NJSIAA Honors Hillsborough Coach

Hillsborough High School track and cross country coach Rich Refi was simply honored when he learned the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association selected him as a recipient of a sports honoree award.

His coaching style has helped guide the Hillsborough girls cross country team to back-to-back Meet of Champions titles in 2009 and 2010, as well as numerous other victories in the 19 years he's been at the school.

He's also coached 73 All-American athletes and 18 undefeated track and field and cross country teams. Refi has been named state coach of the year five times, National Fastpitch Coaches Association Northeast Regional Coach of the Year for girls spring track and field in 2003, coached eight Group IV state championship teams and six Meet of Champions teams, according to the NJSIAA.

But the most important lessons for the high school students he coaches aren't about winning a meet or a conference.

"[The most important things are] to have fun and that grades come first," Refi wrote in an e-mail.

A sports award recipient's home district nominates them for the award, according to the NJSIAA.  The NJSIAA compiles the nominations, reviews them, and the organization's executive committee selects the recipients.

"Our individual sports honorees are coaches, officials and athletic directors who have made significant contributions to high school sports at their schools, in their conferences and regionally," NJSIAA Executive Director Steven J. Timko said in a prepared statement. 

"They have committed themselves to providing the young people of our state with outstanding athletic opportunities and have worked to instill in their teams the qualities of fairness and sportsmanship that will serve them well later in life," the statement continued.