MONROE - A former Monroe track athlete and two former head coaches will get the red carpet treatment in Milwaukee Saturday.
Monroe alum Kelly Lillge (formerly Miller) - as well as Monroe's Richard Glendenning and Brodhead's Gary Larsen - will be inducted into the Wisconsin Track Coaches Association Hall of Fame Saturday at the Wyndham Milwaukee Airport Hotel and Convention Center. Lillge will be the first female athlete from Monroe inducted into the Hall of Fame. Monroe will now have five in the Hall of Fame after Lillge and Glendenning are inducted. They will join Mark Winzenried, Mike Deignan and Stanley Barr.
"My first realization was I thought you had to be retired to do that," Glendenning said of the upcoming induction. "Maybe they are trying to tell me something."
Kelly Lillge a decorated athlete
Lillge won a state championship in the 110-yard hurdles as a sophomore. She won two state titles as a junior in the 110-yard hurdles and 220-yard hurdles. She set two state records including the 110-yard low hurdles (:14.2) in 1978 and the 220-yard low hurdles (:28.53) in 1979. The records would still stand today if the hurdle races were not switched from yards to meters in 1980. After Lillge graduated, the height of the hurdles was increased from 30 to 33 inches.
"It was a big shock when I found out," said Lillge, of the Hall of Fame induction. "Let's face it, I'm an old woman now. It hasn't hit me yet. It probably will when I get there and it's 0."
Lillge is in her 14th year teaching and coaching at Seadrift School in south Texas, which is about one hour north of Corpus Christi. She teaches physical education and coaches middle school girls basketball, volleyball, track and cross country. She just started the cross country program three years ago.
She set seven Monroe school records including five hurdle records that will never be reached since the distance of the hurdle races and the height of hurdles has changed. The 100-yard hurdle race where she finished in 13.8 seconds would be an all-time state record today. Four of the five conference records Lillge set were in various hurdle races. She missed out trying to defend her state titles in the hurdles her senior year after an injury cut her state run short.
"My career in high school was amazing," she said. "I wouldn't trade it for anything. That's why I went into coaching."
To Monroe's Howie Jubeck, who has been a track coach for 34 years and worked with Lillge, it didn't matter whether the hurdle races were yards or meters in her career. Jubeck is convinced that Lillge (Miller) was a special athlete.
"Kelly is arguably the best girls track athlete in the history of Monroe," Jubeck said. "She was a class above them all. I have never had an athlete like that again."
Lillge credited Glendenning and Jubeck for helping her succeed. Her family played a key role keeping her involved in a Wisconsin United Track Club that she competed with nationwide. She had the opportunity to room with Olympians Carol Lewis, Carl Lewis' sister, and Evelyn Ashford at a track camp in Ganesville, Fla.
"I don't think it would have been possible without my coaches and family," she said.
Glendenning builds a tradition
Glendenning has been a fixture in the Monroe track program for almost a half century. He is entering his 46th year in the Monroe track program and he has coached track for a total of 49 years. He served as the Monroe boys track coach for 24 years and was the girls head coach for two years during Lillge's career. He was an assistant coach when Monroe won a Division 2 state championship in 1966. He was the head coach for three conference championship teams and he has been a part of 14 conference titles as an assistant. There have been eight state champions in his coaching tenure and the Cheesemakers have set six state records.
"It's not something as a coach that you look at," Glendenning said of the Hall of Fame honor. "The honors are hopefully what your athletes will do. I'm receiving the award, but my feelings are it's not something I have done. It's something that we here at Monroe have done since '66. The first part of the we is the coaching staff, but the most important part is the athlete. We have got a lot of recognition as a school. I'm getting a lot of attention for this. There were a lot of coaches who had a lot to do with that. We had the opportunity to work with some gifted athletes."
Glendenning has shown no signs of slowing down, coaching the sport he loves. He remains an integral part of the Monroe track program, working with pole vaulters.
Jubeck understands that Glendenning's impact can be felt statewide.
"He's a pole vaulting guru," Jubeck said. "Everyone around the state knows Dick as far as track and field and pole vaulting."
Glendenning always looks forward to track season.
"Some people ask me why I'm still coaching," he said. "It's been the joy of my life. I enjoy watching boys and girls as freshmen letting me become a part of their lives, grow up and become young men and women. Many of them have the same work ethic and dedication as the gifted athletes. I have enjoyed them letting me be a part of their journey."
Honors follow Larsen
Larsen coached track in Brodhead for 34 years. He guided the Cardinal boys to WIAA Division 2 state championship in 1994, 1995 and 2003. Brodhead named the track and football facility Larsen Field in his honor in 2009.
He was inducted into the Wisconsin Football Coaches Hall of Fame in 2002 after a 24-year coaching tenure in which he compiled a record of 167-77.
"The thing about this association is it's a little more selective as far as who is inducted," Larsen said of the track and field honor. "I was very proud when I found out I made it in."
Larsen led the Cardinals to 16 Rock Valley Conference titles in his three decades of coaching. He had nine individual state champions and two relays win state titles.
Larsen said the three state championships were highlights of his coaching tenure. Even his son, Aaron, was a shot putter who was a key part of state championship teams in 1994-95.
"That made it exciting and fun for me to have a son there contributing points to a state championship," he said.
For Larsen it's hard to determine which honor means the most - the Wisconsin Football Coaches Hall of Fame, having the school name the sports facility in his honor, or the track award.
"It's the final piece," he said of the track induction. "As far as how I would rank them it's hard to say. It's very gratifying."
Monroe alum Kelly Lillge (formerly Miller) - as well as Monroe's Richard Glendenning and Brodhead's Gary Larsen - will be inducted into the Wisconsin Track Coaches Association Hall of Fame Saturday at the Wyndham Milwaukee Airport Hotel and Convention Center. Lillge will be the first female athlete from Monroe inducted into the Hall of Fame. Monroe will now have five in the Hall of Fame after Lillge and Glendenning are inducted. They will join Mark Winzenried, Mike Deignan and Stanley Barr.
"My first realization was I thought you had to be retired to do that," Glendenning said of the upcoming induction. "Maybe they are trying to tell me something."
Kelly Lillge a decorated athlete
Lillge won a state championship in the 110-yard hurdles as a sophomore. She won two state titles as a junior in the 110-yard hurdles and 220-yard hurdles. She set two state records including the 110-yard low hurdles (:14.2) in 1978 and the 220-yard low hurdles (:28.53) in 1979. The records would still stand today if the hurdle races were not switched from yards to meters in 1980. After Lillge graduated, the height of the hurdles was increased from 30 to 33 inches.
"It was a big shock when I found out," said Lillge, of the Hall of Fame induction. "Let's face it, I'm an old woman now. It hasn't hit me yet. It probably will when I get there and it's 0."
Lillge is in her 14th year teaching and coaching at Seadrift School in south Texas, which is about one hour north of Corpus Christi. She teaches physical education and coaches middle school girls basketball, volleyball, track and cross country. She just started the cross country program three years ago.
She set seven Monroe school records including five hurdle records that will never be reached since the distance of the hurdle races and the height of hurdles has changed. The 100-yard hurdle race where she finished in 13.8 seconds would be an all-time state record today. Four of the five conference records Lillge set were in various hurdle races. She missed out trying to defend her state titles in the hurdles her senior year after an injury cut her state run short.
"My career in high school was amazing," she said. "I wouldn't trade it for anything. That's why I went into coaching."
To Monroe's Howie Jubeck, who has been a track coach for 34 years and worked with Lillge, it didn't matter whether the hurdle races were yards or meters in her career. Jubeck is convinced that Lillge (Miller) was a special athlete.
"Kelly is arguably the best girls track athlete in the history of Monroe," Jubeck said. "She was a class above them all. I have never had an athlete like that again."
Lillge credited Glendenning and Jubeck for helping her succeed. Her family played a key role keeping her involved in a Wisconsin United Track Club that she competed with nationwide. She had the opportunity to room with Olympians Carol Lewis, Carl Lewis' sister, and Evelyn Ashford at a track camp in Ganesville, Fla.
"I don't think it would have been possible without my coaches and family," she said.
Glendenning builds a tradition
Glendenning has been a fixture in the Monroe track program for almost a half century. He is entering his 46th year in the Monroe track program and he has coached track for a total of 49 years. He served as the Monroe boys track coach for 24 years and was the girls head coach for two years during Lillge's career. He was an assistant coach when Monroe won a Division 2 state championship in 1966. He was the head coach for three conference championship teams and he has been a part of 14 conference titles as an assistant. There have been eight state champions in his coaching tenure and the Cheesemakers have set six state records.
"It's not something as a coach that you look at," Glendenning said of the Hall of Fame honor. "The honors are hopefully what your athletes will do. I'm receiving the award, but my feelings are it's not something I have done. It's something that we here at Monroe have done since '66. The first part of the we is the coaching staff, but the most important part is the athlete. We have got a lot of recognition as a school. I'm getting a lot of attention for this. There were a lot of coaches who had a lot to do with that. We had the opportunity to work with some gifted athletes."
Glendenning has shown no signs of slowing down, coaching the sport he loves. He remains an integral part of the Monroe track program, working with pole vaulters.
Jubeck understands that Glendenning's impact can be felt statewide.
"He's a pole vaulting guru," Jubeck said. "Everyone around the state knows Dick as far as track and field and pole vaulting."
Glendenning always looks forward to track season.
"Some people ask me why I'm still coaching," he said. "It's been the joy of my life. I enjoy watching boys and girls as freshmen letting me become a part of their lives, grow up and become young men and women. Many of them have the same work ethic and dedication as the gifted athletes. I have enjoyed them letting me be a part of their journey."
Honors follow Larsen
Larsen coached track in Brodhead for 34 years. He guided the Cardinal boys to WIAA Division 2 state championship in 1994, 1995 and 2003. Brodhead named the track and football facility Larsen Field in his honor in 2009.
He was inducted into the Wisconsin Football Coaches Hall of Fame in 2002 after a 24-year coaching tenure in which he compiled a record of 167-77.
"The thing about this association is it's a little more selective as far as who is inducted," Larsen said of the track and field honor. "I was very proud when I found out I made it in."
Larsen led the Cardinals to 16 Rock Valley Conference titles in his three decades of coaching. He had nine individual state champions and two relays win state titles.
Larsen said the three state championships were highlights of his coaching tenure. Even his son, Aaron, was a shot putter who was a key part of state championship teams in 1994-95.
"That made it exciting and fun for me to have a son there contributing points to a state championship," he said.
For Larsen it's hard to determine which honor means the most - the Wisconsin Football Coaches Hall of Fame, having the school name the sports facility in his honor, or the track award.
"It's the final piece," he said of the track induction. "As far as how I would rank them it's hard to say. It's very gratifying."
