The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association and New Jersey Scholastic Coaches Association held their annual awards lunch on Sunday and two Verona coaches were among the honorees.
Andrea Jordan, a health and physical education teacher at H.B. Whitehorne Middle School, was honored by the National Federation of Coaches as a state winner for her distinguished background, experience, service and promotion in swimming.
Gene Leporati, the longtime girls track coach at Verona High School, was inducted in to the State Coaches Hall of Fame for his long list of accomplishments at VHS. He has been the girls winter track coach for 23 years and Verona’s spring track coach for 10 years. During that time, his teams have won one NJSIAA State Group Championship, five NJSIAA State Sectional Championships, nine Conference Championships and four Conference relay titles. Leporati has won Area Coach of the Year honors four times and County Coach of the Year honors twice.
Coach Lep, as he has been known to his runners, joins several other Verona coaches in the State Coaches Hall of Fame: Al Rotella, George Stiefbold and Bob Graham.
I am so happy for both of these wonderful people! I’ve had the honor of having one as a coach and one in gym class, both are fantastic role models. Congratulations Ms. Jordan and Coach Lep!!!