COACHES PROFILE

JIM AIKENS {head coach, throws,}  jaikens@d211.org

          2003, begins Coach Aikens thirteenth year as head coach of the Fremd track team.  He is also responsible for coaching the throwers.  Coach Aikens has served as the director of Junior Athletics for USA Track & Field in the state of Illinois from 1993-1996.  Coach Aikens also has USA Track & Field Level 1 and Level 2 national certification.  He is a Level One USATF Lead Instructor and is a USATF Nationally Certified Official in the throws.  Coach Aikens is currently serving as President for the Illinois Track and Cross-Country Coaches Association.  Many of his throwers have earned conference, sectional, state, and national honors.  In the past eleven years Coach Aikens team’s have won four conference championships, five sectional championships, and two fifth place finish at the state meet.  Coach Aikens threw the shot put, hammer and discus in college.  He also teaches Earth Science and Astronomy at Fremd High School.  His family consists of his wife Jill and his daughter Carolyn.

RICH BOKOR: {sprints & relays} rbokor@d211.org

          Coach Bokor has been a successful track and cross-country coach for over twenty years.  He was the head track coach at Fremd before Coach Aikens took over.  He was also the head boys cross-country coach for many years.  Coach Bokor's 1994 boys cross-country team took third at the state meet that year.  Many of the athletes under his tutelage have earned conference, regional and state honors throughout the years.  Coach Bokor has been the recipient of the “ Dave Pasquini Award”.  This award recognizes Coach Bokor as one of the top assistant track coaches in the state of Illinois.  Currently, Coach Bokor serves as the head girl’s cross-country coach at Fremd High School.  Coach Bokor was a varsity award winner in cross-country and track in college.  He teaches regular and advanced placement history.  He has also received numerous awards for his teaching excellence.

JOE SAMOJEDNY: {jumps & hurdles} jsamojedny@d211.org

          Coach “Samo” has been coaching track for over twenty years.  He is an outstanding technician, and his understanding of the biomechanics involved in track & field is unmatched.  During his coaching career he has coached a multitude of conference, sectional and state placers.  Coach Samo is also a recipient of the “Dave Pasquini Assistant Coach” Award, which identifies him as one of the best at what he does in the state.  Coach Samojedny was the head football coach at Fremd High School during the seventies, eighties and early nineties.  His 1992 football team was the only regular season undefeated football team in school history.  Currently, Coach Samojedny serves as the head sophomore football coach at Fremd.  Coach Samojedny was a varsity award winner in football, basketball and track while in college.  He is also an outstanding educator.  He teaches psychology one and psychology two at Fremd High School.

COACH BRUCE: {distance} mbruce@d211.org

          Coach Bruce has been coaching track and cross-country for over fifteen years.  He has been the head boys cross-country coach since 1995.  During that year he led the boys team to a tenth place finish at the state meet.  Before taking over the boys job he was the head girls cross-country coach.  Many athletes that Coach Bruce has worked with have finished high in conference, regional and state competition.  Coach Bruce is truly a student of the event.  He is constantly striving to increase his knowledge of long distance running.  Coach Bruce was a varsity award winner in cross-country and track while in college.  He is an outstanding educator that teaches regular and advanced placement economics at Fremd High School.

COACH BOYLE {pole vault} yodah13@comcast.net

     This is Coach Boyles fifth year as a volunteer member of our staff.  During this short time he has revitalized our once ailing pole vault program.  Under Coach Boyle Fremd has gone from no entrants in the conference meet to a consistently placing very high or winning the meet.  The past two years he has coached two young men to sectional championships and a runner up finishes at the state meet.   His dedication to the athletes and to the sport is a large part of his success.  Coach Boyle was a seventeen-foot pole-vaulter in college.  He currently works on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange during the day and Coaches at Fremd in the afternoon.  He is USA Track & Field National Certified Level One Coach.

COACH DUNCAN { strength & throws} mduncan@d211.org

    This is Coach Duncan's first year with the Viking Track Program.  Coach Duncan volunteers his time and works with the throwers and the athletes in the weight room.  Coach Duncan teaches Earth Science and Physical Science at Fremd.  Before teaching at Fremd he spent six years teaching science at Naperville North High School.

          I think you can see by reading these brief profiles of the track coaches that your son is in good hands.  Four of these coaches currently are or have been head coaches.  I think this gives them a unique perspective on what our job as coaches really is.  We will try to not only develop your son as an athlete but as a person as well.