January 9, 2010

Courtesy of Rockford College, Sports Information Department
ROCKFORD, Ill. -- Rockford College head cross country and track coach Roger Fredrickson recently crossed the finish line of his hall of fame career. Fredrickson’s 30-plus year career as a high school and college coach ranks among the best in the state of Illinois.

Since Rockford reinstated the program before the 2004-05 school year, Fredrickson has established the Regents’ running programs among the best in the region. Rockford has had more than 35 all-conference performers, four individual event champions, and three rookies of the year. Fredrickson was also named cross country conference coach of the year in 2005 and 2008 after leading Rockford to team championships.

Prior to his years at Rockford, Fredrickson was already a hall of famer having been inducted into the Illinois Track and Cross Country Coaches association Hall of Fame in 1999. At Winnebago High School alone, Fredrickson coached 41 all-state performers, 23 conference champions, 32 teams qualify for the state championships, including a record 17 consecutive appearances for the WHS girls’ team, and eight state championship teams.

Fredrickson’s imprint on the Regents’ program will not end with his retirement, as Chad Zeman, one of Fredrickson’s first recruits, has been named interim coach. A 2009 alum of Rockford, Zeman may be the most decorated runner in Rockford history, with several Northern Athletics Conference track records and two cross country championships.

Zeman’s first meet as head coach will be the Carthage College Invitational in Kenosha, Wis. on Saturday, January 16.