Dave Hanson parlayed that common-sense philosophy into an ultra-successful 32-year coaching and administrative career at Nanuet. After graduating from Ithaca College, Hanson joined the Nanuet athletic staff in the fall of 1962 and proceeded to build a track and field dynasty during his 20-year coaching reign (1963-1982) in that sport.

Treating the school's modest enrollment and consequently its smaller pool of athletes as an opportunity rather than an obstacle, Hanson laid a foundation of organization, structure and well-rounded balance that underpinned all of his teams' later prosperity.

In his third season as varsity spring track coach- 1965 Nanuet captured the Rockland County Public School Athletic League championship. It would be the first of eight such titles under his watch: four Rockland County meet crowns (1973, 1975, 1976, 1978) and four Rockland PSAL dual-meet titles (1965, 1968, 1969, 1970).

The County meet became an officially scored meet in 1972. Along the way Hanson guided the Golden Knights to eight Section 9 Class B banners (1969 though 1975, 1978) as well as a 29-meet unbeaten streak from 1967 to 1969.

Buoyed by the same exacting degree of organization and structure that was his trademark, the winter track and cross country programs enjoyed a similar level of success. Hanson served as the program's first winter track coach, from 1967 to 1982. During that period, he steered Nanuet to eight Rockland County championshipsÑfour County meet titles (1974 through 1976, 1978) and four Rockland PSAL flags (1968-69, 1972-73). The County meet in winter track was begun in 1974. He also piloted the Golden Knights to seven Section 9 Class B championships: 1965, 1970 through 1973, 1975 and 1978.

In cross country, for which he was head coach from 1974 to 1982 and again in 1993-94, his 1974 team won the inaugural New York State Federation championship and also finished third in the Eastern States championships.

His 1994 girls' team won the Section 1 Class C title and the League III-A title, and finished fourth in the New York State meet. His 1994 boys' team won the Section 1 Class C crown and the League III-A banner, and his 1993 girls' team won the League III-A title.

Aside from winning the state Federation championship in cross country, two accomplishments stand out in Hanson's bulging portfolio of success: In the 1974-75 school year, his cross country, winter track and spring track teams earned a collective No. 1 ranking in New York State for combined three-season achievement. The cross country team was ranked No. 3 statewide, the winter track team was rated No. 2, and the spring track team was ranked No. 5. That spring track squad, incidentally, was chosen as one of the top five Rockland scholastic teams from 1960 to 1985 in a vote of Journal-News readers.

He coached 13 New York State champions in spring track, winter track and cross country:Paul Nowicki, 880-yard run, 1970; two-mile relay, 1973 (Mike Borghard, John Hammeran, Jim O'Rourke, Mike Nowicki); Federation cross country team, 1974; Don Berich, 55-meter hurdles, 1975; Bret Watzka, Class B cross country, 1975; Tony Harlin, shot put, 1976; Rick Carey, high jump, winter 1977, winter 1978 and spring 1978; Stan Thomas, pole vault, 1979; Greg Mooney, Intersectional medley relay, 1979; 3,200-meter relay, 1980 (Bill Possidento, Brad Klock, Gene Sostre, Mike Unterkofler); Erin Haugh, Class C cross country, 1994.

Hanson never kept track of his dual-meet wins and losses, but he estimates that his teams won about 75 percent of their meets, roughly 170 to 180 wins and 70 to 75 losses. His career was not, however, about only victories and defeats. He played a major role in the development of track and field in Rockland County and Section 9. Hanson was co-founder and longtime meet director of the Nanuet Relays, which was begun in 1968 and is one of the oldest invitationals in the New York metropolitan area.

As Nanuet athletic director from 1983 to 1986, Hanson oversaw an athletic program that collectively won eight league titles, two Sectional crowns, one County title and one state Regional championship. He also launched the girlsÕ lacrosse program in 1986; served as varsity golf coach for several years in the late 1980s/early 1990s; and was assistant cross country coach from 19 9 0 to 1992. The 1990 girlsÕ cross country team (head-coached by Larry Beckerle and assisted by Hanson) won the New York State Class C title and finished second in the state Federation c h a m p i o n s h i p .

Hanson has been a certified track official since 1965, and a USA Track & Field (USATF) certified official since 1978. He has worked many local, regional, national and international events, including the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta; three World Association of Veteran Athletes championshipsÑ1993 in Buffalo, 1999 in Gateshead, England, and 2001 in Brisbane, Australia; the 1999 Goodwill Games in Uniondale, Long Island; the New York City Marathon three times in the mid-1970s; and many NCAA and USATF championship events.

Hanson, a 65-year-old native of Norwich, N.Y., is a charter member of the Nanuet High School Hall of Fame, having been inducted in 2002. He currently resides in Murrells Inlet, S.C., with his wife of 40 years, Sandy. The Hansons have two married daughters: Kim Hanson Smith, 34, and Erika Hanson, 31, both of whom were standout field-hockey goalies for Nanuet.

During a career that spanned two decades, Harlin barreled through the high school, college and open ranks like the Incredible Hulk on a rampage. It all began innocently enough, when he was cut from the basketball team his freshman year at Nanuet. As Harlin remembers it, Ed Denton, who was an industrial arts teacher at the school as well as the weights coach for the track team, asked him to forget basketball and give the shot put a try. Harlin’s response: “Shot put? What the hell is that?”

After some good-natured coaxing, Harlin accepted Denton’s offer-and was eternally grateful for it. “He told us we’d have a lot fun, and we did,” Harlin says. “I couldn’t wait to see what he would do the next day” to keep things interesting. Harlin combined natural strength, speed and flexibility to make an indelible imprint on high school shot-putting. His scholastic accomplishments include the following:

• As a senior at Nanuet, he was the 1976 New York State indoor (winter) track champion, and came within a quarter-inch of the spring track state title, finishing runner-up despite competing with a partially separated shoulder.

• He’s the Rockland County scholastic record holder at 66 feet 1/2 inch, which ranks him fourth on the all-time New York State list in that event. His best indoor track mark of 62 feet 41/4 inches ranks eighth all-time in New York State.

• He’s a six-time Rockland County champion and four-time Section 9 Class B titleholder.

• He placed third in the Golden West Invitational national scholastic meet in California, then the premier high school meet in the country.

• He finished third in the U.S. Junior National championships.

• He won shot-put titles at the prestigious Penn Relays, New York Relays, Iona Relay and Hartford Invitational.

• Harlin was no slouch in the discus, either. He broke a 25-year-old Rockland County record in 1975, with a throw of 166 feet 11 inches. That mark still ranks sixth on the all-time Rockland County list. As a senior he won Rockland County and Section 9 Class B titles in this event.

After graduating from Nanuet, Harlin enrolled at the University of New Mexico, where he spent one year and set the school’s freshman shot-put record. But his collegiate career really took off when he transferred to Manhattan College, where he won six IC4A (Eastern) titles and captured several other major invitationals.

After college, Harlin continued to train and overcame a series of injuries and other setbacks to become on of the better throwers in the country. He won the Metropolitan Athletics Congress championship eight times, besting the top throwers in the New York metro area. Seven times he walked away with the gold medal at the Empire State Games, and Olympic-style competition for New York state residents. He’s still the Games’ record-holder in the shot put. In addition, Harlin holds the Rockland County record for the 16-pound shot, at 68 feet 7 inches. In his last major competition, he finished 11th in the 1992 U.S. Olympics Trials.These days, Harlin, who’s 48, lives in Pearl River, and works as a laser technician at Chromalloy in Orangeburg. His job involves drilling and welding to recondition jet engine parts. Tony has two children: James, 21, a junior at Ramapo College in Mahwah, N.J.; and Amanda, 15, a freshmen at Northern Highlands High School in New Jersey.

Then it was off to Princeton, where he started every game from his freshman year in 1995 (team record 11-4) until the end of his senior year in 1998. In the next 3 years, Hess led Princeton to 3 national titles, with the Tigers losing only 2 games in those 3 years. As a sophomore, Jon earned his first college All-American honors, being named to the second team.

The following season, Hess advanced to first team All-American and was selected as the MVP of The NCAA’s Final 4 Tourney. Naturally he was also chosen as Ivy League Player of the Year, as he led Princeton in total points with 74. In 1998, Jon was once again named as first team All-American. He finished his career at Princeton in second place in total points with 215 points and assisted on 133 goals. His two fellow attack men Jesse Hubbard and Chris Massey (also All-Americans) wrapped up their careers in third and fourth place in scoring, as the recipients of Hess’ deft passing skills.

Jon went on to a short major league professional lacrosse career, playing 3 seasons with The New Jersey Pride, where he won the league’s sportsmen’s award, as he led the league in assists and finished fourth in total points.

While in high school, Jon participated in the Empire State (N.Y.) games during the summers of 1992 and 1993. His team won the gold medal in 1992 and the bronze medal in 1993.

Hess now works as an equities trader for Merrill-Lynch in New York City.