Known Far And Wide In Illinois Running Circles As 'Mr. Newman,' The Former State Champion From York Was One Of The State's Most Prolific Content Creators And The DyeStat TFX National Director

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

DyeStat Photos

Michael Newman, a member of the DyeStat team whose passion for high school track and field and cross country in Illinois made him one of the sport's most respected and diligent record-keepers, died unexpectedly Friday morning at the age of 63. 

He was a proud member of the Long Green Line tradition at York High in Elmhurst, Ill. and the the profound impact of his time there and in college at North Central College cemented his commitment to serve the greater Illinois running community. In addition to being the database manager for DyeStat TFX, he covered the Chicago area and Illinois athletes and teams as if they were extensions of his own family. 

Tributes began pouring in by Sunday morning on social media after the news spread. 

Newman's brother, Daniel, was the first to post the news: 

No other details about the cause of death have been shared.

Newman's connection to York spanned decades and he was especially close to his legendary former coach, Joe Newton, who died in 2017. 

Newman routinely drove to York High to observe summer workouts and maintained his relationship to the coaches and runners. 

Former York runner Eric Dettman, now a head coach at Portland's Lincoln High, bumped in to Newman over the summer when he stopped by for a visit to his alma mater. 

"It was mid-July and I went to a York workout," Dettman said. "As I'm sitting there watching, here comes Mr. Newman."

It happened to be a Monday. Newman routined stopped by his old school to observe and sit along the cement wall lining the outer edge of the track and chatting with coach Charlie Kern. 

"We're just regular people who find ourselves in a sport where our passion gets us to connect with people that we wouldn't be able to otherwise," Kern said. "I think of all the people he was connected to because he loved the sport to his core."

Newman touched countless Illinois high school athletes with his meet coverage, interviews, rankings and analysis. He carved out his own niche within the RunnerSpace umbrella called ILXCTF.com.

"He was paramount to the collection of data and had an ability to promote our sport in a way that it so desperately needs at this point," Dettman said. 

Kern said Newman's involvement with the sport was an extension of his experience around two hall of fame coaches, Newton and NCC's Al Carius. 

"I loved the fact that he would interview kids, give them a platform," Kern said. "Al Carius and Mr. Newton did what they could, as coaches, to make cross country cool. Michael, in his way, tried to make cross country cool."

Newman was also central to the growth of Athletic.net, the popular database and meet results site that is a part of RunnerSpace. 

"Michael’s legacy is measured in the athletes he celebrated, the stories he preserved, and the standards he set. Michael Newman was the heart of DyeStat TFX as the National Director for over 14 years," RunnerSpace founder and CEO Ross Krempley said. "His passion for stats, and the athletes behind them, was unrivaled in high school XC and track & field, especially in Illinois. We were blessed to have him leading our stats team each and every day. His contributions to the sport as a statistician, storyteller, and caring colleague will be missed dearly.

"We extend our deepest condolences to his family and all who loved him."

Newman led a team of people who each week scoured the country for meet results in order to keep Athletic.net and its rankings up to date.  He personally scrutinized the national leaders lists to root out mistakes and ensure their accuracy. 

"He was my mentor when I first joined the RunnerSpace and DyeStat family," John Dixon of Nevada said. "We talked frequently about track and cross country and his Illinois stories were always fascinating. Mike had a great sense of running history. His stories about his days at York and Joe Newton were the best."