John Sauerhage Position: Head Coach Experience: 14th Year Alma Mater: UT Arlington, 1986

The University of Texas at Arlington track and field program boasts one of the most decorated coaches in Southland Conference history in John Sauerhage.

The Mavericks returned to prominence last season as the men's team captured the Southland Conference team championship in the SLC meet at Stephen F. Austin. Now entering his 14h year as the head of the Mavericks track and field and cross country programs, Sauerhage is already the coach at UTA and has led the Mavericks to 21team championships. Sauerhage has also earned an unprecedented 18 SLC Coach of the Year honors.

Sauerhage returned to his alma mater to begin his coaching career at UTA in 1989 as an assistant coach. He spent seven years as an assistant before taking over the reins the fall of 1995, and continuing the Mavericks' success. In his first year as head coach, the Mavericks won the men's indoor and outdoor conference titles, as well as the women's indoor title, and finished second in the women's outdoor SLC Championships.

For his accomplishments, Sauerhage was named Southland Conference men's and women's indoor Coach of the Year, along with men's outdoor Coach of the Year. He also coached his athletes to eight All-American honors, and one athlete, Elston Cawley, competed at the 1996 Olympic games.

The success did not stop after just one season, as Sauerhage improved in his second year. His teams repeated conference championships in the men's and women's indoor and men's outdoor, along with another second place finish in the women's outdoor. Sauerhage also led the women's cross country team to a conference title.

In his third year at the helm, Sauerhage accomplished something that had never been accomplished in UTA history by leading the UTA women to the triple crown by winning the cross country title and the indoor and outdoor conference championships, a feat he would later accomplish a second time n 2001.

Sauerhage has coached the women's indoor team to the conference tite in his first six seasons, as well as being named women's indoor Coach of the Year in each season. He has coached the women's outdoor team to four straight conference titles and received four straight Coach of the Year honors from 1998-2001, the men's indoor to four conference titles and the men's outdoor to two conference championships.

Sauerhage coached the men's cross country team to a conference championship and the women's cross country team to three conference titles, including back-to-back titles in 2001-02. He has three Coach of the Year honors in cross country -- one for men and two for women's teams. Since 1989, Sauerhage has coached nine athletes to individual conference championships in cross country and UTA athletes have won 72 SLC track titles in events ranging from the 800 meters to the 10,000 meters, including nine in 1994 alone.

Sauerhage began his collegiate career at Louisiana State University, where he placed sixth in the Southeastern Conference in the 1,000-yard and mile distances before transferring to UTA. As a former member of the UTA track and field team, Sauerhage knows what it takes to be successful. He won the SLC title in the mile, is a member of the school record-holding 6,000-meter relay team, and owns the second best all-time indoor and outdoor 1,500 meter times with a mark of 3:5.50 and 3:49.35, respectively.

As an assistant and as the head coach, Sauerhage witnessed the Mavericks dominate the previous decade.

The women's indoor and outdoor programs are just as impressive, not placing lower than thrd place in either season since 1991, earning a combined 11 team crowns, including

seven straight indoor championships from 1995-2001. Sauerhage graduated from UTA in 1986 with a bachelor's degree in physical education. He received a master's degree in education from Northeast Louisiana University in 1988, while serving as a graduate assistant coach. He returned to UTA in 1989 where he took the position as an assistant track and field coach until 1995, when he took over the reins of both the UTA track and cross country programs.

As a prep standout at Arlington High School, Sauerhage was a six-time state qualifier, won the Class 5A mile in 1979 and ran a 4:10.6 in the mile. Sauerhage and his wife, Lisa, reside in Arlington.