Coach Lies - Boys Head Coach

Coach Lies is in his 24th year as the Century Patriots head boys cross-country coach. Coach Lies and his staff have led the Patriot Harriers to 18 top-five finishes at the NDHSAA Cross-Country Championships, winning state titles in 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2020. He and his staff have coached 46 All-State runners and 76 All-Conference runners. Before coaching at Century High School, Coach Lies coached at Grand Forks Red River High School from 1998-2000. He was a member of the staff during the Red River Girls Track & Field state title team in 2000. Coach Lies was also an assistant coach for the Century Girls Track & Field Championship in 2005. He has been an assistant coach for the Century Boys Track & Field titles in 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023. Coach Lies is a 1993 graduate of Red River High School and a graduate of the University of North Dakota where he competed in track and field. He has been named Western Dakota Association Coach of the Year five times: 2008, 2015, 2016, 2019 and 2020 and NDHSCA Coach of the Year three times: 2008, 2016 and 2020. He was also named NHSFS Midwest Coach of the Year in 2009. Along with being a 2021 and 2024 NHSACA National COTY Finalists for Boys Cross Country. Coach Lies currently teaches visual arts at Century High School. He is married to Campanula and has two children, Logan and Sophie.

Coach Stone - Boys Assistant Coach

Coach Stone is in her 4th year as a boys’ assistant coach. Coach Stone is a graduate of Hillsboro High School where she competed in cross country and track and field. As a Burro, Coach Stone was a part of four cross country state championship teams and was a top-4 finisher at the Class B State meet three times. In 2015, she was named the Class B Girls Senior Athlete of the year in cross country. On the track, she was a part of state championship relays in the 4x400 and 4x800 and was two-time runner-up in the 800. Coach Stone attended North Dakota State University, where she competed for the Bison cross country and track and field teams. At NDSU, she earned All-Summit League honors in cross country two times and owns a personal best in the 6k of 21:24. She ran personal bests of 4:17 in the 1500, 4:46 in the mile, 9:28 in the 3k, and 16:40 in the 5k in her time at NDSU. Coach Stone earned numerous All-Summit League finishes including 3rd in the mile in 2017, 2018, and 2019, 3rd in the steeplechase in 2017, 2nd in the 3k in 2018 and 2019, and in her final outdoor season she earned 3rd place in the 5k and was the runner-up in the 1500m. Upon graduation, she was ranked in the all-time top 10 at NDSU in a number of events including 3rd in the 1500, 4th in the 3k, 6th in the mile and was a member of the school record-holding DMR team in 2021. Coach Stone was also a two-time qualifier for the NCAA West Preliminary Rounds in the 1500m. She graduated from NDSU in the winter of 2021 with a master’s degree in Exercise and Nutrition Science.

Coach Neset - Middle School Boys Head Coach

Coach Neset is a former U.S. Marine who teaches mathematics at Horizon Middle School.  He also serves as the middle school boys head coach for both cross country and track and field. Coach Neset is a graduate of Minot High School, where he was a standout cross country and track and field runner for the Magicians. Coach Neset was the 2nd place finisher at the WDA XC Meet and an All State runner his senior year while leading his team as a captain to back to back WDA XC Championships and a 2nd place team finish at the State XC Meet.  He was the WDA 1600m champ, 2 time WDA 3200m champ and named Outstanding Senior Athlete of the Year for the WDA conference for track & field.  He placed at the State Track & Field Meet 3 times and was the captain of the Minot High track & field team his senior year which placed 2nd as a team at the State Meet.  Coach Neset has coached boys track & field at Horizon Middle School since 2007, was an assistant boys XC coach at Century High School for 2 years, and has coached XC at Horizon Middle School since 2013.  Coach Neset is married to Maria and they have three children, Quinn, Siri, and Jack.

Coach Cowley - Assistant Coach High School

Coach Cowley is in his first year coaching with the Century Patriots cross country program. He graduated from Bismarck High School, where he competed in both cross country and track and field. During his high school career, he was a member of the 2021 Bismarck High cross country team that placed third at the state meet and the 2022 track and field team that finished as state runner-up, competing as part of the 4x800-meter relay. After high school, Coach Cowley attended the University of North Dakota, where he earned a degree in Mathematics Education. Following graduation, he spent two years coaching track and field in Williston before returning to Bismarck.