Home of the Washington State Cross Country Coaches Association
You can find more information about our Association, the Hall of Fame, Coach of the Year, our coaches handbook, and more.
2026 Season Recognition
Nominate Assistant Coach of the Year and Middle School Coach of the Year.
We will celebrate our honorees at the WSTFCA Convention, January 22 & 23, 2027
WSTFCA/WSCCCA 2026 Convention Presentations
Congratulations to our 2026 Hall of Fame Inductees
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Larry Weber believes cross-country offers high school athletes far more than races and times. To him, it is a platform to build character, cultivate perseverance, strengthen faith, and carry lessons well beyond the finish line. He began coaching high school runners later in life, drawing on his experience with post-collegiate athletes, U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials qualifiers, and master’s competitors. Over the past 15 seasons, his teams earned 13 Washington State Cross-Country Championships—nine girls’ and four boys’—and 26 total podium finishes, including seven runner-up spots. Equally meaningful, his athletes have thrived academically, winning three cross-country academic state titles. Larry attributes these accomplishments to the dedication of his athletes, the support of their families, and the guidance of his assistant coaches.
Several of his athletes captured individual state championships, including Justin Holden, Lucas Graham, Luke Schilter, Ruby Henry, and Kevin Hu. Larry treasures their growth—not only for their success on the course but also for the resilience, teamwork, and life lessons they carry beyond it. He also had the privilege of coaching his daughter, Elizabeth, who went on to compete at the collegiate level.
Beyond high school, Larry has guided several runners to qualify for the USA Olympic Marathon Trials, including Karen Steen, who set two masters world records in the steeplechase and earned multiple national Master’s track and field titles. He also helped Paralympian Tony Volpentest win two gold medals and set a world record in the 200 meters at the ISOD world championships in Barcelona, Spain, and post-collegiate 800-meter runners, including NCAA champion Edward Kemboi, remotely in Kenya.
Larry has also been deeply involved in the running community, co-founding and directing the Millersylvania–Bill Kehoe Cross-Country Invitational for 17 years, serving as a historian for Thurston County’s running and track programs, and guiding two state championship track-and-field teams. His own love of running began as an athlete, shaped by coaches and mentors who encouraged him to push his limits. He competed at the USA Track and Field Championships in the 1500 meters, became a two-time Big Sky Conference 800-meter champion, and narrowly missed a four-minute mile on the track, running 4:00.10 before breaking it on a certified fast road mile course. He also won and set the record in the Original Ultimate Runner Competition—a 10k, 400 meters, 100 meters, a mile, and a marathon in a single day—against a world-class field.
Through every season, Larry credits his wife, Julie, for her unwavering support and for helping foster meaningful connections with the athletes they have been privileged to guide.
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A graduate of Lincoln High School of Tacoma, Steve attended Spokane Community College under coaches Max Jensen and John Buck. He then moved on to Eastern Washington University in the fall of 1976 under coach Jerry Martin where he competed for the school’s cross-country and track teams. In his first season of track, his personal record in the 800 meters dropped from 1:51.7 to 1:48.51 as he won the NAIA District 1 Championship (1:53.6) and helped Eastern to the team title. He advanced to the NAIA National Championships where he placed fourth with a school record time of 1:48.51 to earn All-American honors. Steve also won the 1977 Prefontaine Classic 800.
After graduating from Eastern Washington University with a degree in Health and Physical Education, Steve went on to teach and coach at Rogers (15 years) and Mead High School (15 years).
While at Rogers, Steve coached Cross Country and Track where he coached some of the states best female runners, most notably Jesscia Fry, Sara Schwald and Becca Noble, who won the 2005 Junior 800 Meter National Championships in a nation leading 2:03.73 and would win the Junior Pan-American Games 800. On the male side, he coached Cameron Hatch, Chris Olinger and Ryan Craig, all top runners in the state for Cross Country and Track.
In 2006, Steve moved to Mead where he had several top athletes in the 800 meters, 1600 meters, 3200 meters and Cross Country. The most notable was Andrew Gardner, whom Kiesel coached to 5 state titles, 3 Footlocker National Championships and the 2013 World Junior Cross Country Championships. Andrew's times were some of the best in the nation with 4:08 (1600) and 8:54 (3200), winning 4 individual state titles in track and 1 cross country title in 2012 (15:02).
Steve is a two-time Greater Spokane League coach of the year and the 2007 Washington State 4A Boys coach of the year. His 2007 and 2008 Mead teams won the state 4A team titles.
Since 2007, Steve has been the District 6 Cross Country Championships course and facility coordinator. He has also volunteered for many years at the Lilac Bloomsday Run, The Boulevard Run and many other local Spokane road races.
Retiring from Mead in 2022, Kiesel is now a volunteer coach at Gonzaga University working with the distance program as an assistant to Pat Tyson, as well as being hired to be the Head Finishline Official at The Podium Indoor Track facility in Spokane.
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Kevin was born in Nampa, Idaho, and spent most of his life in Oregon. He discovered his love for running in middle school and went on to compete at Rex Putnam High School in Milwaukie, Oregon, representing the school at the state level multiple times.
Kevin began his collegiate career at Northwest Nazarene College, where he developed an interest in track and field. At the time, Northwest Nazarene did not sponsor a cross country program, leading him to transfer to Western Oregon State College so he could compete in both cross country and track. As a member of the Wolves, Kevin qualified for the NAIA National Championships twice and held the school record in the 10,000 meters for a period of time.
It was at Western Oregon State College that Kevin met his wife, Danelle, who was also a member of the cross country team. In 1991, the couple moved to Olympia, Washington, where Kevin began his teaching and coaching career at both Olympia High School and Capital High School. He became a long-standing member of the Capital High School coaching staff for cross country and track and field.
During his tenure at Capital, Kevin played a key role in the creation of the Capital Invitational, an early-season meet designed to provide runners of all abilities a welcoming and competitive start to the season. The event grew to include schools from across the state and region and, for a time, became the largest opening-weekend invitational in Washington. Kevin and the Capital coaching staff were also deeply involved in the local running community, overseeing events such as the Capital Lakefair Run and assisting annually with the Capital City Marathon.
For 13 years, Kevin served on the organizing committee for the Westside Classic District Cross Country Meet, further demonstrating his commitment to the growth of the sport beyond his own program.
Kevin’s coaching career at Capital High School was marked by sustained excellence. His teams earned numerous league and district championships, and from 2000 to 2016, the Capital girls cross country program qualified for the state meet every year. That streak included multiple top-five finishes and several state trophies. One of the most memorable highlights came in 2007, when both of Kevin’s daughters, Amanda and Brianne, competed on the state-qualifying team, with Danelle serving as an assistant coach—making it a true family affair.
Throughout his career, Kevin’s cross country and track programs produced countless league champions, state qualifiers, and athletes who continued competing at collegiate and post-high school levels. His emphasis on hard work, accountability, and leadership not only shaped successful athletes but also inspired many former runners to become coaches themselves.
In 2018, Kevin transitioned from full-time coaching into athletic administration, becoming an athletic director—a role he continues to serve in today. His lasting impact on student-athletes, the Capital High School program, and the broader running community stands as a testament to his dedication and leadership in high school cross country.
The Ruston Family Foundation
The Ruston Family Foundation is a non-profit that works to promote the sport of Cross Country in Washington State high schools. By promoting Cross Country, we can create immense benefits for all young people.
Senior All-Star Scholarships
The Washington State Cross Country Coaches Association is proud to have been able to provide thousands of dollars in scholarships to cross country athletes over the last 30 years. These scholarships are not based on any athletic standards and do NOT jeopardize your NCAA eligibility.
2022 Edition Cross Country History
Rod Wilcox has updated an exhaustive historical perspective of Washington State XC. For stat buffs out there, this 40+ page document is loaded with all sorts of information.
Become a Member and make a difference
Contact
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Email
wsccca@gmail.com