FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Tim Flannery

INDIANAPOLIS, IN (January 11, 2010) — Twenty-one high school coaches from across the country have been selected 2009 National Coaches of the Year by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Coaches Association.

The NFHS, which has been recognizing coaches through an awards program since 1982, honors coaches in the top 10 girls sports and top 10 boys sports (by participation numbers), and in one “other” category that is not included in these 20 categories. Winners of NFHS awards must be active coaches during the year in which they receive their award. This year’s awards recognize coaches for the 2008-09 school year.

Recipients of the 2009 NFHS national awards for girls sports are:

Don Petranovich, basketball, Winslow (Arizona) High School; Ronald Smith, track and field, Klamath Falls (Oregon) Henley High School; Linda Lampkin, volleyball, Hermann (Missouri) High School; Mike Jodoin, softball, Eugene (Oregon) North Eugene High School; Frankie Whitlock, soccer, San Antonio (Texas) Ronald Reagan High School; Tracy Waters Miller, tennis, Barrington (Illinois) High School; Eldon “Pete” Moss, cross country, Benzonia (Michigan) Benzie Central Schools; Ronald Johns, swimming and diving, Littleton (Colorado) Chatfield High School; Kathleen DeBonis, field hockey, Bridgewater (New Jersey) Bridgewater-Raritan High School; and Jodi Schoeck, golf, Barrington (Illinois) High School.

Recipients of this year’s national awards for boys sports are:

Curt Bladt, football, Harlan (Iowa) High School; Norm Persin, basketball, Oak Hill (Ohio) Local Union School; Karl Koonce, track and field, Pearcy (Arkansas) Lake Hamilton High School; Dean Jones, baseball, Chesnee (South Carolina) High School; Robert Weir, soccer, Plano (Texas) Senior High School; Barry Chooljian, wrestling, Plaistow (New Hampshire) Timberlane High School; Tony Rowe, cross country, Owensboro (Kentucky) Daviess County High School; David Ghareeb, golf, Grand Rapids (Michigan) East Grand Rapids High School; Rivers Lynch, tennis, Myrtle Beach (South Carolina) High School; and Bill Reichle, swimming and diving, Martinsville (New Jersey) The Pingry School.

The recipient of the National Coach of the Year Award for other sports is Charles Apel, boys lacrosse, Bridgewater (New Jersey) Bridgewater-Raritan High School.

In addition to the 21 National Coaches of the Year, the NFHS Coaches Association has selected Gelaine Orvik of Fargo, North Dakota, as the recipient of the National Coach Contributor Award. This award is presented to an individual who has gone above and beyond and who exemplifies the highest standards of sportsmanship, ethical conduct, moral character, and who carries the endorsement of his or her respective state high school association.

Orvik, who has been executive secretary of the North Dakota High School Coaches Association for 30 years, is currently executive director of the National High School Athletic Coaches Association. He has coached a number of sports over the years, including boys track and field for 30 years, boys cross country for 14 years, girls cross country for four years, boys basketball for two years and football for 10 years.