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TAHLEQUAH, OK - Sam Horsechief, Sequoyah High School track and cross-country coach, was named Coach of the Year by the Oklahoma Coaches Association.

"This award couldn't have gone to a better person or coach," said Larry Grigg, SHS athletic director. Horsechief has coached at Sequoyah for 15 years. During his time at Sequoyah, the cross-country and track team has qualified for state every year, won the state championship twice in cross-country and has been runner-up three times. Horsechief has also coached all 20 All-State athletes from Sequoyah in Cross-Country and 2 Sequoyah All-State athletes in Track.

Horsechief got his track and cross-country experience as a college athlete at Haskell Junior College in Lawrence, Kansas and at Central State University in Edmond. During his collegiate days he qualified for the national competition 6 times.

"I want to thank James Nells (assistant coach at SHS) for helping out and the runners for doing so well, it's (the award) all because of them," said Horsechief when asked how he felt about the award.

"Sam's a first class coach, and we are honored to have him on campus," said Tony Pivec SHS Superintendent.

Sequoyah High School "Home of the Indians!"       Sequoyah High School, an Indian boarding school, originated in 1871, when the Cherokee National Council passed an act setting up an orphan asylum to take care of many orphans that came out of the Civil War. Sequoyah High School's approximate 300 enrollment represents 42 tribes and 14 different states. Students are eligible to attend if they are members of federally recognized Indian tribes or one-fourth blood descendants of such members.