
FACES IN THE CROWD
GEORGE WARES
PELLA, IOWA > SOFTBALL
Wares, 57, became the winningest fast-pitch softball coach in NCAA Division III history on May 15 when Central College beat Anderson in the D-III regionals, finishing the season with a record of 909-302-3 over 27 years. A member of the National Fastpitch Coaches Hall of Fame, he guided the Dutch to their 23rd tournament under his hand and was named Iowa Conference coach of the year for the eighth time.
JEAN KESTERSON
INDIANAPOLIS > VOLLEYBALL
Kesterson, 58, a business and technology teacher and the girls' volleyball coach at Cathedral High for 22 years, marked her 700th career victory on Aug. 27 with a win over Harrison in the Mishawaka Invitational. (The Irish went 4--0 and defeated Carmel to win the tournament.) As of Sunday her overall record is 705--145. Cathedral has won six state titles under Kesterson, most recently in 2008.
BILL HABEREK
RICHMOND, R.I. > TRACK AND FIELD
Haberek, 62, led the Chariho Regional High boys' team to the first state track title in school history on June 4 and was voted Rhode Island boys' outdoor track coach of the year. (He won state cross-country coach of the year honors last fall.) Haberek, who has coached outdoor track for 22 seasons, fulfilled a promise he had made to his runners that if they won the state title he would dye his mustache green.
RUTH LOVELACE
BROOKLYN > BASKETBALL
Lovelace, 41, the boys' basketball coach at her alma mater, Boys and Girls High, for 17 years, was named one of two high school coaches of the year by The Black Coaches & Administrators after leading the Kangaroos to their second straight Public School Athletic League Class AA title on March 13. In 2010 she became the first woman to coach a boys' basketball team to the New York City title.
FRANK BUMBALES
COCONUT CREEK, FLA. > BASEBALL
Bumbales, 59, recorded his 300th career win at Coral Springs High April 4 in a 17--0 no-hitter over Coconut Creek pitched by his son, Cole, a junior. The Colts went on to become the first team in school history to win consecutive district titles with a 2--0 win over Deerfield Beach. After 38 years teaching in Florida public schools and 20 years coaching, Bumbales retired from teaching at the end of the school year.
LESLIE FRANK
WESTWOOD, MASS. > LACROSSE
Frank, 53, the girls' lacrosse coach at Westwood High, led the Wolverines to their fifth Division I state title on June 17 with a 15--9 victory over Longmeadow to avenge the only tie in an otherwise perfect season (25-0-1). Frank, who also serves as co-director of the Mass Elite Lacrosse club, has a 269-22-6 career record and has sent 15 athletes from the 873-student school to NCAA Division I programs in 13 years.
Nominate Now
To submit a candidate for Faces in the Crowd, go to SI.com/faces. For more on outstanding amateur athletes, follow @SI_Faces on Twitter.
TATTOO WHO?
Kevin Durant became part of an off-season trend last week, unveiling a neck-to-waist tat. Can you guess which artwork is his and which fresh ink belongs to fellow hoopsters Chris Bosh, Monta Ellis and Andrei Kirilenko?
(Answers at bottom. Hint: Durant's honors his home and jersey number. Good luck with the rest.)
Answers: (A) Bosh; (B) Durant; (C) Kirilenko; (D) Ellis
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LOST IN THE WILDERNESS
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DAN L. VANDER BEEK (WARES)
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PRESTIGE PHOTO (KESTERSON)
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THE WESTERLY SUN (HABEREK)
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MATTHEW O'NEILL (LOVELACE)
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STRAWBRIDGE STUDIOS INC. (BUMBALES)
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ALEXANDRA FRANK (FRANK)