Norris has been running the show at DHS since the 70s.
GIRLS TRACK AND CROSS COUNTRY
Wave veteran girls track and cross country coach Steve Norris racks up another distinction in a running, and coaching career, spanning back to the Kennedy era.
Norris will be the 2012 Male Achievement Honoree at the 51st Annual Darien Old Timers Athletic Association Sports Award Dinner Nov. 12.
The event is held at The Waters Edge at Giovanni’s on the Darien border with Stamford.
Norris was born in Stamford and grew up in New Canaan, graduating NCHS in 1963.
He went to DePauw University, Greencastle, Indiana graduating in 1967 with Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics.
At New Canaan HS, Norris ran cross country for four years and indoor and outdoor track for three.
He was CIAC Class M State Champion in the 1,000 yards in 1963, and the CIAC State Champion in the 180-yard hurdles in 1962 and 1963.
At DePauw, Norris ran cross country for four years and was MVP in 1965.
He was the ICC League Champion in the 440 in 1966 and 1967, and is a member of the 4×440 relay team that holds the school record.
Norris served in the U. S. Army from 1968 through 1971, with one tour in Vietnam. While at Fort Bragg, NC, he competed on the post track team in 1970 and 1971.
He taught high school mathematics in Trumbull and Greenwich from 1974 to 1978.
He is currently the owner of the Runners Roost in Darien.
Norris began his coaching career in 1975-76 while at Trumbull HS as assistant track coach for both winter and spring track, helping win FCIAC Championships for both.
By 1975, he had made the shift to Darien High, serving first as boys assistant coach in 1975-76, moving over to become girls cross country coach, girls assistant winter track coach and girls spring track coach in 1976-77, helping lead the track teams to FCIAC Championships in 1977-78 and 1978-79.
He also helped the Darien HS boys winter track team take the 1977-78 CIAC Open Championship.
Under his tutelage, the Blue Wave girls cross country team won the FCIAC Championships in 1986-87 and 1987-78, and the CIAC Class and Open Championships in 1986-87.
As Blue Wave girls winter and spring track coach Norris won the 1980-81, 1981-82, 1984-85 and 1985-86 FCIAC Championships, and the 1984-85 CIAC Class Championship.
His spring girls track team was also CIAC Class runner-up in 1990-91 and 1991-92. Following a rebuilding period, Norris was Darien High girls Cross Country coach, leading the Wave to the CIAC Class Championship in 2005-06, and Darien has been a competitor all the way over the past decade in the league and state.
is again the team to beat in FCIAC and Girls winter and spring track has won five FCIAC Championships, in 2006-07, 2007-08 and 2008-09 for winter; and 2007-08 and 2011-12 spring; plus five CIAC Class Championships in 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10 winter, 2007-08 and 2008-09 spring.
Norris was elected to the FCIAC Coaches Hall of Fame in 2007, named CHSCA Girls Cross Country Coach of the Year the same year, FCIAC Winter Sports Coach of the Year in 2006, CHSCA Girls Track Coach of the Year 1999, CHSCA Girls Cross Country Coach of the Year 1995, Connecticut Interscholastic Track Coaches Association Coach of the Year [1988 and was inducted into the CHSCA Hall of Fame in 2010.
He is a member of the CT High School Coaches Association, and the founder/coach/participant of a local track club, the Fairfield County Striders, which offered cross country and track competition from 1971 to 2000 for Fairfield County residents aged 10 to 70 years of age.
