Victor Lopez holding the George Dales Award (© c)
Phoenix, USA. One of the foremost respected teachers in the sports of cross country and track & field received the US Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association's (USTFCCCA) most prestigious honour on Tuesday (18), the George Dales Award, which was announced Tuesday during lunch at the 2007 U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association annual convention.
The 2007 recipient of the George Dales Award is Puerto Rico's Victor Lopez, the coach who started the Rice University women's cross country and track & field program and brought it to prominence over the past two decades. Lopez, a USTFCCCA Hall of Fame member and also a Rice Hall of Fame member, began his career with the Owls in the 1980 outdoor season.
The George Dales Award goes to the individual who has enhanced the coaching profession of the sports of cross country and track & field. Throughout his many years as a head coach, Lopez has demonstrated these qualities of leadership and determination.
He led the Rice Owls to their first Southwest Conference title in 25 years back in 1994 when his women's cross country team won the team title. Throughout his years at Rice, Lopez's Owl athletes garnered over 150 All-American honours, and have collected 17 individual national championship titles.
Lopez-led teams won 10 conference crowns. In addition to the 1994 cross country title, Rice won the 1999 and 2002 Western Athletic Conference cross country championships. The Owls also won three consecutive WAC indoor titles from 2000-2002 and won back-to-back WAC outdoor titles in 2000-2001 and 2003-2004.
In 1990, Lopez received the IAAF's 75th Anniversary Commemorative medal for his efforts in developing track & field coaching and coaching education in Central America and the Caribbean, becoming the first North or Central American to be presented with the honor.
Lopez also played a key role in the formation of the IAAF's Coaches Commission as well as the North America, Central America and Caribbean Track & Field Coaches Association.
Lopez retired from Rice at the conclusion of the 2005 season. Presently he serves as Chairman of the IAAF Coaches Commission and also as President of the NACACTFCA.
Ha has also been chairing the Central American and Caribbean Athletics Confederation (CACAC) since 1998.
USTFCCCA