NWCA High School Boys Coach of the Year Winners Announced
Manheim, PA – The National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) is proud to announce the 2019 winners of the Scholastic Boys Coach of the Year awards for the State, Region, and National levels.
Scholastic Girls Coach of the Year Winners
This year’s National Coach of the Year is Jason Christenson from Southeast Polk High School (IA) and the National Assistant Coach of the Year is Keith Laeha from Kamehameha Big Island (HI). Both Christenson and Laeha were selected from the eight section winners. The section winners were voted on by each of the NWCA State Reps after they had nominated a Coach of the Year from their respective states.
Christenson (National, Section 4, and Iowa Coach of the Year) just completed his 28th season of coaching and his 18th at Southeast Polk High School. Christenson’s 2018-19 squad finished as Dual Team State Champions and State Runners Up at the Individual State Tournament with 11 qualifiers, 6 placers, and an outstanding 3 individual state champions. This now gives Coach Christenson 8 State Titles (4 Dual and 4 Individual) and 5 Runner-up finishes. He has received numerous Coach of the Year honors from such organizations as: USA Wrestling, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, the Iowa Wrestling Coaches & Officials Association, and the Iowa Wrestling Federation.
“Our National Coach of the Year winners, Coach Jason Christenson, and Coach Keith Laeha, each demonstrate the ability to inspire their athletes to persevere and thrive in the sport of wrestling. These recipients’ outstanding contributions to our sport are too numerous to list, but I know that the most important impact that they will make is through the relationships forged in the wrestling room with each of their athletes who will carry that legacy forward. We are proud to honor coaches from across the nation each year through the Boy’s Coach of the Year Awards Program which recognizes Head and Assistant Coaches at the State, Section, and National Level. It is through quality coaching that we will be able to continue to save and grow our sport.” Mike Moyer, NWCA Executive Director.
SECTION – SCHOLASTIC BOYS HEAD COACH OF THE YEAR
| SECTION | COACH | SCHOOL | STATE |
| Section 1 | Ron Serrano | Massapequa High School | NY |
| Section 2 | Mike Faus | New Kent High School | VA |
| Section 3 | Randy Steward | Sonoraville High School | GA |
| Section 4 | Jason Christenson | Southeast Polk High School | IA |
| Section 5 | Norm Manstedt | High Plains Community Schools | NE |
| Section 6 | Kevin Reed | Midlothian High School | TX |
| Section 7 | Robert Hesia | Kamehameha Kapalama | HI |
| Section 8 | Nate Laslovich | Bozeman High School | MT |
SECTION – SCHOLASTIC BOYS ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR
| SECTION | COACH | SCHOOL | STATE |
| Section 1 | Reggie Jones Jr. | Wantagh High School | NY |
| Section 2 | Greg Sill | Franklin Regional | PA |
| Section 3 | Andy Medders | Camden County High School | GA |
| Section 4 | Paul Farris | Montini Catholic High School | IL |
| Section 5 | Jason Kelber | Valentine High School | NE |
| Section 6 | Brandon Adamson | Lamar High School | CO |
| Section 7 | Keith Laeha | Kamehameha Big Island | HI |
| Section 8 | Trenton Culp | Glennallen High School | AK |
STATE – SCHOLASTIC BOYS HEAD COACH OF THE YEAR
| SECTION | COACH | SCHOOL | STATE |
| Section 1 | Ricky Shook | Danbury High School | CT |
| Section 1 | Darby McLaughlin | Springfield Central High School | MA |
| Section 1 | Eric Jensen | Mt Ararat High School | ME |
| Section 1 | Brock Hoffman | Bow High School | NH |
| Section 1 | Michael Markey | West Essex High School | NJ |
| Section 1 | Ron Serrano | Massapequa High School | NY |
| Section 1 | Darren O’Meara | Spaulding High School | VT |
| Section 2 | Aaron Harris | Smyrna High School | DE |
| Section 2 | Mike Thomas | Moore Traditional High School | KY |
| Section 2 | Ryan Mackin | Owings Mills High School | MD |
| Section 2 | Michael Ritter | Wauseon High School | OH |
| Section 2 | Mike Hahesy | Erie Cathedral Preparatory School | PA |
| Section 2 | Mike Faus | New Kent High School | VA |
| Section 2 | John Bonecutter | Point Pleasant High School | WV |
| Section 3 | Blake Dutton | McAdory High School | AL |
| Section 3 | William Pafford | Wakulla High School | FL |
| Section 3 | Randy Steward | Sonoraville High School | GA |
| Section 3 | Kent Masson | Teurlings Catholic High School | LA |
| Section 3 | Billy Baker | St. Stephens High School | NC |
| Section 3 | Leon Boulware | Indian Land High School | SC |
| Section 3 | John Kramer | Wilson Central High School | TN |
| Section 4 | Jason Christenson | Southeast Polk High School | IA |
| Section 4 | Ron Ryan | Mt Olive High School | IL |
| Section 4 | Tony Currie | Adams Central High School | IN |
| Section 4 | Steve Vlcek | Manchester High School | MI |
| Section 5 | Mike Garcia | Hutchinson High School | KS |
| Section 5 | Daryl Bradley | Monett High School | MO |
| Section 5 | Troy Jesperson | Grenora Public School | ND |
| Section 5 | Norm Manstedt | High Plains Community Schools | NE |
| Section 5 | Jeremy Ask | Canton High School | SD |
| Section 6 | Derrick Aynes | Berryville High School | AR |
| Section 6 | Pat Laughlin | Pueblo East High School | CO |
| Section 6 | Monte Maxwell | Aztec High School | NM |
| Section 6 | Erik Ford | Piedmont High School | OK |
| Section 6 | Kevin Reed | Midlothian High School | TX |
| Section 7 | Victor Gonzalez | Walden Grove High School | AZ |
| Section 7 | Joe Terribillini | Rancho Bernardo High School | CA |
| Section 7 | Robert Hesia | Kamehameha Kapalama | HI |
| Section 7 | Wade Phreson | Spring Creek High School | NV |
| Section 7 | Brock Moore | Pleasant Grove High School | UT |
| Section 8 | Brian Whittern | Unalaska High School | AK |
| Section 8 | Patrick Owens | Kuna High School | ID |
| Section 8 | Nate Laslovich | Bozeman High School | MT |
| Section 8 | JD Alley | Culver High School | OR |
| Section 8 | Travis Hughes | Mt. Spokane High School | WA |
| Section 8 | Travis Peak | Kelly Walsh High School | WY |
STATE – SCHOLASTIC BOYS ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR
| SECTION | COACH | SCHOOL | STATE |
| Section 1 | Keith Lynch | Danbury High School | CT |
| Section 1 | Dwayne Miller | Taconic High School | MA |
| Section 1 | Jim Worthington | Wells High School | ME |
| Section 1 | Mark Williams | Londonderry High School | NH |
| Section 1 | James Becker | Nottingham High School | NJ |
| Section 1 | Reggie Jones Jr. | Wantagh High School | NY |
| Section 1 | Brian Roderick | St. Johnsbury Academy | VT |
| Section 2 | Jason Hewes | Delcastle Vo-Tech | DE |
| Section 2 | Jarvis Elam | Union County | KY |
| Section 2 | Ed Obendorfer | Damascus | MD |
| Section 2 | Jon Hampshire | Woodridge | OH |
| Section 2 | Greg Sill | Franklin Regional | PA |
| Section 2 | Zach Olson | Powhatan High School | VA |
| Section 2 | Ryan Asbury | John Marshall | WV |
| Section 3 | Nick Tucker | Oxford High School | AL |
| Section 3 | James Vernon | Wakulla High School | FL |
| Section 3 | Andy Medders | Camden County High School | GA |
| Section 3 | Michael R. Lachney Sr. | Alfred Bonnabel Magnet Academy High School | LA |
| Section 3 | Teague Little | Lumberton High School | NC |
| Section 3 | Ryan Shaw | Indian Land High School | SC |
| Section 3 | Patrick Simpson | Montgomery Bell Academy | TN |
| Section 4 | Jeff Evans | Southeast Polk High School | IA |
| Section 4 | Paul Faris | Montini Catholic High School | IL |
| Section 4 | Joe Somerville | Jeffersonville High School | IN |
| Section 4 | Alfred Biland, Sr. | Anchor Bay High School | MI |
| Section 5 | Tim Johnson | Burlington High School | KS |
| Section 5 | Ben Hohensee | Monett High School | MO |
| Section 5 | Sean Elkins | Killdeer High School | ND |
| Section 5 | Jason Kelber | Valentine High School | NE |
| Section 5 | Jeremy Swenson | Canton High School | SD |
| Section 6 | Casper Petty | Fayetteville High School | AR |
| Section 6 | Brandon Adamson | Lamar High School | CO |
| Section 6 | Herb Stinson | Aztec High School | NM |
| Section 6 | Rodney Jones | Broken Arrow High School | OK |
| Section 6 | Read Sanders | Weatherford High School | TX |
| Section 7 | Brian Popadak | Desert Vista High School | AZ |
| Section 7 | Dave Williams | Rancho Bernardo High School | CA |
| Section 7 | Keith Laeha | Kamehameha Big Island | HI |
| Section 7 | AJ Estrada | Spring Creek High School | NV |
| Section 7 | Adam Fager | Layton High School | UT |
| Section 8 | Trenton Culp | Glennallen High School | AK |
| Section 8 | Lynn Miller | Hood River Valley High School | OR |
| Section 8 | Jason Tebbets | Mead High School | WA |
In the coming weeks, the NWCA will release its Inaugural Scholastic Girl’s Coach of the Year Award Winners. Each state whose high school athletic association sponsors a sanctioned championship, invitational, or pilot is able to nominate State Head and Assistant Coaches of the Year who will be in the running for the National Coach of the Year Award.
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