Hislop, Reading up for national coaching honors

The Daily Inter Lake

The National High School Athletic Coaches Association has announced that Bob Hislop of Polson and Lini Reading of Whitefish are finalists for National Coach of the Year.

Hislop is up for the award in tennis, and Reading in girls soccer.

Hislop has coached tennis at Polson for 18 seasons. His Pirates captured the Class A state championship last spring and have won seven divisional titles.

He was named the Montana Coaches Association Class A tennis Coach of the Year in 2008. He's been a finalist for that award six times.

Reading recently stepped down as head coach at Whitefish. The Bulldogs were a regular participant in postseason play during her 15-year stay with the program.

Whitefish won two Class A state championships and finished second three times since 2001.

Other Montana finalists for National Coach of the Year are: Charlie Merrifield, Butte, boys track; Shirley Chesterfield-Stanton, Helena Capital, girls track; Georgia Forney, Hardin, swimming; Bill Hess, Poplar, boys cross country; Mike Reynolds, Cut Bank, girls cross country; Wayne Moorman, Bridger, volleyball; Rob Zimmerman, C.M. Russell, boys soccer; Jeff Strickland, Three Forks, golf; and Diane Lehman, Fort Benton, special sports (cheerleading).

All coaches will receive plaques at the NHSACA convention June 24 in Minneapolis.