CHAPEL HILL – The North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) presented the 2018-19 Toby Webb Outstanding Coach Awards to Jennifer Kruk from Enka High School and Ron Bare from Northwest Guilford High School at the NCHSAA's Annual Meeting on May 2, 2019 at the Dean E. Smith Center.
The Toby Webb Outstanding Coach Award is made possible through the generosity of gifts from individuals and companies through the NCHSAA Endowment and annually recognizes an outstanding male and female coach. To be eligible for the award, a coach must be nominated by school personnel at the NCHSAA member school where he or she coaches, to have coached for a minimum of 10 years, and have made major contributions to the success of high school athletics at the school, in the community and beyond. Winners receive the award and a $2000 cash stipend.
The award is in honor of Toby Webb, a member of the NCHSAA Hall of Fame who was an outstanding coach as well as a principal and superintendent. He helped turn Albemarle into a football power and posted a brilliant 103-18-6 mark as a head coach there.
Jennifer Kruk – Enka High School Softball Coach
Under Coach Jennifer Kruk’s leadership, Enka softball won back-to-back 3A State Championships in 2015 and 2016. Kruk is an Enka graduate that returned to her alma mater in 2008 to lead the softball program. She sustained success over several years, leading to her being named the National Federation of State High School Associations’ North Carolina Softball Coach of the Year in 2016.
Her success and influence have permeated beyond the field as she imparts her passion for health, physical education and excellence in athletics to all students she teaches. Kruk teaches professional development for Enka High School and Buncombe County, serving the community at large. She has proven to be an exemplary role model for all coaches and staff at Enka High School.
Ron Bare – Northwest Guilford High School Wrestling & Golf Coach
Coach Ron Bare has spent the last 29 years coaching at Northwest Guilford High School. He began his career as an Assistant Coach for the football and wrestling teams, eventually being raised to Head Coach in wrestling in 1997. Since then, his wrestling teams have won over 400 dual matches. Coach Bare added the third sport to his coaching resume in 2001 when he took over the golf program. In just four short years, one of his teams claimed a state championship. In 2019, Coach Bare’s wrestling team captured the 4A Dual Team Wrestling Championship.
Bare is a longtime member of the North Carolina Coaches Association (NCCA) and the North Carolina Wrestling Coaches Association. He served on the coaching staff of the NC-SC Wrestling Challenge this past year and has helped volunteer at various NCHSAA regional and state championships in the Greensboro area. He uses his success and integrity to mentor younger coaches at Northwest Guilford and works behind the scenes to encourage the growth of the school’s athletic department.
