Legendary City High Track Coach John Raffensperger Dies
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
IOWA CITY – Beginning on Thursday the track and field community in the state of Iowa will turn its attention to the 110th running of the Drake Relays.
Just days before one of the biggest track and field events of the year the sport lost one of its biggest icons.
Former City High boys track and field coach John Raffensperger passed away on Sunday at his home following a lengthy battle with cancer.
“He means everything to City High, his impact at City High is tremendous,” current City High head boys track and Mike Moore said. “His legacy stretches further than City High, everybody that knew coach Raff was affected by him. He meant so much to everybody.”
In his 34 seasons leading the boys track and field program at City High Raffensperger presided over one of the top dynasties in state history in any sport.
City High had never won a boys track title before Raffensperger led the Little Hawks to 10 titles in 11 seasons beginning in 1992.
The 10 state titles are the most for any coach in state history and the six consecutive titles from 1992-1997 are tied for the longest consecutive stretch of titles.
“He meant so much to City High and had such an impact here but he had an impact that extended across this state,” City High girls track and field coach and athletic director Terry Coleman said. “As people watched City High track and the success they had they would maybe pay a little more attention when he was at a clinic and steal some of his ideas and those sort of things.”
Raffensperger built the City High track program into a perennial Mississippi Valley Conference and state power.
He won 17 MVC divisional titles and 11 MVC Super Meet crowns to go with his 10 state titles.
Under Raffensperger City High won 56 state titles (29 individual and 27 relays) and 36 Drake Relays championships (15 individual and 21 relays).
On its way to the 2001 state title City High became just the third team in state history and first since 1968 to win five relays at the state meet winning the 4×100, 4×200, 4×400, 4×800 and distance medley relay.
City High produced some of the state’s top track athletes during Raffensperger’s coaching tenure but it was his dedication to every athlete that wore a City High uniform during his tenure that set him apart.
“Regardless of the talent level he had a strong, strong dedication to every member on the team and their improvement,” Coleman said. “Whether it was a state champion or someone that was going to be a junior varsity runner it didn’t matter he approached every kid with the same passion and tried to get them to be the best they could be.”
Moore, who is in his fifth season leading the City High boys track program, was an assistant under Raffensperger when City High claimed its final four state titles from 1999-2002.
Before becoming an assistant coach for Raffensperger Moore was one of his athletes, spending three seasons on the City High track team before graduating in 1986.
“He never quit on me, he always believed in me and he gave me a chance to coach with him and for that I will always be indebted to him,” Moore said. “He helped mold me as a coach and person. Not only as an athlete in high school but as a coach when I coached with him. He molded me as a person, as a husband and a father.
Raffensperger was named MVC coach of the year an astonishing 15 times during his career and was eight times named the state coach of the year.
A member of the City High and Iowa Track Coaches Hall of Fame Raffensperger had the City High track inside of Bates Field named after him in 2000.
Coleman, who has directed the City High girls program to four state championships with the first coming in 2002, credits Raffensperger with providing a blueprint for track success at City High.
“He was a big part of helping me to understand what it took to create and sustain a championship program and I will always be grateful for all of his guidance over the years,” Coleman said. “One of the things that I will always take with me from coach is his undying dedication to this school.”
What stood out most to Coleman in his time working alongside Raffensperger was his tireless work ethic and dedication to City High that was shared by his wife Sharon.
“It’s not just John but Sharon as well, they would get back from a meet at 11 at night and I’d come to school the next day and John is handing out his split sheet to every boy on the team,” Coleman said. “He’d stay up until 12:30 getting that done and have all his top 10s updated and I’d barely be crawling out of bed coming back from the same meet.”
A noted historian of City High sports Raffensperger wrote the book “It’s A Great Day to Be A Little Hawk! A History of City High Athletics” in 2005.
“He took his two passions of history and City High athletics and turned it into a book,” Moore said. “Those were two things he loved.”
After his retirement from City High in 2003 Raffensperger remained engaged in the track and field community.
He was a volunteer assistant for former City High standout Joey Woody at the University of Iowa.
“I have a very sad heart today, but I think God for putting Coach Raff in my life!” Woody wrote on Twitter on Monday. “He influenced so many during his lifetime. I’m proud to call him mentor, coach, and friend! Thank you Coach Raff for all you did for me and many others. You will be missed, but never forgotten!”
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