There tends to be a recipe when it comes to repeatable success and, John Riegelmayer, our 2022 Public School Boys Cross Country Coach of the Year seems to have the right ingredients to get the job done. Program history, expert coaching, and access to elite athletes are all keys to the success that Coach Riegelmayer has enjoyed as of late. On Saturday, October 29th his Indian Trails boys team won their third state title in a row. A week later his high school team, Winter Springs, saw the girls place 9th in the state and the boys place 26th. If Winter Spings sounds familiar, it is because they were home to one of the best female runners of all time, Caroline Wells. Wells was a 2x cross country state champion and is currently running at Stanford.
We recently caught up with coach Riegelmayer to see what makes his team so great.
What got you into coaching, and how long have you been doing it?
I have been “coaching” since 1980. I have coached multiple sports including gymnastics thru the elite and college levels.I have coached CC and track since 1994- present. I got into coaching thru my coaches who said I had the insight to be a good coach.
What was your favorite moment from this cross country season?
My favorite moment was seeing the faces of all my runners as they finished the State meet with new PR’s.
What, if you are willing to share, is the secret sauce that allowed your team to get to the top of the podium this year?
The boy’s team wanted to three-peat. We had to replace 4 runners. I offer summer workouts that we run in conjunction with one of the high schools. The other thing is we have a tradition of drawing families into the program (brothers, sisters, cousins) they see the success and want to be part of it.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
I have been blessed to have a great mentor coach like Okie Clark of Winter Springs HS. I was blessed to have coached one of the best female runners in the State of Florida Caroline Wells
Thank you coach for taking the time to speak with us and congratulations on being selected as the Run Florida Run 2022 Public School Boys Cross Country Coach of the Year.
