2023 USTFCCCA High School Track & Field National High School Coaches of the Year

NEW ORLEANS — Win and win big.

That’s exactly what the boys from Snow Canyon (Utah) High School and the girls from Los Alamos (N.M.) High School did throughout their historic 2023 outdoor seasons, especially when the stakes were highest. It’s that level of success that led their respective coaches – Justin Redfearn and Ernest Martinez – to be named the National High School Track & Field Coaches of the Year by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) on Thursday.

This is the first time in the 11-year history of the award, which is presented by the United States Marine Corps, that coaches from either New Mexico or Utah garnered top honors. All told, 16 states – and the District of Columbia – have now seen coaches earn the award in track & field.

Snow Canyon started its dominant run in the postseason at the Region 10 Championships, where it scored 197.5 points, 85.5 more than the runner-up. The Warriors won seven events, including Trevor Gough’s sweep of the hurdling events (110-meter and 300-meter versions).

Just about one week later, Snow Canyon traveled from St. George to Provo looking to defend its Class 4A crown at the UHSAA State Championships. The Warriors couldn’t be stopped, as they amassed 214 points and notched a 117-point victory. Snow Canyon won ten event titles – including a near sweep of the relays (runner-up finish in the 4×400) – and had multiple scorers in ten events as well.

Expectations were high for Los Alamos, just like Snow Canyon, being the two-time defending champion. After all, a local newspaper preview of the NMAA Class 4A State Championships said, “For the entire 2023 season, coaches and athletes around the state have all but ceded the Class 4A state track & field championship to the Lady Hilltoppers. […] the speculation isn’t about whether Los Alamos will emerge victorious – but by how much.”

That answer was 100.5 points, as the Lady Hilltoppers compiled 176.5 points in Albuquerque and would have won the meet even if you combined the scores of each of the next five teams in the standings.

Los Alamos put on a masterclass team performance. The Lady Hilltoppers won 15 of the 17 events at the meet with respective third- and fourth-place finishes in those events that they did not win (800 meters and high jump). Los Alamos had multiple scorers in ten events with four top-6 athletes in the 100, 100-meter hurdles and the triple jump (NMAA scores six-deep on a 7-5-4-3-2-1 basis).

Both Martinez and Redfearn will be feted during Opening Session of the 2023 USTFCCCA Convention, which will be held from December 11-14 at the Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center outside of Denver. Registration for #USTFCCCA23 begins in August.