During Thursday’s Lennox Booster Club Qualifier Track and Field Meet, the Lennox School District officially renamed the Meet “Rich Luther Relays” in honor of long time track and field coach, Rich Luther.
The District stated, “Although we cannot truly thank you, Coach Luther, for everything you have done for the sport – we would like to do our best to honor you by renaming this track meet, from here on out, the Rich Luther Relays.”
Coach Luther served as the assistant coach of the Lennox Track and Field program from 1979-1985. He served as head track and field coach from 1986-2017. During this time period, Luther was able to achieve a truly outstanding level of success with his teams as head coach. His accomplishments include: 15 girls’ region championship titles, and 17 boys’ region championships titles. He also helped the teams earn State runner up honors three times with the girls’ program and five times with the boys’ program. Luther coached the girls’ program to State Championship titles in 1998, 1999, and 2000. In 2003 and 2004, he helped the boys’ program claim State Championship honors. Under Luther’s direction, the LHS boys and girls won combined team titles in 1991, 2001 and 2003. Luther coached athletes to a combined 48 individual and relay State titles and earned the honor of South Dakota Track and Field Coach of the Year in 1999 and 2003. Luther was also instrumental in the design of the track and field complex that the LHS track and field athletes use today that has hosted numerous conference, region, and state track and field meets.
Luther has dedicated his life to the betterment of track and field in the state of South Dakota.