Dec 10, 2009
REPA EARNS HONOR AS SSC RED BOYS CROSS COUNTRY COACH OF THE YEAR

Oak Lawn Community High School Boys Cross Country coach Chris Repa is constantly running. Whether it is three miles in training with the boys, raising funds for service trips to Bolivia, churning out excellent student-athletes or turning his boys into men by setting an excellent example, he has certainly run the program to new heights as head coach. And this season, Repa was honored for all of his hard work by being named South Suburban Conference Red Coach of the Year. And in true Repa fashion, he defers the honor to his team.
Being named as SSC Coach of the Year is a tremendous honor, especially when you consider all of the other outstanding coaches in our conference that are equally as deserving, Repa said. I think this award is more a recognition of the goals our kids were willing to work for than any special workouts or schedule that I created.
I feel that the success of the Boys Cross Country Program over the years is due, in large part, to our team philosophy. It is an acronym called PACE and stands for Professionalism, Attitude, Commitment, and Expectation. Young men that join our program are taught to live by these ideals each and every day.
What makes the honor for Repa even more impressive is the idea that he had a relatively young team to work with this season.
This season, our team was led by a small core of exceptionally passionate student-athletes, Repa said. Although quite young, they embraced our team philosophy and made great strides both in the classroom and on the course.
Two runners, in particular, had outstanding performances this year. Senior Tom Hansen and sophomore Eric Lindelsee represent the present and future of Spartan cross country. I am very proud of these young men for working hard, staying focused, and dreaming big. All of which are traits that are going to make these runners successful for the rest of their lives. Its been an honor to coach the boys cross country program at Oak Lawn for the past seven years. Seeing remarkable young men grow into outstanding citizens right before my eyes is a feeling that I wouldnt trade for anything. Its been a lot of fun.