Ben Sandy of Gillette, Wyoming was recently named as the new Cross-Country Coach at Dawson Community College. DCC will be competing this fall in Cross-country for the first time in several decades. They will compete in Region XIII of the National Junior College Athletic Association. Most of their meets will be with four year colleges around Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota. They will begin practice in August and participate in meets in September and October.
DCC Athletic Director Joe Peterson voiced his approval, “We are so pleased to get a quality person and an excellent coach in Ben Sandy. He has the drive and determination to bring in student-athletes who will be successful academically and athletically. The key to a good program is hiring the right coach to lead them and Ben Sandy is the right man for the job.”
Coach Sandy has 27 years of competitive distance running experience. He has completed 14 marathons with a personal best time of 2:24.55. Coach Sandy ran collegiately at Dana College in Nebraska where he won 10 conference championships from the mile (4:09) to 10,000 meters (31:20). He earned All-American honors twice in cross country and twice in the marathon. In addition, he was a 3-time Academic All-American. Coach Sandy competed for the U.S. Army, All-Army team. Later, as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Air Force, Coach Sandy represented the United States in track and field and the marathon.
Sandy earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Education from Dana College and then earned a Master’s Degree in Health, Physical Education and Recreation at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. He also received his teaching certification from Western State Colorado University and his Level 1 Coaching Certification from USA Track and Field. Sandy has experience coaching at the college level as well as middle school, high school and many years coaching at summer running camps.
The new Dawson coach was excited about the opportunity, “I accepted the position at DCC as a way for me to give back to student-athletes who want to continue to run at the collegiate level. By recruiting local talent from MT, WY, ND and SD, my goal is to develop runners into a top 10 NJCAA cross country team for both men and women. I'm excited to pass my knowledge of distance running onto the athletes I will be coaching. As a coach, it is my responsibility to ensure the student-athletes who attend Dawson Community College receive an education, improve as distance runners and assist them in transferring on to a four year institution to complete a degree as well as compete in athletics at a higher level. I'm excited for this opportunity and to make a strong impact on those I coach and mentor.”