Lovell coaches named 3A Coach of the Year

With state trophies come state honors, and two Lovell High School coaches have been named Class 3A Coach of the Year by the Wyoming Coaches Association.

Fourth-year head coach Shane Durtsche received coach of the year honors for the second consecutive season after guiding the Bulldogs to a 26-2 record and the team’s second straight state title on March 14.

First-year dance coach Madison Hecker was named the 3A Dance Coach of the Year after the LHS dance team swept both the Hip Hop Dance and Jazz Dance categories at the Wyoming State Spirit Competition in Casper on January 23.

Both coaches are deserving of the honors, Lovell athletic director Chris Edwards said.

“Coach Durtsche navigated another successful season for the LHS boys basketball program,” Edwards said. “The team had a bullseye on them all season and responded quite well considering the pressure each night. Shane found a way to balance the stress of the season by allowing some lighter moments in practice or on trips. Winning back-to-back state titles has only happened a couple times in Lovell sports history, so that shows the level of coaches and players we had in the program over the last couple of seasons.

“Coach Hecker showed great promise this season as a young coach in our dance program. Madison has a strong background in the spirit competition arena and was able to lead her program to a successful season with an impressive feat of state titles in both Hip Hop and Jazz. Coach Hecker cares deeply about the athletes in her program, which is evident in how much heart and soul she pours into her program. The girls responded well to her with the changes she implemented this year, which is a testament to her relationship building ability.”