Benjamin “Ben” Paolillo
BEN PAOLILLO, Elkhart Central High School, 1977
** Earned 6 varsity letters in cross country and track and field
** Cross country – 3-year letter winner … sophomore MVP, junior MVP, team MVP as a senior; led team to three Northern Indiana Conference championships, including 47 consecutive dual meet victories; led team to Elkhart Sectional team title (1974); three-time IHSAA state finalist; finished 8th overall and all-state (1976); was unbeaten as an individual (1976)
** Track – 3-year letter winner … two-time IHSAA state finalist; helped team to two Goshen Sectional team championships; individual sectional champion in 2-mile (1975), individual sectional runnerup in 2-mile (1976), individual champion in 1-mile and runnerup in 2-mile (1977)
University of Wyoming, 1982
** Earned 6 varsity letters in cross country and track and field
** Cross country, named All-Western Athletic Conference (1980, ’81); team captain (1981); helped team to third in NCAA championships (1977)
** Track, named All-WAC in steeplechase (1981), steeplechase and 1,000-meter indoor (1982); team captain (1981); named Track and Field Association all-american, steeplechase (1981)
Coaching
Purdue University
** Track and Field, head coach (1993-2001); assistant coach (1984-’93); Big Ten Conference Coach of the Year (indoor, 1999, 2001; outdoor, 1999); coached 2 NCAA champions, 31 NCAA all-americans, 70 individual Big Ten champions, 3 Big Ten team championships
Elkhart Central High School
** Track and Field, assistant coach (1984); helped Blue Blazers to school’s first team regional championship
University of Wyoming
** Track and Field, graduate assistant (1982-83)