The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) has announced eight Kansans as sectional coaches of the year for their leadership in 2018-19 and Nemaha Central head girls Track and Field coach Jon Thomas was one of those selections.

Thomas is coming off yet another championship season with the Thunder girls, as last year behind four state champions Nemaha Central claimed a third consecutive 3A State Championship.

In his 24th year as the head track and field coach Thomas saw then senior Jacy Dalinghaus win three state titles in Wichita as she swept throwing events at state taking first in the javelin for the second straight year while also winning the shot put and discus. Along with Dalinghaus, the Thunder also had then junior Alleigh Kramer take the top spot in the 200-meter dash.

Those four championships give Coach Thomas 29 event champions in his coaching career and 22 whiles being the head coach.

He has also personally coached six event champions including two boys 4 by 800-meter relays and one 4 by 100-meter relay, two 100-meter dash champions and one 200-meter dash champion.

Along his decorated career as the boy’s head basketball coach, Jon Thomas has now fully cemented his spot as one of the best track and field coaches in Kansas history.

The entire release can be found below.

Kansas Coaches Honored by NFHS

TOPEKA, Kan. — The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) has announced eight Kansans as sectional coaches of the year for their leadership in 2018-19.

The NFHS is divided into eight geographical sections. They are as follows: Section 1 – Northeast (CT, ME, MA, NH, NJ, NY, RI, VT); Section 2 – Mideast (DE, DC, KY, MD, OH, PA, VA, WV); Section 3 – South (AL, FL, GA, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN); Section 4 – Central (IL, IN, IA, MI, WI); Section 5 – Midwest (KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD); Section 6 – Southwest (AR, CO, NM, OK, TX); Section 7 – West (AZ, CA, HI, NV, UT); and Section 8 – Northwest (AK, ID, MT, OR, WA, WY).

The sectional committee representatives evaluate the state award recipients from the states in their respective sections and select the best candidates for the sectional award in each sport category. The NFHS Coaches Association Advisory Committee then considers the sectional candidates in each sport, ranks them according to a point system, and determines a national winner for each of the 20 sport categories, the spirit category and two “other” categories.

NFHS Sectional Coaches of the Year (2018-19):

Gina Leigh Clark, Volleyball - Garden Plain HS

Mark Twellman, Girls Soccer – Lenexa-St. James Academy

Steve Crist, Girls Cross Country - Lincoln HS

Ashley Oliver, Spirit - Cheney HS

Jon Thomas, Girls Track and Field – Seneca-Nemaha Central HS

Patrick Stiles, Girls Basketball – Claflin-Central Plains HS

James Sandstrom, Boys Tennis – Topeka-Hayden HS

Mallory West, Girls Gymnastics - Olathe West HS

The NFHS, which has been recognizing coaches through an awards program since 1982, honors coaches in the top 10 girls sports and top 10 boys sports (by participation numbers), and in one “other” sport that is not included in the top 10 listings. Winners of NFHS awards must be active coaches during the year for which they receive their award.

The KSHSAA works with the Kansas Coaches Association (KCA) to nominate Kansas coaches. The KCA contacts their potential state award recipients to complete a “coach profile” form that requests information regarding the coach’s record, membership in and affiliation with coaching and other professional organizations, involvement with other school and community activities and programs, and coaching philosophy. To be approved as an NFCA award recipient and considered for sectional and national coach of the year, this profile form must be completed by the coach or designee and then approved by the executive director (or designee) of the state athletic/activities association.

About the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS)

The NFHS, based in Indianapolis, Indiana, is the national leadership organization for high school sports and performing arts activities. Since 1920, the NFHS has led the development of education-based interscholastic sports and performing arts activities that help students succeed in their lives. The NFHS sets direction for the future by building awareness and support, improving the participation experience, establishing consistent standards and rules for competition, and helping those who oversee high school sports and activities. The NFHS writes playing rules for 16 sports for boys and girls at the high school level. Through its 50 member state associations and the District of Columbia, the NFHS reaches more than 19,000 high schools and 11 million participants in high school activity programs, including more than 7.7 million in high school sports. As the recognized national authority on interscholastic activity programs, the NFHS conducts national meetings; sanctions interstate events; offers online publications and services for high school coaches and officials; sponsors professional organizations for high school coaches, officials, speech and debate coaches, and music adjudicators; serves as the national source for interscholastic coach training; and serves as a national information resource of interscholastic athletics and activities. For more information, visit the NFHS Web site at www.nfhs.org.