his numerous contributions to the sport in Washington State.

George Makela graduated from South Kitsap High School in 1957 where he was a state placer in the Shot Put. He went on to the University of Washington earning varsity letters in track and placing 7th in the Pacific 8 Shot in 1961. After graduate work at Oregon State, he came to Cashmere in 1968, and became the head track coach in 1970, a position he held until his retirement in 1998. In his 28 years at Cashmere, George was actively involved in WIAA Spring Sports Committee work, the Washington State Coaches Association, and the administration of the State Meet. In addition to his many contributions to the sport of track and field, George built one of the most successful programs in state history. His teams won three state championships, were second 4 times and third 6 times. He coached a staggering 37 state champions, and those athletes set 16 state records. He was named State Track Coach of the Year in 1986 and 1994.

When it comes time to recognize a coach, many people turn to the coach's records and statistics. Won - Loss records are recognized along with team titles and individual performances. Many times, the true character of the coach is lost in the endless list of statistical records. There are some that rise above the stats. There are some individuals who honestly represent what the coaching profession is all about. Pat Pfeifer is that coach. Track and Field lost a great friend in 2009. Cancer took his life in December but his memory will live on with his induction into the Hall of Fame. To say Pat Pfeifer loved to coach is an understatement. The most telling statistic one should focus on when looking back on Coach Pfeifer's career is the fact that he coached 96 sport seasons. What a testament to a great coach!

Pat grew up in Spokane, Washington. He attended North Central High School where he excelled at football and track. He went on to attend Eastern Washington University where he was a member of the track and field team. Upon his graduation from EWU, Pat began teaching at Lewis and Clark High School. Thus began one of the most remarkable coaching careers in state history. Pat Pfeifer coached 37 years of track and field. He spent eighteen seasons as either a head boys coach or a head girls coach, one season as the head coach of both and he spent eighteen seasons as an assistant coach. From 1968 to 1980 he served as an assistant coach for the LC boys and girls teams. From 1981 to 1983 he served as the head coach for the LC girls team. In 1984, he was the head coach for both the LC girls and boys teams. In 1985 Pat moved to Ferris and served as the head boys coach until 1993. During that time, Pat also served as the head football coach at Ferris. From 1994 to 1998, he served as an assistant coach for the Ferris boys and girls teams. In 2003, Pat moved back to LC where he served as the head girls coach until 2008. It was during his retirement from teaching that he served his final head coaching years at LC. Retirement for Pat was nothing more than an opportunity to enjoy the coaching profession he cared so deeply for his entire life.

During his time as a track and field coach, he coached eleven individual state champions, six regional champions and too many district champions to count. His head coaching career included seven top ten teams placing at the state meet, two Greater Spokane League championships, and an outstanding dual meet record. One of the most telling signs of his coaching career is the fact that he coached seventy-seven entries into the LC Girls Hall of Fame. He was recognized as the GSL coach of the year in 2005. Recognition was common for Coach Pfeifer. In 1992, he was a recipient of the Disney Teacher Award. He was presented with the Washington State Coaches Association Lifetime Achievement Award, an award that was in recognition of this remarkable 96 season career. The Washington State Football Coaches Association awarded him a Golden Helmet award. He was a mentor to many young men and women athletes and coaches. It is fitting that two of his children went on to coach with him at LC, his son Mike and his daughter Stephanie. His daughter Stephanie will carry on the Pfeifer name as the head girls coach at LC. At the end of his life, it can be said that Pat Pfeifer was a true coach!

Pat was married to his favorite English teacher Sally, an outstanding member of the Lewis and Clark faculty. He was a loving father to Mike, Stephanie, Jeannie and Alyssa. He lived his life with the honest acknowledgement that he loved coaching. He coached until the very end. To see the outpouring of respect and admiration is a testament to the commitment he made to the profession he loved. Coach Pfeifer's enthusiasm for the sport of track and field and his love for coaching made LC track and field and Ferris track and field a special experience for generations of young athletes. He is a great man and his memory lives on in the many athletes, coaches, parents, community members and other people he touched over his great career. His indu When you think of the sport of track and field in Kelso, Washington, you will end up hearing the name Joe Stewart. If you ask about Coach Stewart as a coach, you will hear about the positive influence he had on the student athletes he coached before you hear about his outstanding coaching achievements. Coach Stewart is described as being a fatherly figure that told his athletes what they needed to hear not necessarily what they always wanted to hear, as a friend that cared about you not only within the sport he coached but in every aspect of your life and as a guidance counselor who paved the way for you to further develop by guiding you toward college. His athletes said that Coach Stewart taught his athletes to strive to do their best no matter what their ability and his focus was always on improving. By improving, winning would take care of itself. His influence was so great that the community named the Kelso High School track after him in 2004. Quite a recognition for a Kelso alum from the class of 1972.ction into the Track and Field Coaches Hall of Fame is a testament to his numerous contributions to the sport in Washington State and the Greater Spokane community.

When you think of the sport of track and field at Mariner High School, you will end up hearing the name Howard Price. He built the program. If you ask about Coach Price, you will hear about the important influence he had on the student athletes he coached before you hear about his outstanding coaching achievements. Howard Price is a coach that will never be defined by statistics and records alone. Coach Price is described as being a great motivator who approached coaching track from the team perspective. In his coaching, he constantly emphasized that if, as an athlete and a team, "we" take care of the important things, then winning will take care of itself. The important things to Coach Price were character, integrity, discipline and a strong work ethic. His athletes said that Coach Price was able to get them to truly believe in what they could accomplish. Many of his former athletes will tell you that when he told you what he believed you could do, he believed it completely himself without doubt or reservation. Coach Price's true magic was in getting his athletes to believe in their potential with the same unwavering faith in which he believed in them and on his teams, that kind of attitude tended to spread everywhere.

Howard Price was raised in Edmonds where he attended Edmonds High School. He placed second in the 880 yard race as a senior at the 1954 state championship meet. Following high school, he attended the University of Washington for a year. After that year, he joined the Navy where he became an operating room technician in Naval hospitals in San Diego and Guam. While in the Navy, he continued to keep fit by swimming and running. In the spring of 1959 he competed in an all Navy track and field meet in Guam where he won the 880 and mile with times that were the fastest official times run by any serviceman in the Far East in those events. It was an exceptional achievement that led him to future attempts to meet the Olympic trials qualifying standard later that year. He didn't meet the standard but it was the simple enjoyment of training himself in his spare time, sometimes in the jungles of Guam, that he loved. Coach Price spoke of once running in a mile race in the late 50's in which Sir Roger Bannister was competing. After completing his military service, Coach Price received a full track scholarship from Western Washington University. It was at that time that he had just met his future wife, Mary, and it became more important for him to pursue her than to train for track. They married in 1961 after which he concentrated on finishing his BA in education at Western. He majored in physical education. Upon his graduation in 1965, he was hired by the Mukilteo School District to teach and coach at Olympic View Junior High. In 1971, he began at Mariner High School. He served as the head track and field coach and the head cross country until 1994. After leaving coaching, he remained as the head of the PE department until he retired at the age of 65 in 2001.

Mariner was the first high school built in the Mukilteo school district. As the first coach, Howard Price took the program from completely new to becoming one of the dominant programs in the WESCO conference in the late 1970's and arguably the most consistently dominant for much of the 1980's. Coaching was Price's passion. Keeping career statistics was not. His track program was strong and disciplined. The Mariner Boy's Team was known during the late 70's, 80's and early 90's as one of the most difficult teams to beat in the Western Conference, both in dual meets and championship meet competitions. He never kept count of his wins and losses or the individual success of his athletes over the years. With the help of his WESCO colleagues, we know that Mariner won seven WESCO titles between 1982 and 1989. Mariner's last WESCO title under Coach Price came in 1992. Numerous athletes he coached qualified and placed at the state meet as did numerous athletes win and place in the WESCO Championship meet. Along with Mariner's boy's teams many WESCO Championships, he coached two state champion 4x400m teams in 1983 and 1984 that rank in the top 30 of all time. Coach Price's two relay teams are the only state champions in Mariner school history. While his athletes regularly qualified for the state meet, the peak years of the Mariner program at the state level came in the early to mid 1980's. His 1983 team lost the team title by two points with the entire meet coming down to the 4x400m relay. One of the proud achievements from that state meet was a relay split run by James Cowan in the anchor leg on the 1983 team. Twenty meters behind when he received the baton, Cowan caught the anchor from the top ranked team from Rodgers winning with a split of 45.9, third best in state history behind only Darrell Robinson of Wilson and Keith Tinner of Lincoln. How fitting that his best opportunity for a team state title came down to the event that he built his program around, the relay that is a team event.

Howard and his wife Mary have two children, son Howard (Howie) and daughter Reenie. He had the special opportunity to coach his son at Mariner and he got to watch his daughter run for Kamiak. He will forever be remembered as an exceptional motivator who was able to get his athletes to believe in their potential with the same unwavering faith in which he believed in them. Coach Price's enthusiasm for the sport of track and field and his love for coaching made Mariner track and field a special experience for generations of young athletes. He is a great man who played an important part in the lives of the many athletes, coaches, parents, community members and other people he met during his great career. His induction into the Track and Field Coaches Hall of Fame is a testament to his numerous contributions to the sport in Washington State.

Larry Royce’s track coaching career began in 1970 when he was offered the opportunity to work with the throwers at South Kitsap High School. Lloyd Pugh was the coach at the time and he recognized something special in the young coach. That offer initiated a 39 year love affair with high school track and field.

In that time, Larry has been recognized 9 times with Coach of the Year awards, including the 1992 and 2010 “Girls Coach of the Year for Washington State” (all classifications) and the 1993 ”Washington State Class ‘A’ Coach of the Year” as well as the 2009 “WIAA ‘A’ State Track Sportsmanship Award”. He has coached 5 girls teams to State Championship titles. He has coached a state champion in every event except the javelin and has coached athletes that have broken or currently hold 5 state records.  More telling than any of these achievements is the fact that many of his former athletes have gone on to become track and field coaches themselves, a true testament to his mentorship.

After his initiation at South Kitsap, Larry moved to Pilchuck High School. While his primary responsibility was initiating an aquatics program and coaching swimming, Larry volunteered to work with the throwers on the track team. In 1973, Larry accepted a job as county recreation director in Pt. Townsend. That spring, he was approached by a group of girls about the possibility of him coaching the girls track team. He accepted, and led a team a 3 girls to the State ‘A’ Meet in Goldendale where they placed 3rd. In 1976, Larry took that core group, plus several other girls, back to the State ‘A’ Meet in Yakima where they won the State Championship. In the fall of 1976, Larry began teaching and coaching at Bellevue Christian High School, inheriting a quality track and field team from Mike Strong.

The Bellevue Christian girls track and field team is the 2nd leading all-time points scoring team for class ‘A’ state meets. Four of those teams won State Championships. His girls teams have had a scoring relay team at the state level for 31 of the 33 years he has served as head coach. He has coached numerous individual state champions, as well as district and league champions. Two of the individual athletes that stand out as part of his long career are Kim (Seelye) Jones and Irene Griffith, both from Pt. Townsend. Kim went on to become a world class distance runner who has more high level placings in world class marathons than any other U.S. female marathoner in history. Irene’s best event her freshman year in 1975 was the 3200m, but since the state did not offer that event for girls, she had to frequently run it with the boys. She went on to dominate that event and in 1976, while competing at the AAU National Championships, she won the high school age 3200m and set the national record with a 10:24.4. Several of his Bellevue Christian athletes who continued with track and field at the university level achieved All-American status.

Larry is one of the key coaches who helped in the reorganization of the Washington State Track and Field Coaches Association and he was an instrumental part of the group of volunteer coaches who started the Annual WSTFCA Convention. He has been heavily involved in promoting the sport and advocating for increased opportunities in coaching education. It is with great honor that we recognize his achievement and welcome him into the Washington State Track and Field Coaches Hall of Fame. His induction is a testament to his numerous contributions to the sport in Washington State.

When you think of the sport of track and field in Kelso, Washington, you will end up hearing the name Joe Stewart. If you ask about Coach Stewart, you will hear about the positive influence he had on the student athletes he coached before you hear about his outstanding coaching achievements. Coach Stewart is described as being a fatherly figure that told his athletes what they needed to hear not necessarily what they always wanted to hear, as a friend that cared about you not only within the sport he coached but in every aspect of your life and as a guidance counselor who paved the way for you to further develop by guiding you toward college. His athletes said that Coach Stewart taught his athletes to strive to do their best no matter what their ability and his focus was always on improving. By improving, winning would take care of itself. His influence was so great that the community named the Kelso High School track after him in 2004. Quite a recognition for a Kelso alum from the class of 1972.

Joe Stewart attended Highline Community College after graduating from Kelso High School. In 1975, he was selected as the Highline CC team captain for both cross country and track and field. He was also voted most inspirational. He attended Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas becoming the school record holder for the 3 mile race. Again, he was selected as the team captain for both the cross country and track and field teams. He was also voted most inspirational. He began teaching at Coweeman Junior High School in Kelso in 1977. He was named the head track and field coach at Coweeman in 1978 and held that position through the 1982 season. His junior high boys and girls teams compiled a 49 - 10 dual meet record and won six district team titles - 3 boys and 3 girls. In 1983, Coach Stewart became an assistant coach at Kelso High School primarily working with the distance athletes. Together, with head coach John Hunt, Kelso won the state AA Team Championship. For the 1988 season, he served as the interim head coach. The girls team went 7 - 1 that season. He stepped aside during the 1989 season assuming his role as assistant coach while coach Hunt returned to coach his final season. In January of 1990, Coach Stewart was named the head coach of Kelso High School. His 1990 girls team went undefeated winning a league championship and his boys team went 6 - 1 in league and won the district title. Coach Stewart served as head coach through the 2003 season. Combined, his boys and girls teams earned a 182 - 23 - 1 dual meet record. That included a streak of 80 consecutive wins between the 1992 and 2003 seasons for his boys teams. His teams won 20 league championships - eight girls titles and 12 boys titles. His boys teams won 11 district championships. His 1993 team placed 3rd at the state meet. During his tenure, five Kelso boys athletes won individual state titles. During his time as head coach, fifty-five athletes went on to compete in track and field and cross country on the college level.

Coach Stewart has been married to his wife Pamela for 32 years. He is very proud of his two children who followed in his footsteps in education and coaching. His daughter Jenne works for the Newport News, Virginia School District. His son Jacob is the Head Cross Country Coach at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas. This was Coach Stewart's 28th season as the Head Cross Country Coach at Kelso High School. It has been a distinguished career in service to the Kelso School District. Current Head Coach at Kelso, Joe Krieder said it best in his nomination letter when he said he believed the honor of him being inducted the Hall of Fame was probably more important to the athletes he has coached who can say they were his athletes. To have that kind of positive impact on people's lives is special. Coach Stewart's enthusiasm for the sport of track and field and his love for coaching has made Kelso track and field a special experience for generations of Kelso High School student-athletes. His induction into the Track and Field Coaches Hall of Fame is a testament to his numerous contributions to the sport in Washington State and the Kelso community.