“Around the Oval’’
GOURLEY, KENWOOD INDUCTED
INTO RIIL’S HALL OF FAME
R.I. Track & Field Foundation
12 May (MEDIA NOTE) – – Two veteran coaches from the sports of track and field and cross country have been inducted into the 2015 Class of the R.I. Interscholastic League’s Athletic Hall of Fame. Cumberland High School cross country and track coach Tom Kenwood and Barrington High throws coach Bob Gourley will be among 12 new inductees honored at the league’s banquet, Oct. 28, 2015 at the Crowne Plaza, Warwick.
Gourley: Puts the ‘hammer down’ on the field event map
No single coach or official in prep track is more synonymous with an event as Bob Gourley is to the hammer; and, during the indoor track season, the weight throw. An assistant on the coaching staff at Barrington High, Gourley has gained a national reputation as an official and clinician in the weight events. On numerous occasions he has been named New England Official of the Year by USA Track & Field (USATF), the governing body of the sport. He received the USATF’s Outstanding Service Award, and holds Master’s level certification. He is a member of the R.I. Track Coaches (RITCA) Hall of Fame. His impact on high school athletes has been immeasurable.
“What Coach Gourley has done for the [hammer] throwers of Rhode Island is . . . truly remarkable,’’ said Barrington senior Adam Kelly, currently a nationally-ranked competitor, and last winter’s United States champ in the boys’ 25-pound weight throw. Added Kelly, who will be attending Princeton University in the fall: “What makes his coaching career most remarkable is that nearly every single hammer thrower in the nation for the past few decades is indebted to him in some way as a result of his service to the event.’’
Indeed, this past indoor season Gourley was named Coach of the Year by his peers, a rarity, since this honor customarily goes to head coaches. In addition to all his other work in the hammer and weight throw events, Gourley maintains a rankings database used by national organizations such as Track & Field News.
Kenwood: Track’s longtime Renaissance man
Cumberland High’s Tom Kenwood holds a legendary place among track and cross country coaches in the state. And his longevity is as impressive as his knowledge of those sports.
“We encourage the athletes to try different events so that they can find something thet can succeed at and enjoy,’’ Kenwood said. “My assistants and I apply the best training principals available to help the athlete’s progress. We use positive enforcement with a healthy dose of fun thrown in.’’
Kenwood has applied this philosophy while piloting boys’ cross country and track athletes at Cumberland High for the past 40 years. But his impact is felt on the entire Clipper running community. His cross country squads have won 10 divisional and three class championships with an overall record of 167-18. Cumberland won the state team championship in 2005. His indoor track teams have collected no less than 20 division trophies, riding on a 259-37 mark. Kenwood’s spring track programs have been equally successful. Additionally, Kenwood has directed road races in the area, including the Arnold Mills July 4th and Cumberlandfest running events. A member of the R.I. Track Coaches Association (RITCA) Hall of Fame, Kenwood also received the Service to Cross Country award from Brown University in 2011.