2012 Leadership Award Honorees

In his first year as head coach of the women’s soccer team at St. Louis Community College in 2009, Juergen Huettner led the team to the most wins in the program’s history and coached them to the first Region XVI championship for women's soccer. He was named the Region XVI Coach of the Year. He is also the girl’s head coach at Althoff Catholic High School in Belleville, and has compiled a record of (135-20-5) including four regional and three sectional championships. In 2010, Juergen led the Crusaders to an undefeated season (27-0) and a class 2A State Championship. His team also finished ranked #3 in the nation by ESPN. In addition, his girl’s teams have placed 3rd (2005) and 2nd (2008) in the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) State Tournament.

Brett Swip of Collinsville co-founded the Collinsville Extreme Club in 1999 with one softball team. Today, the club has seven baseball and softball teams and focuses on teamwork, leadership, and sportsmanship, while teaching
baseball and softball skills. In addition to winning national championships, the Collinsville Extreme Club produces stellar student-athletes and helps young individuals transition through many phases of their lives. Brett is also the co-founder of 3 Little Birds 4 Life Foundation, a non-profit foundation founded by Brett and his wife Ashley in 2011 after his brother in-law was diagnosed with malignant melanoma. 3 Little Birds 4 Life is focused on fulfilling bucket list desires for cancer patients ages 18-40. 

Richard “R. J.” Krause has spent his life coaching thousands of youth in a variety of sports in his hometown of East St. Louis, IL. . He began coaching grade school teams in 1964 while a freshman in high school. He has coached basketball, softball, baseball, track, tennis and cheerleading. In 2004 he coached his 6,000th game. He founded the R.J. Krause All-Stars Sports Club teams which focus on helping young people become better citizens and building life skills. R.J. has been recognized by a number of organizations including Gatorade national coach of the year, St. Louis Magazine and KMOX radio, St. Louis Rams community quarterback volunteer of the year, and the East St. Louis NAACP Stellar Life Achievement Award.

Craig Virgin is one of the best distance runners in U.S. and world history—the only American-born male athlete to qualify three times for the Olympics in 1976, 1980 and 1984 in the 10,000 meters and to win two World Cross Country Championships. He broke countless records during his high school years and at the University of Illinois. His post-collegiate career was equally impressive. When Craig lowered his American record in the 10,000 to 27:29.16 at Paris in 1980, it was the second fastest in the world and better than the winning time in the 1980 Olympics, which the U.S. boycotted and which Craig was a favorite for a gold medal. He has been inducted into three Halls of Fame: the USA National Track and Field Hall, the US Distance Running Hall and the St. Louis Sports Hall.

Charles “C. J.” Jones, Jr. is a junior at Cardinal Ritter College Prep High School. This spring at the Missouri high school track finals, he broke a 25-year old state record in the 800 meters and was a member of two record-breaking relay teams in the 4x800 and 4x400 meter as well. He was voted Post-Dispatch All-Metro Track athlete of the year (2012). He attended both the USATF & AAU Junior Olympic Games this summer, winning four gold medals, breaking one record and being awarded the Joel Ferrell award for the outstanding male athlete of the games.