Hall of Fame 2022

Coach Greg Tuleja

Greg Tuleja arrived at Williston in the fall of 1983, eager to tackle all facets of the prep school job description, including taking the reins of a new girls cross-country program. Starting with a first-year roster of eight, Coach Tuleja quickly demon- strated that he was the right coach for the job as he would go on to lead the program for 39 years, from 1983 to 2021. The team has grown in a way that is unprecedented in Division I. For the past 15 years, Coach Tuleja has averaged 25 to 35 girls on the roster. His competitive record of accomplishment was the stuff of coaching legends. Consider these lofty achievements: three undefeated seasons (1991, 2008, 2019), NEPSAC championships in both 1986 and 1991, a record of 25 consecutive winning seasons, eight times finishing in the top three at NEPSAC championship races, two runners (Suzanne Zelazo ’94 and Abigail Touhey ’22) who became NEPSAC champions, including Abigail in his final race on our home course. All told, Coach T, as his athletes would call him, would go on to accumulate a remarkable record of 274-95. While this record of competitive excellence is certainly worthy of recognition, it would be a mistake to overlook the greatest contribution of his long, distinguished career at the helm of cross-country. His true legacy can be found in the incredible transformative impact he has had on so many students who discovered the joy of running and being a part of something bigger than themselves while running under his guidance. Greg Tuleja will forever be linked with the culture of individual effort and team pride that has become the hallmark of running cross-country at Williston.