Chiappetta, Bart earn swimming coach of the year honors from IHSA
In Illinois high school swimming coach of the year honors for the 2014-15 school year, it was a clean sweep for the Mid-Suburban League.
Rolling Meadows coach Monika Chiappetta was tabbed for her efforts with the Mustangs' boys team, while Barrington coach Jim Bart was likewise honored for his work with the Fillies' girls squad.
Each year, the IHSA selects coaches from all sports to participate in a national contest by the National Federation of State High School Associations. Illinois' winners are included in a region with Indiana, Iowa, Michigan and Wisconsin for further national-level consideration.
It's the first such honor for Chiappetta, who guided Rolling Meadows victory in the Mid-Suburban East last season along with a best-ever runner-up finish in the Mid-Suburban League with a team led by individual state finalist Jake Barson. Chiappetta also won sectional coach of the year, as chosen by her peers.
Bart's Barrington girls earned a share of the MSL West title in 2014 alongside Fremd and went on to a 10th-place finish in the state meet, powered by victories from Kirsten Jacobsen in the 200- and 500-yard freestyles.
The IHSA staff selects coaches based on the results from the 2014-15 school year, as well as other elements such as career success, sportsmanship and overall contributions to the sport. The public release of the choices is withheld until the subsequent national choices have been made.
The news came as a big surprise for Chiappetta, who started as Rolling Meadows' boys coach midway through the 1997-98 season but hadn't had sustained high-level team success until last year's memorable group.
"I was shocked," she said. "My entire coaching career, I've admired the kind of people who make these elite, select lists. I mean, these are the people I've tried to model myself after over the years. So now I'm honored and humbled to be included with so many of them."
That list of influential coaches would include her own high school coach at Rosary, Bill Schalz, as well as key MSL figures such as former Fremd coach Andy Larson, former Palatine boys coach Kyle Sorenson and Barrington's Bart, just to name a few.
"I've been busy sending my thank-yous out to so many people who have helped me," Chiappetta said. "Something like this sure doesn't happen by itself. I've had great kids and parents who really trusted me over the years."
Bart has been a fixture at Barrington, having spent 30 years in District 220. His Fillies won the MSL title last fall and the program has been a consistent player at the state level, most recently with an 11th-place finish in the state championship meet.
• Glenbrook South boys tennis coach Larry Faulkner, a veteran of some 40 years, was chosen as his sport's national winner in the NFHS contest. Faulkner is a member of the Illinois High School Tennis Coaches Association's Hall of Fame, and has earned coach of the year honors from that body twice, in 1996 and 2009.