Faces In The Crowd

GEORGE WARES

PELLA, IOWA > SOFTBALL

Wares, 57, became the winningest fast-pitch softball coach in NCAA Division III history on May 15 when Central College beat Anderson in the D-III regionals, finishing the season with a record of 909-302-3 over 27 years. A member of the National Fastpitch Coaches Hall of Fame, he guided the Dutch to their 23rd tournament under his hand and was named Iowa Conference coach of the year for the eighth time.

JEAN KESTERSON

INDIANAPOLIS > VOLLEYBALL

Kesterson, 58, a business and technology teacher and the girls' volleyball coach at Cathedral High for 22 years, marked her 700th career victory on Aug. 27 with a win over Harrison in the Mishawaka Invitational. (The Irish went 4--0 and defeated Carmel to win the tournament.) As of Sunday her overall record is 705--145. Cathedral has won six state titles under Kesterson, most recently in 2008.

BILL HABEREK

RICHMOND, R.I. > TRACK AND FIELD

Haberek, 62, led the Chariho Regional High boys' team to the first state track title in school history on June 4 and was voted Rhode Island boys' outdoor track coach of the year. (He won state cross-country coach of the year honors last fall.) Haberek, who has coached outdoor track for 22 seasons, fulfilled a promise he had made to his runners that if they won the state title he would dye his mustache green.

RUTH LOVELACE