The Missouri Track and Cross Country Coaches Association (MTCCCA) handed out awards at it's annual clinic and awards dinner in Columbia last month. Coach of the Year, Distinguished Coaches, and Hall of Fame honors were bestowed to some of the many outstanding coaches in the Show-Me State.
Coach of the Year awards were handed out for each class and gender in both cross country and track and field. Coach of the Year honors are awarded to the MTCCCA member whose team has the highest finish at state. Here is a look at the five 2023 Girls Track and Field Coaches of the Year.
Colton Byrd, Brunswick -- 2023 MTCCCA Class 1 Girls Track and Field Coach of the Year
The Brunswick ladies didn't score or even have any state qualifiers in 2022. That changed in a big way in 2023 for Colton Byrd and staff.
At the District 3 meet, Brunswick scored 73 points to place 4th in the 17-team scoring meet. A week later the Wildcats scored 67 and claimed the Sectional 2 title by 1 point over Princeton and Northeast (Cairo) and beat North Shelby, the latter two of which had beaten Brunswick at Districts.
Just 11 points separated 3rd through 8th place at state. Byrd, the boys' head basketball coach, saw his ladies score 29 points, 1 behind 5th and 5 back of the 4th and final team trophy. Senior Kendra Zeilstra and freshman Joslynn Brown led the way Zeilstra placed 4th in the 3200 and 1600 meters, to score 10 points.
Brown placed in two events that were held simultaneously. On Day 2 of the meet at 10:00 a.m., she placed 2nd in the triple jump 10.50m/34-5.5) and 4th in the javelin (36.97m/119-3). Those performances came a day after the freshman's 5th place long jump (5.03m/16-6).
Matt Keraus, North Platte -- 2023 MTCCCA Class 2 Girls Track & Field Coach of the Year
The North Platte claimed their 2nd straight Class 2 State Track and Field after a runner-up finish in 2021. Coach Keraus' squad won a great battle for the title over Tolton Catholic, 86-83. Along with the 86 points the Lady Panthers scored at state, they also racked up 139 points at the 25-team District 8 meet and 127 points at the 14-scoring team Sectional 4 meet, to total 352 points for the state series.
The 2023 North Platte Girls team joined the company of the best Class 1 and 2 teams in state history. The Panthers roared in the sprints, winning the 4x400 and taking 2nd in the 4x100 and 4x200. Olivia Rodgers capped a phenomenal career earning three more gold medals, winning the 100, 200, and anchoring the winning 4x400 and running on the runner-up 4x100.
Sophomore Lindsay Ramsey won the 400 in 56.93 before taking 4th in the 200 to give North Platte 15 points in the event. Ramsey also ran on the winning 4x400, and runner-up 4x200.
But it wasn't just the sprints North Platte scored big points in. They placed 2nd to Tolton Catholic in the 4x800 to give the Panthers three silver medals and one gold in the four relays. They also got 11, 4, and 2 points in the 3200, 1600, and 800-meter runs.
