Legendary York cross country coach Joe Newton passes away at age 88
He made cross country cool.
Joe Newton arrived at York High School six decades ago a physical education teacher and new graduate from Northwestern.
He left a legacy that will last generations after he's gone.
Newton, York cross country's legendary coach, passed away Dec. 9 at his home in Arizona. Newton, 88, retired in 2016 after leading the Dukes to 28 state boys cross country titles and another in boys track in a 57-year career at the Elmhurst school. Newton led York to 45 state trophies in 61 years at the school.
"He was larger than life," said current York cross country coach Charlie Kern Sr., an assistant under Newton for 12 years. "In the world of Illinois cross country, there may not be a person who is more than one level removed from Joe Newton."
A 1947 graduate of Parker High School on Chicago's South Side, Newton attended Northwestern on a track scholarship. He was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1952.
Newton was hired to teach physical education at York in 1956, at first assisting with the track team before being named head cross country and track coach in 1960.
Two years later, York won its first boys cross country state title.
The Dukes would later win five straight state titles on two occasions, six consecutive from 1989-1994.
And they did so with class.
When they traveled to state meets, Dukes' runners wore a suit and tie. In 1976, York started the tradition of wearing tuxedos to the state meet awards ceremony – if the team finished among the top three teams.
"We would rush back to our hotel and change. That was our reward, was you got to wear your tux," said Mike Newman, a member of the 1978 York state champion who now runs a website covering Illinois cross country and track. "We were accountable for everything we did on and off the course. We represented York, ourselves and Mr. Newton every time we stepped on a course."
Newton had the unique ability to inspire.
He ended every practice with at least one thought of the day. He drew on quotations from figures ranging from Green Pay Packers coach Vince Lombardi to Presidents Andrew Jackson to Theodore Roosevelt to the Olympic runner Sebastian Coe – who befriended Newton and trained with him.
He put up a Northwestern Rose Bowl poster in his hotel room the night before the state meet to remind his runners of greatness unexpected. He used the metaphor of the bumble bee, that scientists say shouldn't have the wingspan to be able to fly, to inspire the seemingly impossible.
"We took it and ran with it, literally," said Glenbard West cross country coach Paul Hass, who ran at York from 1982-85. "He knew what we were capable of before we even knew it. He got us to achieve things that we probably never thought we could."
Newton developed a national reputation for excellence in cross country.
He was an assistant manager in charge of marathon runners for the U.S. team at the 1988 Olympics, the first high school coach to be part of an Olympic staff. He wrote four books on running. A feature-length documentary, The Long Green Line (named after the team nickname), was made about his life and career.
And he made the York green and white synonymous with cross country.
He shook each runner's hand at the end of practice, and gave each runner a nickname.
"He had this booming voice that you could hear on the course. I got worried when he called me by my first name," Newman said. "He had a belief in us, and gave us confidence when we stepped to that line. We always wanted to run good for him. There were times we didn't, but he was always proud of our performance.
"There are many people that say he is Illinois cross country," Newman added. "His legacy is through every runner that puts on the green and white."
Newton's funeral was to be private, but the family plans to hold a memorial by early to mid-January, hopefully at York.