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Ponderosa couple has the winning formula

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Contributed by: Joseph Kirchmer/YourHub.com on 1/9/2007

PARKER - They say opposites attract, but in the case of Tim and Angela Ottman, nothing could be further from the case.

Take one look at their trophy case and you'll soon realize that both are very much driven by the same things in life -- a desire to win and a commitment to excellence. And both have the trophies to back it up.

Tim, who serves as the athletic director, assistant principal and head wrestling coach at Ponderosa High School, has created a wrestling juggernaut at the school, having won six state championships. He is vying for his fifth straight championship this season, seventh overall.

He's also in the process of creating a dynasty with the Mustang matmen. The state wrestling record for consecutive team championships is six, which was set by Denver North in the 1940s, according to the Colorado High School Activities Association.

Not to be outdone, Angela, the head coach of Ponderosa's poms squad, has taken home five state championships and is coming off her first back-to-back championships. She also led the Ponderosa poms squad to a national championship in 2005.

Not bad, considering the high school didn't even have a poms team when she took the job.

"She's closing in on me," Tim Ottman said with a grin.

He's right. While it has taken Angela only 13 seasons to win five state championships, it has taken Tim 17 years to win six. But hey, who's keeping count, right?

Well neither ... sort of. Both say they're not attempting to one up each other but instead feed off their competitive nature as coaches -- a formula that has produced spectacular results.

"We are very competitive as a couple," said Tim Ottman. "We use that energy to help us be strong and focused in what we're trying to do. I think we're both very driven. We both set very high goals and standards for ourselves. There are several reasons why we've been successful, but the main thing has been our kids are willing to work hard."

Angela concedes that it will be more difficult for her to win more championships, simply because dance competitions are at the mercy of judges.

"I don't think we're energized to beat each other," she said. "We just happen to have the same type of personality when it comes to competition. I'm not driven to beat Tim. I think we're very fortunate because we have a passion for what we do and we've been blessed enough to have such a great support system."

Both say their success wouldn't be possible without their support system -- their "family" -- which is made up of the athlete's parents, assistant coaches, sponsors and staffers at the school who contribute time and money to the programs.

"It simply wouldn't be possible without them," Tim Ottman said.

The couple met in 1994 when Angela was interviewing with Tim for the poms coach position at Ponderosa.

"There was no program when I actually interviewed with Tim for the job and he didn't know what a poms team was," she said. "We definitely had to build ourselves up."

Four years later, they were married and have since developed one of the most successful relationships in the history of the high school, which opened in 1983.

The players have nothing but praise for their coaches. They say the practices can be grueling and time consuming but the final product at the end of the year is worth the haul.

"As a freshman, I didn't think the practices were going to be so taxing, so it was really difficult for me at first," said senior wrestler Jesse Snider, who is also a captain for the Mustangs. "But it's well worth the effort at the end of the year when you're the state champion."

Senior Patrick Armstrong, also a wrestling captain, said coach Tim is a great motivator.

"He works harder than some of the guys on this team," Armstrong said. "He's always running with us and lifting with us. Not many coaches do that with their teams, so in that sense he's not just a coach, he's more like a teammate."

Pom captain Lindsey Organ said her coach teaches more than just award-winning dance sequences.

Education is also a major component of the team, as well. The Ponderosa poms team frequently does volunteer work in the community and has also won five straight academic championships as well.

"What makes her so unique is that it's more than just winning a trophy," she said. "It's more of the passion for dance and making a difference in each of the girls' lives. Instead of just worrying about our dance technique, she makes a difference in our personal lives and what we do with the community. Just all the aspects of helping us grow up and become young women."

The Ponderosa matmen are undefeated in dual meets this season. They finished 16th in two national tournaments this year and are favored to win yet another state championship.

Angela will attempt to win a second national championship Feb. 3 and 4 at the National Dance Team Championships in Orlando, Fla. The competition will be televised on ESPN2.

Check your local listings for the time and date.

AT A GLANCE

1 - number of teams that won national championships coached by Angela Ottman
5 - number of teams that won state championships coached by Angela Ottman
6 - number of teams that won state championships coached by Tim Ottman
13 - number of years Angela Ottman has been the head poms coach
17 - number of years Tim Ottman has been the head wrestling coach

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