It may be the crummiest Vince DeGrado has ever felt about receiving a coaching award.
The Allen Community College cross country and track coach was tapped as the Region VI Coach of the Year at last week’s regional cross country championships.
The award came for good reason. DeGrado’s men’s team has been ranked at the top of the NJCAA Division II charts for much of the fall 2020 season.
Problem was, the award — based on regular season results — came when the Red Devil squad finished a disappointing fourth at the Region VI meet, behind rivals Cowley, Cloud County and Hutchinson.
It should be noted, ACC was without two of its top runners, Devan Crow and Michael McMorris, due to ongoing injury concerns.
“I felt like if the guys stepped up, we could have beaten them without Devan,” DeGrado said. “That didn’t happen.”
While ACC had some individual standout performances — Brig Merritt took eighth, Henos Andbrhan 12th and Kyle Henry 19th — DeGrado said the team struggled as a whole.
Allen’s fourth place finish is ACC’s worst mark at the Region VI meet since the 2011 season.
“Cowley came at us, and they should have,” DeGrado said. “It’s like a Mike Tyson fight, where we got punched in the mouth. We just did not bring what we normally bring.”
DeGrado said he was encouraged by the performances of Merritt, Andebrhan and Henry.
“Brig and Henos did great, and Kyle really stepped up,” he said. “Kyle literally ran himself onto the national team.”
On the women’s side, Allen again had strong performances from local products Rachel Bycroft and Elka Billings, who finished 11th and 12, respectively. Both ran personal bests, but optimistic they can do even better, DeGrado said. “Even they were a little flat.”
In the days since the meet, ACC’s runners have practiced with a renewed vigor, he added.
“I told the guys I don’t want the highlight of our season to be a coach of the year award and a burned up golf cart.” (DeGrado’s cart caught fire at the end of the Red Devil Duals on Oct. 3
“I still like our chances” at nationals, he said. “I look for them to step up and do something, compete with our backs against the wall.
“I do believe it was more of a blessing in disguise,” DeGrado said, noting the team’s main thrust of the season culminates next weekend at the NJCAA Championships in Fort Dodge, Iowa. “Let’’s regroup and get it together.”
