Hawaii Baptist coach Derek Coryell was named Hawaii’s coach of the year for 2018 by the U.S. Track and Field/Cross Country Coaches Association.
Coryell led Hawaii Baptist to the Division II state championship on Oct. 27, 2018, at Central Oahu Regional Park.
What made that state title all the more special was that, had the girls race not been broken down into Division I and Division II for team purposes, the Eagles would have secured a victory against the whole field.
State cross country races separate D-I and D-II for team scoring purposes, but not individual honors.
For team scoring, Hawaii Baptist’s Kacie Kwan (second), Johanna Seng (fourth), Mari Monico (fifth), Lindsey Sasaki (eighth) and Shayli Maruya(14th) combined for 33 points.
Punahou, the D-I winner, was two points worse, with 35.
Coryell was also named the ILH coach of the year.
“We’re very proud of Coach Coryell and the entire staff,” Hawaii Baptist athletic director Deren Oshiro wrote Wednesday via text message. “We’re humbled by the national recognition because it recognizes the teams accomplishment against the overall field. Derek and all of our coaches do a great job of preparing training programs that keep our runners healthy while allowing them to peak in the big races. This is especially important for us as a small school with less depth than big schools.”
My daughter (Samantha) 1st year at HBA as a freshmen decided to join cross country and track and field just to try it out. She now loves both sports and got better thanks to Coach Coryell. The way he talks and motivates the athletes is outstanding. HBA is fortunate to have him. Good job coach!
Fantastic honor, Derek–proud of you, lad!
Tom