The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association honored its top boys and girls track coaches in each state in a list released last week and Cherokee Trail’s Chris Faust received the nod on the boys side.
Faust guided the Cougars to a third all-time state championship for the boys when they outdistanced the field in May at Jeffco Stadium in a meet highlighted by a breakout performance from sprinter Peyton Sommers (story, here). Sommers won two individual Class 5A state titles and anchored the winning 4×200 meter relay team, which also included Kaelan Kombo, Kahari Wilbon and Jaylon Moore.
Cherokee Trail accrued 74 points for a comfortable victory over Valor Christian (which had 58) to earn a title to match its 5A crown in 2013 and 4A championship in 2007. Faust has been the coach of the program since the school opened in 2003 and also coaches the boys cross country team.
The USTFCCCA honor was the second for Faust, who also won it after he coached the Cherokee Trail girls to the 2018 5A title, one of two for the school’s girls program (story, here).
A committee of experts from across the country picked the state winners, which included Faust and Alamosa girls coach Jennifer McQuitty for Colorado. Faust also received 5A boys coach of the year honors from the Colorado High School Activities Association.
Faust joins John Reyes, who just retired as Grandview’s head boys and girls track coach, as local winners of the accolades from USTFCCCA, which began to recognize the top coaches in every state in 2014. Reyes won the Colorado girls coach nod in 2017.
Courtney Oakes is Sentinel Colorado Sports Editor. Reach him at sports@sentinelcolorado.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports
