2009 boys cross country Coach of the Year

The Dana Hills boys cross country team embarked on the 2009 season fresh off back-to-back Orange County, CIF-SS Division I and CIF Division I state championships.

Yet any thoughts of extending those title reigns might have seemed a bit far-fetched, as the Dolphins returned only one runner from their title winning season from a year ago.

Those prospects got even more remote when their projected No. 1 runner, senior Blake Ahrold, suffered a leg injury that affected his performance throughout the season.

But under the leadership of head coach Tim Butler, the Dolphins relied on the traditional sporting principles of teamwork, sacrifice, and commitment to produce another accomplished season that saw them re-write the history books.

For his coaching effort throughout the season, Coach Butler has been named the 2009 boys cross country Coach of the Year, the third straight season he has earned this distinction.

"This team made a commitment to each other that I have not experienced in my coaching career," said Butler. "They came into the season as individuals, but became one big heart together."

The Dolphins season began with a strong team win at their own invitational in September, but the team’s first big test came at the Orange County Championships.

Matched up with a number of teams eager to bring an end to the Dolphins reign, Dana Hills delivered the season’s first big show of togetherness. They became the first team to win the team title at the meet since the current course was established in 1999, as four runners finished in the top 20.

After the team claimed its’ ninth South Coast League title in the last 10 years, the Dolphins turned their sights on the CIF-SS Division I finals, where they would be matched up against a tough field that included Royal High, the undisputed No.1 ranked team in the country.

Butler admitted that he while he felt the team had the talent to win, he wasn’t sure if the Dolphins had the experience necessary to knock off their talented competition.

"We didn’t know the type of grit the team was going to show in such a high-level pressure situation because most of the boys had never run on varsity in this meet," he said.

Battling with Royal throughout the race, Dana Hills were the only team to have three runners place in the top 20, defeating the runner-up Highlanders for its third straight Division I title.

Butler said that triumph helped set the stage for the highly anticipated rematch the following week at the CIF Division I state final.

"When we got the state meet we knew we had a chance," he said.

With it's unlikely run at the state title at hand, the Dolphins again used a total team effort (five runners in the top 40) to join Hart High of Los Angeles (1990-92) as the only programs to win three consecutive state titles.

"The results that we got from these guys showed their heart and desire to succeed and do their best," said Butler.