Voiced by Nicole Bergendahl, Staff Writer
Written by Cory Sparks, Sports Editor
From covering his lawn with tennis balls, to Saran wrapping a variety of his classroom possessions, to erecting a Christmas tree in his front yard and putting dozens of tennis shoes under it, Indian Trail High School & Academy athletes have pulled a variety of pranks on their coach Brian Vanderhoef over the years.
The pranks are one form of bonding that the cross country and track and eld teams each share, as well as their commitment to their sport and coach.
Earlier this fall, those close connections and overall team performances earned Vanderhoef the honor of being named Southeast Conference Cross Country Coach of the Year.
The achievement topped off a record-shattering season for the Hawks, especially since Vanderhoef didn’t win this award by a slim margin.
“It was a very humbling experience because I had found out that the other head coaches from the other conference schools all had nominated me as well, so it was unanimous,” said Vanderhoef.
As for the runners’ reactions when they found out that their coach had won the award, there was a balanced combination of emotions between joy and a general consensus that he most definitely earned this honor.
“I wasn’t surprised. I mean, he’s a great coach,” said Connell Rooney, a General Studies senior. “He has been coaching me for the past four years for cross country and track and field, and I feel like he has done a good job for those past four years and even beyond.”
With both of the boys and girls cross country teams going to state as a unit this fall, Vanderhoef said that these prime time meets are the ones he looks forward to more than anything as a coach.
“Personally, when it comes to meets, I enjoy the sectional and state meets the most because that’s probably when the stakes are the highest and you get to see the thrill of victory,” said Vanderhoef.
That thrill of victory was at an all time high this fall, as the team attained two remarkable achievements. Along with Indian Trail’s state quali cation as a cross country team, Trey Meier, a Gen- eral Studies junior, claimed rst place individually at this year’s sectional meet with a time of 16:31.
The runners say they owe this out- standing year to the combination of personal connections and dedication to the coaching craft that Vanderhoef has displayed throughout the season.
“Right from the start of the season, he connects with everyone on a personal level,” said Molly Balch, a General Studies junior. “So that way, you feel like you can trust him and you know that he’ll help coach you through the race.”
Along with the hard work that lead to the unprecedented rate of success this year, the unbreakable bond that Vanderhoef fostered through numerous activities has been a key factor to the teams’ achievements.
“Along with practice and having fun at practice, we also put together pranks and stuff that we do outside of school,” said Evan Edwards, a General Studies senior. “We always come together, plan it out, and I’d say it bonds us together and makes us better as a team.”
Vanderhoef couldn’t agree more with this statement. He expands on the idea that in order for a team to go that extra mile, a bond is crucial.
“Much like anything else in life, if athletes or workers get along with each other, generally their performance is a little bit better,” said Vanderhoef.
In terms of the takeaways from a year full of awards and glory, the runners express nothing less than a tremendous amount of gratitude for the close relationship that coach Vanderhoef has built with them over time.
“I’ve got to say what makes Vandy unique is just the fact that he can con- nect with all of his athletes on a personal level, nd things to talk about each and every one of them with, and just be more of a friend than a coach at some points,” said Rooney.