By Craig Pearson
Indiana State men’s cross country coach John McNichols was definitely surprised when he heard Wednesday that he had been honored as Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year.
McNichols had coached the Sycamores to a fourth-place finish in the region meet Saturday at Indiana University, upsetting in-state rivals Butler and Indiana. But the award for top coach typically goes to the region winner, as was the case this year in the other seven regions in the country.
Apparently the Sycamores’ perceived overachievement in a big meet impressed McNichols’ colleagues. ISU was almost awarded the program’s first bid to the NCAA Championships, which take place Monday at Terre Haute’s LaVern Gibson Championship Course.
“Our guys did a great job. I’m terribly honored that more coaches voted for me,” McNichols said. “I still feel like there was three guys that did a pretty darn good job. I have a sense of gratitude and guilt that I have it.”
ISU finished behind only Wisconsin, Michigan State and Ohio State, despite never being ranked in the top five in the region during the season. The fourth-place finish was ISU’s best in school history.
ISU senior Eric Schulz placed sixth in the region for the Sycamores, earning an automatic berth to the NCAA Championships, the second straight year for an ISU runner to do so.
“He definitely deserves it. He’s a great coach,” Schulz said. “You could just see from me being a walk-on to being the No. 1 runner and a national qualifier. He’s definitely raised my running level. Jordan Fife, the same story. He’s definitely turned kids in Indiana into great runners.”
ISU also won the Missouri Valley Conference championship.
McNichols will receive his award Saturday during a U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association banquet in Hulman Center.
