Hodge: A hero for his community

Flathead Valley track fans are familiar with Dan Hodge, who has led the Flathead High School boys track team for 38 years.

Now the rest of the country knows about him, too.

Hodge recently was named National Coach of the Year by the National High School Athletic Coaches Association.

That’s an appropriate and perhaps overdue honor for the man who has been the face of Flathead track for almost four decades and whose teams have won six state titles, placed second at state seven times and won 16 divisional championships.

The hundreds of young Braves athletes Hodge has mentored — including five Gatorade Player of the Year winners — no doubt would second the national kudos he has earned.

Hodges’ career is noteworthy for its stability as well as its length.

After a stint as a helicopter pilot in Vietnam, he came home, “applied for one job in 1972 and I’m still at that job,” Hodge recalled.

First he was a hero for his country, then a hero for his community.

Well done, Dan.

Congratulations, Callie

Also in School District 5, but across town, a high honor was recently awarded to Glacier High School Principal Callie Langohr, who was named Class AA Principal of the Year.

The Montana Class AA Principals Association named Langohr top principal during the year when she has also been serving as president of that organization.

We agree with Superintendent Darlene Schottle, who noted that Langohr “has been an incredible asset to our local public schools. She is a determined, very focused educator whose collaborative abilities were crucial in the creation” of and success of Glacier High School.

We appreciate the fact that Langohr shared the credit for the award with her entire team at Glacier High School, but her long service at both Flathead High School and Glacier is testament to her own extraordinary abilities.

Good job, Callie.

Editorials represent the majority opinion of the Daily Inter Lake’s editorial board.