November 10, 2009

Rio's Willey tabbed MSC Coach of the Year

Louisville, Ky. --- When your men's team wins the conference championship and your women's team is runner-up, good things are bound to follow. For Rio Grande head cross country Bob Willey, what has followed is that he earned Mid-South Conference Cross Country Coach of the Year honors. 

Willey piloted his RedStorm men's team to a conference championship in Rio's very first season in the league. Rio Grande was picked to finish 4^th in the pre-season poll and received one first place vote.

The RedStorm women finished five points shy of an MSC Title, laying claim to the number two spot. They had been picked to finish fifth in the pre-season poll. 

"It's very exciting, our ladies and men have run very well all year," Willey said. "Coach (Matt) Boyles sat down before the season and looked at workouts and we talked back and forth, trying to figure out what would be best for this group."

"It's a very young group, the men and the women," he added. "We made some changes, obviously right now it's worked out very well for us."

Willey tried to pass off the accolade that he received to Coach Boyles and his runners. "It's always an honor when your peers select you as coach of the year," Willey said. "Of course, once they handed it to me, I walked over and handed it to Matt, because I think he's done a tremendous job with, with the workouts, but he's very close with the athletes and they highly respect him."

"He's been through our program and knows what to expect, he said ‘it's got your name on it'", Willey added. "It should have both of our names on it though. It's one of those awards, like I say, it's very humbling when your peers select you, but without the athletes, it's really their award."

The RedStorm team had been receiving votes for the Top 25 ratings all season, but could not crack the poll. Heading to the NAIA National Championships, Rio will get its chance to challenge the nation's top programs on the 21^st of November in Vancouver, Wash. 

Rio has had various individual runners compete at the national meet, but it is the first team trip since 1994. Rio finished 10^th that season. "It's been awhile so we're excited and we're going to try to keep everything in perspective and see what we can do," Willey said. "We haven't peaked yet; we're trying to focus on the national championships so hopefully things will work out where we run our best race at nationals."

Senior Stacey Arnett (Laurelville, OH) and sophomore Kayla Renner (Galloway, OH) will represent the women's team at the NAIA National Meet.