ArmoryTrack.org – News – Six Legendary Coaches to be Honored at the JAMBAR Coaches Hall of Fame Invitational

Returning for the 18th year, the JAMBAR Coaches Hall of Fame Invitational is one of the largest and fastest meets on The Armory’s high school calendar. The event is headlined each year by the Hall of Fame induction ceremony on the center of the infield, where six coaches will be honored for their remarkable careers spent nurturing future generations of student-athletes. Let’s meet this year’s inductees, and be sure to join us on Saturday, December 16th as we celebrate these fantastic coaches.

Dan Doherty (Pearl River): Doherty coached at Pearl River for 46 years, and he is the winningest coach in New York state cross country history, as his teams won a staggering 639 meets over the years. He won eight state championships and two Federation championships, as well as 85 Section 1 championships across XC and track. A 41-time Rockland County Coach of the Year, Doherty continues to work as a meet official at The Armory.

George Febles Sr. (Fordham Prep): Now in his 56th year of coaching, Febles began coaching hurdles at Fordham Prep in 1993 as an assistant to his son George Jr., also a Hall of Fame inductee. His athletes have won two national championships in the shuttle hurdles relay, and have contributed greatly to the team’s overall success. He was previously the head coach at Regis, where his teams won the 4x800m at the Millrose Games five times. Febles also served as the cross country chair of the CHSAA for 15 years.

Marbry Gansle (Shaker): Gansle coached at Shaker from 1977 until 2019, building the program from scratch. Her teams won over 500 dual meets, with many athletes qualifying for state and national competition. Shaker also won the 2012 Section 2 outdoor championship. Gansle has served as the New York state girl’s chairperson for cross country since 1995, and she also works as a meet official while being an accomplished gymnastics coach as well.

Ray James (Benjamin Cardozo): James began coaching at Cardozo in 2005, quickly building the program into a powerhouse. He coached three future Olympians in Dalilah Muhammad, Phyllis Francis, and Deajah Stevens, in addition to Sabrina Southerland, the only girl from New York City to ever win the Millrose Games high school mile. His athletes have won national titles in the 800m, 4x400m, 4x800m, and DMR, and Cardozo runners hold course records at the famed Van Cortlandt Park and Bowdoin Park XC courses.

Leonard Malech (Brooklyn Tech): Malech coached at Brooklyn Tech from 1970 until…