Ms. Harwood gained great support for the X-C program and made X-C a cool sport to be involved in at Polson High School. Her runners had a lot of fun at practice as they roamed the hills and valleys of the area surrounding Polson.
Ms. Harwood coached at PHS for more than 20 years. She assisted in Girls Basketball and Boys and Girls Track and Field and was the Head Volleyball coach at PHS. Upon her retirement from coaching, her teams had won more state championships at PHS (5 State Titles in XC) than any coach in the school’s history. She was an integral part of the boys and girls Track and Field program at PHS and a part of 13 trophies at the state level in these sports. She was elected to the Montana Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2004.
Mindy Harwood – MCA HOF Class of 2004
Longevity and Service
29 Years
- 1975-80: Hot Springs High School – Asst. Basketball, Asst. T&F
- 1980-2004: Polson High School – Asst. Basketball (2 yrs.); Asst. T&F (17 yrs.); Asst. JH Volleyball (12 yrs.); Cross Country (11 yrs.)
Success in Montana
Girls’ Cross Country
- Divisional Champion (1994)
- State Runner-Up (2002)
- State Champion (1994)
Boys’ Cross Country
- Divisional Champion (1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2003)
- State Third Place (2001)
- State Runner-Up (1995, 2000, 2003)
- State Champion (1996, 1997, 1998, 1999)
Professional Service and Honors
- MCA Coach of the Year: Class A Girls’ Cross Country – 1994; Class A Boys’ Cross Country – 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999
- National Coach of the Year Nominee (2x)
- School District #23 Teacher of the Year (1998)
- Divisional Cross Country Championship – Manager (4x)
- MCA Member