Raised by his single mother, former Wasson track star Gilbert Alexander left high school with a father.

In his freshman year, Alexander met social studies teacher Bob Graf in the wings of the Thunderbirds’ hallways. Graf, the established coach of the track and field team, swiftly encouraged his student to join the team. Through the next four years Alexander became a varsity runner and team captain before he graduated in the early ’90s.

“At his graduation you know I got him a card and was with his family,” Graf said. “I remember he came up and hugged me and said ‘Thanks dad.’

“That’s what it’s all about. When you feel like you made a little bit of a difference.”

On Saturday, Graf, 63, will be inducted into the Colorado High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame. The resident of Florissant said he was surprised by the call.

“It’s such an honor to be honored by your peers,” said Graf, who received the call from Hall of Fame chairman Ken Moore. “I’m very thankful, obviously.”

Graf learned his trade under legendary cross country coach Joe Vigil at Adams State.

“He taught me that it is more than just Xs and Os,” said Graf, who became a graduate assistant under Vigil in 1980. “It’s about developing relationships with these kids.”

A couple of years later he took the teachings to Wasson where his track team finished in the league’s top three 14 times in his 17-year stint. It also finished top five at state five times before his team won the title in 1998.

Sixteen years past qualifying only one runner to state in his inaugural year, Wasson placed in 11 events without winning a single one to take the title.

“It was a total team effort,” the ’67 Denver North graduate said.

Along with team accomplishments, many of his athletes went on to Division I schools, including former Broncos safety and Washington Huskie Roc Alexander.

In the latter part of his stint at Wasson, Graf took Alexander to a local store to help pick out shoes for the emerging star.

“He had no idea what to get,” laughed Graf.

As the two picked out a pair of spikes the mentor-coach said, “Now that you have new shoes, I expect you to win every race.”

And for the rest of his junior season and all of his senior season, he did just that.

“That was pretty cool,” Graf said.

In 2000, Graf left Wasson and became athletic director at Woodland Park so he could be closer to his sons, David and Tim, who attended the high school.

Today, both his sons coach as well.

“I’ve seen the way these young men looked up to my dad and the way he was able to make a positive influence on a lot of their lives when they didn’t necessarily have the home life that I was fortunate to have,” said David Graf, who is the girls’ basketball coach at Woodland Park. “That’s definitely part of the reason I wanted to get into coaching.”

Tim Graf is an assistant coach with his brother and also works with the Woodland Park baseball team.

Now, Bob Graf is the high jump coach for the Air Force Academy. This past season he helped the Falcons men win their first Mountain West championship in indoor track and field. At the championship, Air Force trailed Boise State late into the meet. Throughout his career Graf was able to get the best out of his athletes and that day was no different.

“I told them we needed them to do well … they took one, two, three, and swept the medals,” Graf said. “That put us within 2.5 of Boise State and then our mile relay team beat them so we won the conference.

“I was real proud.”

On Saturday, Graf’s career will be honored at the Red Lion Inn in Denver. Others honored will be former Air Academy hockey coach Wayne Marshall and Fountain-Fort Carson football coach Mitch Johnson.