John Cress
John “Jack” Cress was one of the winningest coaches in Mercer County history and helped turn Lakeview High track and cross-country programs into ones among the most respected in the state of Pennsylvania.
He graduated from Grove City High School in 1965, where he was a competitor in basketball and track and field for three years. He was an All-County Sportsmanship performer in basketball and was outstanding in the high jump, despite numerous injuries. He earned all-county honors in high jump and just missed in sprints and long jump.
Jack went on to Eastern Nazarene College in Massachusetts where he played JV basketball his sophomore and junior years, while competing in varsity soccer his final two seasons. He earned honors as a goalkeeper.
He returned to Mercer County where he became a fixture in the coaching community. He picked up his love for coaching while in high school and college, often helping the programs in which in participated.
In 1970, he was hired at Lakeview High School and the rest is history. It was a four-decade journey he labeled, “Coaching the Lakeview Sailors has been the passion of my adult life.”
He was immediately installed as junior high basketball coach and had two undefeated teams in 7th grade and one in 8th. He went on to coach JVs as well.
From there he went on to coach football, girls basketball and boys and girls cross country and boys track.
In coaching JV girls basketball, Jack had 4 unbeaten seasons and earned a 122-7 record.
The varsity team also had great success as he worked with Coach Dave Hoye and the team earned playoff slots, while finishing as state runners-up one season and state semifinalists another.
But it was in track and cross country where he really excelled in leading young athletes. He posted 284 victories in cross country including 5 regional championships in girls and 3 in boys, as well as 260 wins in boys track and 7 region championships and one District 10 title. His girls track team one season went 8-0 and copped the region crown.
Overall, the varsity teams he coached at Lakeview posted a 574-261-4 record.
His teams qualified many athletes for state and won numerous invitationals. Boys and girls squads won several conference crowns and his 2007 boys team, in his final season, became only the second boys team in any sport to win a District 10 crown.
Jack also coached Little League and was an All-Star softball player in two leagues.