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Jake was such a support to all of us during our entire cross country seasons. He stood by our sides no matter what, and he brought out the best in all of us. Jake cared so much about each and every one of us, and we could see just how much Jake cared for us with each practice. Jake never lost hope in any one of us, and he knew we could all achieve great accomplishments. Jake brought out the passion of running within each of us, and he really held us together as one team. We could see Jake getting older and older, but his love for the sport and for all of us never grew old. For Jake, age was just a number, and he really showed us that if we have a dream and a passion, age is never a factor that limits us. Jake was a living inspiration to us all, and even though he may not physically be here with us, his spirt is with us all, and he still never stops to inspire us.
Along with Jake would always come 3 jugs of ice cold water which we referred to as Jake Water, his foldable camping chair, his sun hat,  and his Jake Van. I remember that during out meets, although we would be hot and thirsty, Jake would be drinking fruit punch gatorade :). Jake pushed me to strive for my best ability. He would never stop encouraging us. He would carried have a timer around his neck, and if he had more than one, we knew that it was going to be a workout day. I would almost always come late to practices, but Jake would just look at me with a smile and say "There she is!", and he would be so tolerant with me. Jake was the only reason I could break 6 minutes for my mile. When I told Jake I wanted to break 6 minutes, he took that as his mission to make it happen, and on the last race I ran that season, I did it. And as soon as I crossed the finish line, Jake had his Jake smile, and told are that I had come in at 5:59. This just shows how much Jake valued all of us and our dreams. You could always count on him. It's not so often that you find a man who falls off a roof, breaks his ribs, and come to practice the very next day. His dedication is so commendable, and I will always remember him as an inspiration. He had a habit of tricking us while running to get us to go faster. Although there would be around 1000 meters remaining, Jake would tell us there is 600 meters, just to get us to push harder. I remember that during one invitational, I was so tired and Jake told me there was only 800 meters left, so I started running as fast as I could putting my tiredness behind me, and 800 meters later, another course volunteer told me that I just had 800 meters left....and then I knew that Jake had lied, just to get me to go faster. And although, I was so tired, he made me a better runner with a faster time.

Jake, I'm really going to miss you. I wish you didn't leave us so early, but I hope you are having a great life wherever you are. You meant a lot to us all Jake. You were such an inspiration. I wish I had talked to you more, but you will always be held in our spirits. If it weren't for you, I may not have continued cross country. I really wish I got to see you one last time, but I am so thankful that I got to have you as my coach and that I got to know a person as amazing as you. We will all cherish the memories we had with you and keep your spirit alive. Remember Jake, "It's all downhill from here"

Thank you for everything!

- Sunshine :)

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RIP coach Jake! You were a legend.

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I came into high school not knowing what a long run was (having never run more than 4 miles in my life). But, after my first cross country season, Jake changed all that. I dropped my mile by thirty seconds in one month, and I began to see a new community in the team I am part of. Rest in peace, Jake, and thanks for the memories.

-- Agastya, Class of '24

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Hi Coach Jake, thank you for being so patient with the team and always believing in us. I could tell that you really cared about us by all the effort you put into coaching us and never missing practice. Thank you for being so calm and telling us to just try our best and let our practice take care of the result at meets. We could always lean on you as a coach, and you’ll always have a special place in my heart. I hope that I will bring the positive influence you had on my life to the kids I lead or look up to me. You’re so inspiring, and I’m so grateful for you!

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Jake was one of the strongest people I have known. It didn't matter what the conditions were, Jake would always be out there. He would show up every day, rain or shine, early morning or in the blazing afternoons.  He showed us what it meant to be consistent, and how hard work always pays off. Jake pushed everyone to their limit, and then some more. Jake didn't care if you were fast or slow. As long as you came ready to run and put forth your best effort, he was willing to coach you. He instilled a discipline within our team to do our best, no matter what it may be. He believed in us when we were doubting ourselves and truly brought the most out of each and every individual. I'll always miss Jake out on his van during our runs with his ice-cold water and the crunchy granola bars. It was truly a blessing to have known and run for Jake. Rest in Peace.

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Jake, your vibrant energy and quirky humour will be dearly missed. Your passion and dedication to running are irreplaceable. Thank you for all of your inspiration and may all of us who have been touched by you follow your example in leading an impactful life. Rest in peace and may you continue bringing joy and smiles to those around you - wherever you are.  

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Jake, your vibrant energy and quirky humour will be dearly missed. Your passion and dedication to running are irreplaceable. Thank you for all of your inspiration and may all of us who have been touched by you follow your example in leading an impactful life. Rest in peace and may you continue bringing joy and smiles to those around you - wherever you are.  

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Jake was indestructible. He hauled water jugs without the faintest trace of weakness; he organized and prepared races for hours in the hot sun without complaint; he mercilessly put to shame anyone who dared cross him in a push-up contest; his thunderous voice instilled pure terror into the very soul of Tino kids; falling off his roof may have broken a few of his ribs, but it made hardly a dent in that fiery, irrepressible spirit that even now lives on in the hearts and minds of those of us who were blessed enough to know him. 

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Jake was indestructible. He hauled water jugs without the faintest trace of weakness; he organized and prepared races for hours in the hot sun without complaint; he mercilessly put to shame anyone who dared cross him in a push-up contest; his thunderous voice instilled pure terror into the very soul of Tino kids; falling off his roof may have broken a few of his ribs, but it made hardly a dent in that fiery, irrepressible spirit that even now lives on in the hearts and minds of those of us who were blessed enough to know him. 

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Up until recently, the thought of Jake's passing never sunk in. It just felt insanely surreal, like it was all a dream. It was only when I went to Costco and saw a box of Nature Valley Oats n Honey granola bar when I finally took it all in. And now I realize, everything around me was all because of Jake. The lasting impact he left on me could be seen throughout my life. The friendships I have made, the passion in running, the discipline I have created in other fields, and the hardwork I put into everything all stemed from Jake.

As a kid coming into high school, I would have never thought that my passion would eventually become running. I always thought I would eventually play basketball for four years, or find an educational club that I will pursue throughout high school. Running, was the least of my priorities and I only joined to hang out with my friends.

But as I got better from his training, my priority slowly shifted, and when I needed to make a decision, Jake encouraged me to put all my eggs into one basket. Running was never fun for me until then: I half-assed my workouts, barely hung out with the team and I saw running only as a way to stay in shape. But through Jake's constant encouragement and drive to push the team to be the best, he got me hooked.

Whether he knew it or not, Jake made me into the person I am today. Jake pushed me harder than anyone, encouraged me when I wasn't doing well, and cared for every single one of us. I will always remember the impact he left on me, the summer practices he set up, the way he yelled and cussed at us when we were walking down Prospect after a hills run, and the crunchy bars he left in his iconic minivan. I will always be greatful for him and what he has done to the Lynbrook program, the running community, and myself. Thank you for everything Jake. Rest in peace.

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Jake is the sole reason I ran (and enjoyed) Track so much. He jumpstarted a passion for the sport that's still ongoing today.

Thank you for believing in me and putting me into races that I really didn't deserve to be in my freshman year. Thank you for coaching me one-on-one on weekends to prepare me for my sophomore season. Your support and dedication were constants I took for granted.

You were living proof of "doing what you love". Lynbrook certainly won't be the same without you.

This next (and final) college season of mine is for you. Please watch me from above. Thank you for everything and more. Rest in peace, Jake <3

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I always viewed running more of a task than something I enjoyed doing for fun, until I started training with Jake. Jake made running something I looked forward to doing, and even on the days where I wasn’t feeling too well, he always told me to just do my best. Jake was extremely understanding. I could tell how genuinely he cared for each and every one of us on the team. I never could have improved as much as I did without Jake, and his spirits pushed me to persevere. I miss his presence already. He was such a key component to the making of our team. I am and will be eternally grateful to have him as my former cross country and track coach. Jake, Rest in peace.

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I was privileged enough to run under Jake during his first year at Lynbrook (XC 2009). He had just taken over the reigns from Hank, whom we all dearly loved and thought would be irreplaceable (don't worry Hank - you still are). Jake came in and instantly brought his own flair, traditions, phrases, and way of inspiring you to run not just for yourself but for him, for your teammates, and for Lynbrook. Many of the people in this photo (Hawaii '09) are still some of my best friends today, and a lot of that was due to the camaraderie that he crafted on the XC and track teams.

Perhaps more tellingly though, I've continued running to various degrees of success (and failure) since high school and college. Last summer, I was home with my parents for a longer period with the pandemic, and was building myself into shape to try to beat my old mile PR from my senior year of high school. I ran into Jake coaching at the LHS Track and was mildly afraid he'd kick me off the track. Instead, he stayed and watched my workout, told me how much he loved seeing me still running, and had even somehow kept track of and cared about how I'd improved over the years (to my knowledge he's not on Strava...). Once a coach, always a coach I guess. You'll always hold that place for me and for Vikings from across the generations, Jake. Thanks.

- Varun, Class of 2010

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I can say without a doubt that Jake was one of the most earnest, kind and inspiring people that I've met in my life. I will always remember Jake for consistently helping me push my limits and be a better person.  Jake was the type of person that you meet once in a lifetime, and I'll always be grateful for the lessons and values he taught me. Thanks for everything Jake and I'll always remember to drop the hammer!

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I attended LHS and ran XC and Track from 2006 to 2010. Jake was a coach for most of that time. He always had a hard approach - made sure to push you to your limit and savor it afterwards. He had a kind heart and a fresh attitude about life. Even recently when me and Luca saw him running while we were biking, he will still pushing himself. A strong man who never let off on the gas, Jake was a substantial influence in my running career and will be missed by many. I know that up there in heaven, he will still be smiling and cheering on the Vikings forever . . . Rest Easy Jake we love ya bud.

Ryan DiBiase

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I went into cross country completely inexperienced, but Jake didn't put pressure on me to be fast like the others, only to improve and not give up while running. I remember him telling me one day, after a particularly long run, that he could see my improvement from just a few short weeks, and I felt so proud of myself. He would stay near the finish line during a race until every last one of us was done, encouraging us to push ourselves in the last stretch, and seeing him there in those last few moments of the race was really uplifting. Thanks for not giving up on me, and for helping me even though I wasn't as fast as everyone else. Rest In Peace.

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Jake was the most supportive person I knew and he was the reason for why I ran Cross Country. Coming into high school, I was lost, I didn't know what I was going to do. I showed up one day for practice and everything changed, I really improved myself, and he was one of the biggest reasons why.

I think the summer conditioning is what made him so memorable, he always showed up with his gray van and his red water buckets. It was a great time for me to meet new people and get used to the practices, and Jake made those conditioning practices fun. Long runs in that scorching weather, doesn't sound appealing, but with the ice cold water he brought, it made so much more memorable.

I think Jake also showed me what it means to be consistent. Rain or shine, Jake always showed up, you could count on him to always be there. I hope I can be consistent just like he was

Rest in peace.

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Jake was always so supportive no matter what your level of training was. No matter what, he always had the most cheerful smile, and pushed everyone to excel. I'll miss his ice water, granola bars, and funny sayings. Rest in peace, Jake <3

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Thank you for always believing in us even when none of us believed in ourselves. You were always there, pushing us to do our best even on our worst days. You never gave up on us and I hope that we can continue your legacy. Jake water, crunchy bars and sitting on random tables instead of seats in the van will be missed. It’s unfortunate that you were unable to see us race this year but maybe you’ll see us race to the top now. Thank you for being a wonderful coach and I hope we’ll make you proud Jake.

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Jake had the best attitude towards life I have ever seen. He taught me to never give up, to live life in the moment, and that pain can be good. I will forever miss his gray van of ice water and granola bars rolling down the streets, even if the side door is open, or mirror is broken. Thank you for making me feel like I belong somewhere and creating my love for running and life. I miss you so much thank you for everything. <3

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i remember the very first track and field practice i went to. it was the summer between 8th grade and freshmen year, and we were doing blocks that day. i fell straight out of the blocks. although Jake wasn't even the sprinter coach, he helped me up and asked if i was ok, and told me "we all fall down sometimes, but we just have to learn how to get up". i have carried these words of encouragement with me everyday throughout my life, in and outside of just running. thank you jake, for everything you have done for us <3

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On my first day of practice, I showed up with no experience, never having run before outside of PE, completely new to the sport. I came from a different middle school, so I did not know how to clear myself for sports and was incredibly lost. When I walked up to the coaches, and asked them, Jake asked me if I wanted to run. I said yes, and he asked me for my name and signed me up on the clipboard. Jake was always there for me, regardless of how slow I was in freshman year. He saw that I was passionate about running, and that was all that mattered for him. I love you so much Jake, and will miss you for all of eternity. Thank you for everything, thank you for giving me the opportunity to run, thank you for nurturing me, thank you for motivating me, thank you for being there for me, and thank you for making me who I am today.

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Jake always had the warmest smile on his face. He always pushed me to work hard, and I wouldn’t be the person I am today without him. I remember being welcomed at summer practices where he would show us his old pictures and would always make an effort to talk to the new guys. Thanks for everything Jake.

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Thank you for the Jake water, crunchy bars, and cheerful culture you brought to Lynbrook cross country. We will always keep you in our hearts.

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Jake was really an inspiration. I remember when I first talked to Jake during the 8th cross country season final meet -- I was surprised by how healthy he was despite his age, and his positivity fueled my motivation to run from very early on. The ice water, nature valley granola bars, gray van, and infamous whistle will always stay with me. Thanks for supporting us for so many years, Jake! Rest in peace.