Cross Country	SIUE Cross Country SIUE Athletics

Gus Coronado

June 17, 2004 Former Cougar Coronado joins Skyway Hall of Fame          Morton College cross-country coach Gus Coronado was inducted into the Skyway Conference Hall of Fame June 3 during ceremonies at the College of Lake County in Grayslake.          While his accomplishments in Coronado's short time as head coach at Morton College are impressive, the Berwyn resident joins the Skyway hall for his achievements as a runner.          Coronado earned first team All-America honors by finishing fifth at the 1993 National Junior College Athletic Association Division II meet. He also was the Skyway's most valuable runner and received Morton College's Sophomore Male Athlete of the Year award in leading the Panthers to the conference title.          "We are very proud of Gus," said George Fejt, Coordinator of Athletics at Morton College. "He has worked very hard to achieve his goals, not only as a runner but also as a person. Gus is an outstanding role model for all the students at Morton College."          "Knowing all the other fine athletes who were taken into consideration, I'm very privileged," Coronado said. "Competing in athletics at Morton College was very important to me. It served as a great stepping-stone."          Coronado's endeavors before and after at Morton College are noteworthy. At Morton High School, Coronado placed fifth at 1991 Class AA state cross-country meet and came in third in the 3,200-meter run at the 1992 Class AA state track finals.          After Morton College, Coronado transferred to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville where he made men's cross country history. Coronado qualified for the 1996 NCAA Division II track and field national meet in the 5-kilometer run.          Coronado, a physical-education teacher at Liberty School in Cicero, returned to Morton College as head cross-country coach in 2002. Four women have qualified for nationals in Coronado's two years at the top spot.          "I try to incorporate a positive influence on my student-athletes in and out of the classroom," said Coronado, who graduated from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville with a major in education and a minor in Spanish. "Also, my experiences as an athlete in high school and college have helped me prepare to be a coach."          Coronado is the third person from Morton College to be selected for the Skyway Hall of Fame, joining Bob "Slivers" Slivovsky, the late long-time equipment manager/sports information director; and John Neuhaus, former President at Morton College, as members.          Coronado and Bill Finn, the highly-successful men's basketball coach at Moraine Valley, are this year's inductees. This season, Finn surpassed the 500-win mark and was inducted into the Region IV Hall of Fame.          The Skyway Conference consists of eight members competing in 12 sports for athletic conference championships. In addition, the conference hosts co-curricular events from the fine arts and academic departments.                 -siue cougars-