2000

Don McFarland

Don graduated from Okanogan H.S. in 1961 where he participated in football, basketball, and track & field.  At Washington State University he majored in History and graduated in 1965.  He taught at Washougal H.S. and Ephrata H.S.  He started the cross country program at Ephrata with no pay and went on to coach cross country for 26 years.  His runners have won 10-League titles and 11 District titles.  Don coached 17 state qualifying teams with 2 boys’ teams and 2 girls’ teams earning State titles. His 3-individual State Champions were Staci Hunter (twice) and Greg Metcalf.  In 1989, he was voted Washington State Cross Country ‘Coach of the Year’.

Bob Nollan

Bob coached at Lake Stevens, Bellevue, and Toledo for a total of 45 years. He had 10 state qualifying teams and coached individual state champion Patty Matava.

 

Gordon Robertson

Gordon started Cross Country programs in Oregon, Sultan, and Tenino and coached  for a total of 33 years.  He coached 25 state qualifying teams.

In the Fall of 1970, Gordy, who was an assistant coach in Football, took a side job and started the Cross Country program at Tenino High School. He returned to Football for three seasons before switching to Cross Country full time in the Fall of 1974. That year was highlighted by the 9th place state finish of Gary Moyer. Gordy took on coaching THS Girls’ Cross Country in 1976.

Coach Robertson took seven boys teams to the state championships, with the highest finish being 10th place in both 1977 and 1979. Coachie would take nine girls teams to the state championships with the highest finish being 3rd place in 1989. The girls would finish in the Top Ten eight times and also finished 4th in 1988. Individually, he coached Kris Vickers to a 2nd place finish in 1980 (before she transferred to Eisenhower). Jessica Brathovd would have three top five finishes at state, with her highest finish of 2nd place in the Fall of 1989. Coachie was very proud to have coached one individual state champion, Tanya Robinson, who accomplished her feat in 1991. 

Gordon “Coachie” Robertson was behind all of the success of Tenino Cross Country. He started the program and state appearances for Tenino begin and end with him. Not a single Tenino Cross Country team has made it to state since his retirement in 1993 (the 2020 Tenino Boys qualified for state, but the meet was not held due to Covid). But Coachie was about more than winning. He was known for how much he cared for every one of his athletes and many of them considered him a father or grandfather figure. Many have told stories about how their lives were not going in the right direction until Coachie provided encouragement and direction toward better choices and a brighter future. Gordy was inducted into the Washington State Track Coaches Hall of Fame in 2004.

 

Robert Guenther

Bob coached at Tyee for 33 years.  His boys teams won consecutive state state titles in 1975 and 1976.