Earl Lauer
River Hill
The veteran coach helped guide the Hawks to their first state title in five years and his seventh overall. He's won four at River Hill and three at Atholton.
Last year, the Hawks finished second to Howard County rival Centennial in the Class 3A state championship meet. But things were different this year, as River Hill improved even though it missed top runner Allison Krein for about three weeks in October with leg injuries.
Krein didn't return to top form until right around the time of the state meet, where she finished eighth, but Lauer still helped keep the Hawks rolling. Just like the boys, the girls scored easy victories at the Howard County and Class 3A East Region meets.
Also just like the boys, they rolled right over the field at the state meet, beating Albert Einstein by 41 points.
"On any given day, someone would step forward, and even I wouldn't know who it would be, somebody always would step up," Lauer said.