Late Myers Enshrined in NJCAA Running Lore
From www.ictritons.com
Denny Myers left a lasting legacy on the Iowa Central athletic programs.
Now, Myers will be honored by the NJCAA.
The association announced that Myers and Diane Nukuri of Butler (Kansas) will be enshrined in the NJCAA Cross Country, Track and Field, and Half Marathon Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
Myers, an East Lansing, Michigan native and respected NJCAA Cross Country and Track and Field Coach, kickstarted his career at Lansing from 1979-2000 where he led the men's and women's cross country teams to immeasurable success. There, Myers and the team earned men's cross country national titles in 1991, 1992, 1996, 1997, 1998, and 1999. For the women, they won titles in 1991, 1992, 1994, and 1995. In 1989 and 1992, they won men's marathon national titles and in 1990, 1991, and 1994, women's marathon national titles.
After more than 20 years at Lansing, Myers continued his career at Vincennes for three years then spent an impactful year at Rend Lake where he won the 2008 NJCAA Women's Indoor Track and Field National Championship. Perhaps most memorable from his career is Myers' time at the helm of Iowa Central when he took over as head coach in 2009. With the Tritons, Myers collected five men's indoor track and field national titles and four women's indoor track and field national titles. In addition, he guided the women to two outdoor track and field national titles, most recently in 2016.
A graduate of Grand Ledge high school, Myers was inducted in the school's hall of fame in 2020 and was also inducted into Siena Heights College's hall of fame, his alma mater. Outside of coaching, Myers was president of the NJCAA Cross Country Coaches Association from 1987-2009 and a US Track Coaches Association Representative from 1993-2003.
Myers' impact and success as a coaching icon in the track and field and cross country community for almost forty years is a direct result of his dedication to the association, his student-athletes, and his coaches.
"Denny was a master of psychology. He knew just what to say to each of us to get the most out of us. He understood many of us better than we understood ourselves." - Chris Gafner, Former Denny Myers student-athlete & Vincennes Head Coach
"I soon knew that Denny was a major fan of our sport. During our battles at national meets, I would always see him rooting for my athletes as well as his own." - Kim Renas, Macomb Head Coach