Former Albert Lea cross country and track and field coach Jerry Kaphers will be inducted into the Minnesota State Track and Field Coaches Association’s Hall of Fame, according to a press release.

The ceremony will be 5:30 p.m. Thursday at the DoubleTree hotel in Bloomington.

Kaphers was also elected to the Albert Lea High School Hall of Fame in July of 2012.

He coached track and field at the Albert Lea Junior High in 1961. In 1964, he became a track and field varsity assistant. A year later, he became head coach of the Albert Lea track and field team. His dual and triangular meet record was 136-35-2. School records were set in every event during his tenure. His teams won the Big Nine Conference title twice and were district and subsection champs eight times. He coached 19 All-State athletes and helped 85 individuals reach the state meet.

His last year of coaching was 1981.

Known for his booming voice, words of encouragement and sports wisdom, Kaphers was organized and knew how to motivate athletes to compete at their best ability.

Under Kaphers’ leadership, Albert Lea won many championships, and he was named the Minnesota Cross Country Coach of the Year in 1978.