XCountry’s Dion Named Coach Of Year

The R.I. Track & Field Coaches Association has named EG Boys Cross Country Coach Peter Dion "Coach of the Year," following a season where this small public school captured third in the state – first among public schools.

"This is well deserved!" said Athletic Director Chris Cobain. "Peter works tirelessly with our boys and it paid off with a third place finish in the State Open, behind La Salle and Hendricken."

Cobain continued, "Pete gives up so much personal time on the weekends to take our teams all over New England to compete and showcase their talents. I am confident that we would not succeed at the level we do without his time, energy and commitment to our student athletes."

According to Tommy Sommer, a junior on the team, Dion took on the Boys Cross Country program in 2003. Since then, the team had gone to the New England championships 8 out of the last 10 years. This is the third time since 2006 Dion's been named Coach of the Year.

This year, the team won the Small Schools Race in the Manchester Invitational in New Hampshire and finished second in the Thetford Woods Trail Run in Vermont. They lost to Hendricken by only 8 points in regular season competition and won the Class C Championship.

"A lot of people ask me if I would be a better runner at La Salle or Hendricken," said Sommer, "and I always say absolutely not. I would perhaps be a different runner and a different person, but no better or worse. Dion has taught me a lot about people.... He wants kids to reach their absolute potential as a person and runner."

Sommer continued, "We get that there are people who will push you forward and people that will bring you down and if we stick with him and with each other then there's no such thing as down."

Congratulations, Coach Dion.