Hauxwell honor a compliment to CCS coaches and athletes

Chase County Schools’ Troy Hauxwell accepted the Nebraska Coaches Association Girls’ Track and Field Head Coach of the Year award during the NCA 53rd Annual Awards Banquet Sunday in Lincoln.
Hauxwell is in his seventh year leading the Longhorns’ track program.
His career began in 1997 when he Bethune school district in Colorado took a chance on him right out of college as a coach and teacher, Hauxwell said.
He served as head coach for football and boys’ basketball and assistant coach for track. His wife, Mercedes, coached three sports.
After several years, Hauxwell assumed activities director duties at Bethune and scaled back in the coaching department, saying it was tough on his family and also the athletes who had the same coach for every season.
As his family grew, they looked to get closer to home.
In 2012, Hauxwell took the activities director position at CCS.
He assumed the CCS head girls’ track coach position in 2015 when Al Zuege retired.
Since that time, CCS has left its mark across the region and at the state track meet in Omaha.
The Longhorns have won the Class C state meet in 2016, 2017 and 2021, and were runners up in 2019, fourth in 2018 and eighth in 2015.
On the home front, his teams have not lost a regular season track meet since the second meet of 2015. That streak includes six straight SPVA conference and district meets.
Hauxwell has served on various Nebraska and Colorado conference and state activities boards over his career. He was the Colorado High School Athletic Directors Association 2008-2009 1A Athletic Director of the Year.
Relationships vital
Hauxwell credits his program’s successes on the emphasis it puts on the relationships between coaches, athletes and teammates.
“We really stress the importance of everyone on the team being valued. I try to communicate the message that your identity does not come from your performance but the way you live your life each and every day,” Hauxwell said.
With no 2020 season due to COVID-19, this track season was especially meaningful.
“You don’t know how good you have it until after it’s gone,” he said.
The reality of no 2020 season was tough and Hauxwell said everyone had a deep appreciation for this season and the state meet.
    With a very strong group of seniors last year who never had the opportunity to compete in 2020, Hauxwell said this year’s team did not want to take anything for granted.
    “After the trophy presentation this year, watching the girls walk hand in hand around the track at Burke Stadium with some of last year’s seniors is a moment I will never forget,” Hauxwell said, adding, it also reinforced the importance of the relationships and life lessons that athletics provide.
Head coach is just a title
“I’ve never looked at myself as a head coach. It’s just a title,” Hauxwell said, before passing credit on to coaches Dan Lenners, Debbie Dahlkoetter-Richardson, Sam McNair, Matt Jablonski, Travis Luhrs, Kale Gockley, Josh Fries, Al Zuege and Paige Milner.
The award is a compliment to the coaches and kids at CCS, Hauxwell said, adding that he appreciates it when his peers recognise teams in the western part of the state.
Though he would love to spend time with every team member, track’s a tough sport and coaches can’t get to everything, Hauxwell said.
Hauxwell and other NCA Coach of the Year honorees will now be considered for the National Coach of the Year for their sports.
Other coaches honored by the NCA are boys’ basketball, Tim Cannon, Millard North; girls’ basketball, Ann Prince, Elkhorn North; boys’ cross country, Michele Kontor, Milford; girls’ cross country, Kurt Holliday, Seward; football, Chris Ardissono and Mark Rotter, BDS; golf, Brock Ehler, Scottsbluff; softball, Todd Petersen, Papillion-LaVista; swimming, BJ Christiansen, Omaha Marian; tennis, Chase Petersen, Mt. Michael Benedictine/Skutt Catholic; boys’ track and field, Ron Mimick, Aquinas Catholic; wrestling, Darin Garfield, Central City.