Pat Wagner coached the Liberty-Benton girls’ cross-country team to three Class “A” state championships during the 1980s with a pair of runner-up finishes, a third and a fourth place in the state finals. Wagner is the only coach to be honored as both Ohio Cross Country (1988) and Ohio Track & Field (1991) Coach of the Year. His cross-country teams have won over 96 percent of their meets, nine district championships and have been represented at the state meet seven times. As the Liberty-Benton track coach, Wagner’s overall sparkling record includes well over 150 victories with 10 Blanchard Valley Conference championships. He has had a state-meet qualifier for 14 consecutive years and had numerous individuals go on to perform at the collegiate level. For his accomplishments, Wagner has been named District Track Coach of the Year in 1985, 1987 and 1990 along with District Cross Country Coach in 1984 and 1988. He is currently serving a three-year (1992-94) stint as the Ohio coach for the six-state Mideast Cross Country championships. Wagner received the state’s Distinguished Service Award in 1985, has been a district representative on the Coaches Executive Board, a member of the Ohio Cross Country Coaches Association poll and helped organize materials for the Association’s cross-country booklet.