Freeport coach Bill Dillen can't give you the specifics when it comes to the win-loss records of his track and field teams.

But the long-term success speaks for itself.

Dillen has perpetuated the success the Yellowjackets program has enjoyed the past 35-plus years from previous coaches Bob King, Don Early and Bob Isenberg.

Now in his 12th year at the helm, Dillen has seen his boys squad win the past two WPIAL Class AA team championships, while the girls have been WPIAL runner-ups five of the past seven years.

"We probably average about eight or nine wins the last number of years," said Dillen, who is also the school's football coach.

"We go year to year here, and we've done pretty well. It was a pretty solid program with the other coaches before me," he added.

Freeport's 1969, 1970 and 1971 teams all won the WPIAL title, the latter two with state titles.

The boys also were WPIAL champions in 1975, 1977 and 1982 and hadn't won the title until the past two seasons. They haven't dropped a section meet in the past three seasons.

The girls' lone WPIAL title was in 1985, but they finished second in 1989 through 1991, 1998, 2000-01 and 2003-04.

All WPIAL titles from 1981 to the present came from the team playoff formats while those before that year came from total team points accumulated at the WPIAL individual finals.

Since 1990, the Yellowjackets boys have won eight section titles and the girls have won six.

"I think it's three things," said Dillen said while trying to explain the Freeport's success. "No. 1, we have great kids and they work. No. 2, we have a great coaching staff and No. 3, we have three volunteer assistants and five assistant coaches. We have eight coaches so we can spread it out and the kids get the attention.

"We also get good support from the school and the community. I think if anyone is going to be successful, you have to have that," Dillen added.

With team titles on the line, Dillen and his staff still have to walk that fine line as the athletes also battle for WPIAL and PIAA qualifying positions.

"You have to be real careful about that," said Dillen. "You have to use meets to get ready. I have mixed emotions because sometimes it hurts the kids for WPIALs and states.

"No one else in the state has a team playoff format (like the WPIAL)," Dillen added.

That hasn't prevented Freeport from having several state champions.

Dating back to the late 1970s, Gary Risch, (who owns the retired state record in the 100- and 220-yard dashes and as a member of the 880 relay), Pat Wood (800), Ed King (discus), Bob White (shot put), Amy Petrikovic (high jump), Linsey Westerman (hurdles), Bobby Woods (hurdles), Lacey Cochran (sprints) all have grabbed PIAA gold medals.

And that list doesn't include all the WPIAL title winners.

"Even though Freeport is a small school, it's very good athletically," said Cochran, a senior who has won nine WPIAL medals, including four golds, and six PIAA medals (one gold). "They've always been good at track."

The success continues to develop, with each generation setting the bar for the next.

"I think there's a lot of pride," said Dillen. "We're talking to the kids here at school. We see Linsey and Lacey and Talan Conjack (WPIAL hurdles and relay medalist) and Scott Kallner (WPIAL hurdles champion and PIAA medalist).

"In the early years, the kids see the success of the teams … and they'll want to give it a shot and we try and make it fun for them," Dillen added.

Cochran agrees.

"I think the coaches are very good and do a really good job. They make it not so stressful and let us have fun."