By Dee Longfellow
For The Elmhurst Independent
To say it’s the “End of an Era” is an understatement.
As they say, “you know the day’s coming, but you’re never prepared for it.” It might be the day you have to teach your teenager to drive or take the car keys away from an aging parent.
That is the best way to describe the overall mood inside the Yorker Room at York High School on Wednesday afternoon, August 3, when a press conference was held for a special announcement from Joe Newton.
Many speculate Newton might never retire for the simple reason that he never knows who’s coming up the ranks of the next class of participants in cross-country. Considering all outstanding young men he has coached over the years, every now and then, an outstanding runner like Don Sage, Sean McNamara, or Andrew Smith comes into the fold. Next year, there could be someone even better. Therefore, Joe Newton can’t retire!
Or can he? Apparently he can and will after this upcoming fall season of cross country, as it was announced on Aug. 3
Newton did not attend the press conference, it was his son Tom who made the announcement and read a statement from the long-time, well-loved coach.
“It is with mixed emotions that I inform the City of Elmhurst, York Community High School, and all previous and future York Community High School Cross Country Runners, that my father, Coach Joe Newton will be retiring from coaching at the end of this season,” said Thomas Newton. “The last 60 years have been the best years of his life and I can tell you that he truly believes that York High School and the Elmhurst community are the greatest places to be.”
The main issue that forces the retirement is his limited mobility, which is a pretty big requirement for coaching cross country. But despite his limitations, Newton plans to “coach by phone,” son Tom said.
“As you know, when coaching young high school athletes, a level of mobility is required to maintain a championship program,” the younger Newton continued. “I know that if my father’s mobility was such that he could keep up with the young men of the York High School Cross Country program, he would love nothing more than to continue with coaching. However, his mobility has been increasingly difficult to maintain at the level that is required to sustain such a program that he has built over the last six decades.”
He went on to say the family had had numerous discussions about what is best for the XC program at York and all future York High School cross country runners.
“We, the family, believe strongly that this is the best decision for all parties involved and that includes my father,” Tom said. He went on to praise the school and the program his father had made is own for the past 60 years.
“I would also like to take this time to thank District #205 administrative personnel, York High School, the City of Elmhurst, parents of the runners who have come through the program, teachers who supported my father and the program, but most of all the men of the long green line for the love and support that they have given my father over the last sixty years,” said Tom.
Charlie Kern takes reins as Interim Head Coach
“What has made this decision possible is the thought that my dad’s successor would be none other than Mr. Charlie Kern,” Tom went on. “He will always be very special to our family because we believe that he will keep the legacy of the Long Green Line going for many years to come. Personally, I couldn’t think of a more deserving, talented, dedicated and committed young man to lead the Dukes. Thank you and God bless York High School, the Men of the Long Green Line, and the City of Elmhurst.”
This fall, Charlie Kern will serve as co-head coach of the York Cross Country team, along with Mr. Newton. A celebration of Coach Newton’s career will be held on Sunday, November 6 at York High School, following the state cross-country meet that weekend.
More about Joe Newton
Married with three children, Newton has a rich athletic background of his own. He attended Parker High School on Chicago’s South Side where he won 12 varsity letters. In 1947, he was named a High School All-American. Northwestern University was his next stop where he was an outstanding sprinter for four years. He received his B.S. Degree from Northwestern in 1951 and his M.A. Degree from Northwestern in 1952. He then entered the U.S. Army and for the next two years was Head Track Coach at Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri, where he coached three Olympic runners. He began his high school coaching career in 1954 at Waterman (IL) High School and he just completed his 60th at York Community High School in Elmhurst, IL. During his time at York, his Cross Country and Track Teams have won more than 2050 dual meets for a 98% winning mark.
At York, Coach Newton’s teams have won more than 300 Conference Championships in Track and Cross Country, including 23 Cross Country titles in a row from 1978 thru 2000. From 1960 through 2015, his Harrier Teams have won 28 State Championships; finished 2nd twelve times; 3rd four times; 4th five times; 5th twice; 6th once; 7th once; and 8th once. During his 55 year span, York has only finished less than 8th at State Championship Meet twice (in 1960 and 1963), years the team did not qualify for the State Meet. Newton’s Cross Country team at York has won 20 National Championships including the inaugural Nike National Team Cross Country Championship in 2004. Coach Newton’s teams qualified for the Nike National Meet every year for the first ten years of the meet’s existence (2004 – 2013). From 2002 through 2014, Coach Newton’s Harriers won 73 consecutive Varsity level Dual Meets. In Cross Country and Track, Coach Newton has coached more nearly 300 All-State Athletes and numerous individual State Champions. Coach Newton also coached the 2000 York team that won the Illinois State Track Championship.
More than 150 of Coach Newton’s athletes have gone to college on athletic scholarships worth more than $1 million: 11 have become All-Americans, 8 School Record Holders, 15 Team Captains, and 3 ran on National Championship Cross Country teams. One was Most Valuable Trackman at West Point and one graduated #1 in his class at the Naval Academy.
Coach Newton has authored four books, The Long Green Line; Motivation – The Name of the Game; Running To the Top of the Mountain; and Coaching Cross Country Successfully. He was Director of the Keebler International Track Meet for 25 years; National Chairman for the National High School Coaches Association from 1981-1987; was named Coach of the Year 22 times by the Northern Illinois Track Coaches Association; and named Coach of the year 20 times by the Illinois Coaches Association. Newton was the Director of the Annual Chicago MacGregor All Stars Track Clinic for 25 years.
Coach Newton has spoken and presented all over the world at hundreds of clinics, corporate events and association’ meetings throughout his career.
