Bevy of good coaches from which to choose | Column

Today marks the last of the three annual honors we hand out here at the Kent Reporter.

Of the three – the Male and Female Athlete of the Year honors – the Coach of the Year was the most difficult to choose.

Why?

For beginners, it’s nearly impossible to choose one coach who guided his or her respective team to a state title over another coach who did the same thing. During the recent prep sports year, Kentwood’s Jon Aarstad (baseball), Michael Angelidis (boys hoops) and Ingrid Bakke (boys tennis) all led their programs to the top.

Clearly, it has been quite a year in the athletic arena at Kentwood High.

So how did I land on Aarstad?

I flipped a coin. OK, not quite. However, that would have been a bit easier and considerably less time consuming. Instead, I simply compiled the list, broke down the accomplishments of each coach, and made a judgment call. I went with Aarstad because of the simple fact that Kentwood’s baseball team graduated its top pitcher (Alexander Lee) and lost its No. 2 ace (Kent Hagen) to a broken leg, yet the Conquerors still won a state title. In addition, Aarstad didn’t have the best player in the state on his team to lean upon as Angelidis (Joshua Smith) and Bakke (Max Manthou) both did.

Still, I can’t stress enough how close of a final call it was.

These coaches – and essentially each one I have ever worked with while in the business – put in more hours than I believe most people realize. There’s practice, games, game scouting, breaking down film and, of course, my constant phone calls to deal with. Through it all, none of them ever complained about a lack of coverage, and gave me their time at a moment’s notice.

With all that in mind, I have to give the rest of those up for nomination an additional tip of the cap in what I like to call The Kent Reporter’s Super Seven.

GREG KAAS, Kentlake

There isn’t a classier coach around than Kentlake’s Greg Kaas, who took over a very good program from Mike Larabee in 2002 and hasn’t missed a beat. The Falcons took fourth a year ago and missed the state tournament for the first time in six years, but Kaas managed to get them right back on track as Kentlake won a share of the South Puget Sound League North Division title this spring, posting a 15-1 league mark. The Falcons were the only area fastpitch team to qualify for state, and should make a strong run again next season. In nine seasons, Kaas has an impressive 196-62 record and four league titles. The most impressive aspect, however, in regards to how Kaas runs his program is the rapport and professionalism he has with his players. These kids will do just about anything on the diamond for their coach, and it shows.

INGRID BAKKE, Kentwood

Talk about success. Few enjoyed a better run than Bakke this year, both in the fall and in the spring. In the fall, she guided the Kentwood boys tennis team to a second-place league finish, a run that was followed up in the spring with the program’s first-ever state team title. Bakke, however, wasn’t finished with the boys. She also guided Kentwood’s girls team to a league crown and a second-place finish at state in the spring.

STEVE ROCHE, Kentwood

Roche, who juggles both boys and girls track, has churned out multiple top-tier athletes the last few years. A true ambassador of the local track scene, Roche guided Kentwood’s girls team to its first-ever South Puget Sound League North Division title as it went a perfect 5-0. This accomplishment deserves special mention considering when Roche took over five years ago, only 13 girls turned out for the team. In addition to the league title, Kentwood also placed a school-best sixth at the state meet and should be back for more next year as it will return standouts Holly DeHart (sprints) and Alyx Toeaina (throws).

ERNIE AMMONS, Kent-Meridian

One of the finest coaches I’ve ever worked with, Ammons has turned cross country and track into the things to do at Kent-Meridian. Ammons guided the boys track team and the boys cross country team to their first SPSL North titles since 2001. In addition, the boys track team won a share of the district title, and the cross country team’s 16th-place finish at state was the highest among all Kent schools. But what sets Ammons apart? His ability to get anybody and everybody not only out onto the track and cross country trails, but getting the kids to truly believe that they can – and will – succeed.

MICHAEL ANGELIDIS, Kentwood

Talk about going out on a high note. Angelidis did just that, guiding Kentwood’s boys basketball team to its first Class 4A state title since 2004. Angelidis, who was in his 29th year coaching basketball and fourth with the Conquerors, stepped down just a couple weeks after the Conquerors knocked off Jackson 67-58 for the state crown. In his four years, he posted a 74-37 overall record, and won two SPSL North co-championships. When it was all said and done, he also was named the SPSL North’s Coach of the Year this past winter.

DIANA EKSTROM, Kentlake

Few coaches made as much of an immediate impact on their respective team than Ekstrom did to Kentlake High’s boys swim program this past fall. The Falcons had never won an SPSL North title until this year, when Ekstrom guided the Falcons to a 7-0-1 league mark. The one tie? That came against league favorite Kentridge (93-93), which had entered that meet having won 35-straight league meets. Kentlake’s final tally is the best mark in school history.

BOB ARMSTRONG, Kentridge

Armstrong has quietly turned the Kentridge High boys tennis program into one of the best in the area of any sport. The Chargers won their fourth straight SPSL North crown, going 10-0 in league, and pushed its winning streak to 42 straight victories. But it doesn’t end there as the Chargers will enter next fall having won 76 of their last 79 matches in league. In addition, the Armstrong-led Chargers haven’t finished any lower than third in the SPSL North standings since 2000. Now that’s what I call success.