2026
Larry Weber-Northwest Christian, Pope John Paul II
Steve Kiesel-Rogers-Spokane, Mead
Kevin Wright-Capital
2025
Doug Fulton-South Whidbey
Jon Knight-North Central
Gene Blankenship-Medical Lake
2020
-
Mike Hadway began his running career in junior high school but began to find success in
high school at Rogers High School in Puyallup. Under the mentorship of coach Jerry Hendrickson,
Mike’s best year was his senior year where he placed a “disappointing” (his words) 8th place at the 1973 state cross country championships and 3rd in the mile at the 1974 state track
championships. In the fall of 1974, Mike enrolled at Spokane Community College where he was coached by John Buck and Max Jensen, a man who would have the greatest influence on him in cross country and track. In the fall of 1975, Mike finished 4th at the NWAACC cross country championships, helping the team score a conference record low score of 16 points (15 is perfect) in winning the team championship. Later that spring (1976), Mike placed 4th in the mile in 4:15.1 at the track conference championships. He was a member of two NWAACC track conference championship teams.
Mike continued his education and running career in the fall of 1976 at Eastern Washington
State College (later, EWU) where he was coached by Jerry Martin. He was a member of the
1977 Evergreen Conference Championship team that qualified for the NAIA national
championships and also qualified for the 1978 outdoor NAIA national track championships in the 5000 meters with a personal best of 14:26.2. For many years after college, Mike was one of the top road racers in the state of Washington.
After receiving his Bachelor’s degree in teaching from Eastern and a short stay at John R. Rogers High School, Mike began one of the most successful tenures of coaching in the Greater Spokane League and Washington State history at Ferris High School from 1986-2018. His coaching successes in cross country include 15 state teams, 3 individual champions, 5 team titles, 2 second place finishes, 4 third place finishes, 2 fourth place finishes, and a fifth and sixth place finish. Mike had 28 runners finish in the top 10. In Track, Mike had 3 state champions in each distance event (800, 1600, 3200) and 38 podium finishes, with 9 in the 800, 15 in the 1600, and 15 in the 3200. Mike’s cross country teams qualified for the Nike Team Nationals four times, placing 2nd in 2009.
Mike was named Washington State cross country coach of the year 2004 and is a member
of the Spokane Community College and NWAACC Hall of Fames.
Mike and his wife Suzanne have two children (Ashley and Josh) who both became runners, and five grandchildren. Mike’s long-time involvement in our sport, his incredible success, and his support of coaches and athletes are among the many reasons that the Washington State Cross Country Coaches Association welcomes him into our Hall of Fame.
-
Jef grew up on the north side of Spokane and graduated from Mead High School in 1987, where he participated in track, cross country, and basketball. During his time at Mead, Jef got a new cross country coach in Pat Tyson, who Jef now joins in the WSCCCA Hall of Fame. After Mead, he went to Eastern Washington University and graduated in 1992 with an English major and history minor. In 1994 Jef finished his Master’s Degree in US History from EWU. Jef began his teaching career at River View High School near Kennewick in 1994. After one year he then moved to Renton to teach at Lindbergh HS. At Lindbergh, he taught a wide range of courses in the English Department. Eventually, he switched to the History Department and taught US History, Civics, AP US History, and Multicultural Studies.
Jef began coaching in 1998 when the cross-country position opened up at Lindbergh. He also coached tennis for two seasons before taking over the track program in 2001. At the end of the 2018/19 school year, Jef retired from coaching CC and Track. Jef ’s most rewarding and memorable achievements in coaching came from the relationships with athletes and coaches and all the great memories of times spent together. Jef ’s achievements are numerous and notable.
During his career, Jef ’s boys and girls teams won 22 League Championships. He had 22 State Qualifying teams, and his boys won the 2011 2A Boys State Championship. Jef also had 5 teams which placed in the top 4 at State. He coached individual state champions Sam Ahlbeck and Sarah Reiter. In 2011 Jef was named State Coach of the Year.
Jef has been married to his wife Tonja Reischl since 1998. Tonja is a teacher in the Issaquah School District. They have 5 nieces and nephews and a dog named Zadie.
Jeff still teaches at Lindbergh. He looks forward to volunteering with the Special Olympics and returning to working on research and writing projects. Jef travels a lot with his wife and he still runs, hikes, cross-country skis, and mountain bikes. Jef ’s involvement in the sport have affected numerous lives in a positive way. His success speaks for itself, and it is our honor to welcome him into the Washington State Cross Country Coaches Hall of Fame.
-
Wes grew up in Sumter, South Carolina and graduated from Mayewood HS in l967. He earned all-league honors in football, basketball, and was a state placer in the long jump and hurdles.
Wes likes to remind us that he was NOT a distance runner. Wes graduated from Brigham Young University in 1973 with a major in physics and a minor in chemistry. He did not participate in college athletics.
Wes began his teaching career at Mead HS in 1973 and remained there until retiring in 2005. He taught physics and chemistry. After retiring he taught part-time and coached at Deer Park High School. In the spring of 1974, Wes became an assistant track coach to Duane Hartman at Mead. When Hartman moved on to Spokane CC, Tom Buckner took his place as the head track and field coach and cross country coach. Wes said he knew nothing about the sports but would be happy to fall under Tom’s tutelage. Wes was an assistant for 2 years and Tom gradually gave him responsibility for the girls cross country program. Two years later Wes became the official girls coach. Wes coached the girls cross country team from 1981 until 2005. After leaving Mead, Wes coached for 10 years at Deer Park and officially retired in 2015.
One of the things that Wes is most proud of is the LARGE teams he had, with his largest team having 88 girls participating. His biggest goal as a coach was always to help the girls become better people.
Wes Player’s teams captured 14 district titles and sent 22 teams to state, where they won a championship in 1988. His teams had 7 second-place finishes and 5 fifth-place finishes. He calls himself the KING OF ALMOST because 7 times they missed a state championship by one place and 5 times they missed a state trophy by one place! Wes never had an individual state champion in cross country, but 3 of his distance runners in track won state titles. They were Lisa Corp, Sarah Schwald, and Jamie Geissler.
Wes has been happily married to his wife, Kendra, for 47 years and has 4 children, Kristie Rodas, Karen Summers, Dan Player, and Shannon Helm. He has 17 grandchildren and one great-grandson. For now, Wes spends a lot of time doing woodworking. He is currently serving as president of the Deer Park Rotary Club and he also travels quite a bit to visit his children. Wes’ tremendous contributions to our sport, and the many athletes he coached, not to mention the coaches he worked with are the reason we are honoring him with induction into the Washington State Cross Country Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
2021-2022
-
Dan grew up here in Washington, Edmonds, Seattle and finally Snohomish in 1960 with one year spent in Austin, Texas in 1965. He attended Snohomish High School graduating in 1970, participating in football as a freshman, then cross country, basketball and track. His family wasn’t all that athletic as far as my parents, although they played baseball on a regular basis as a family. Three of Dan’s sisters participated in track which at that time was one of the few sports available to girls. He went to the College of Idaho his first year but transferred to The University of Washington graduating in 1975, majoring in History and English Literature He has remained a proud Husky ever since. Go Dawgs! Dan didn’t participate on any of the college teams but regularly participated in intramural sports playing pickup basketball games at the IMA against guys like Detlef Schrempf and lived and ran with members of the UW cross country and track teams. Dan became a teacher late, in 1988, first teaching World History at the Snohomish Freshmen Campus and the US. History and AP U.S. History at Snohomish and then Glacier Peak High School. He got involved in coaching as a result of running from Snohomish High School and using the track for speed work. He began running with the athletes at SHS and became a volunteer assistant coach for a couple of years in the early 80s.
In the late 80s the coach at Snohomish died of brain cancer and he was replaced by a teacher who didn’t really want the job. Dan started writing the workouts and running the practices. That carried into track season as well. In 1988 he applied for the head coaching position at Snohomish and the rest is history. Dan coached at Snohomish from 1988 to 2007 before moving to Glacier Peak from 2008 through 2019. The most rewarding part for him was the ability to convince athletes they could do what they never thought they were capable of doing and then to have them continue to apply that confidence to all aspects of their lives. Dan was also able to consistently field competitive teams that ran honest races, bought into the pack running mentality, and valued team achievement over individual glory.
Dan’s coaching statistics are phenomenal with 43 league titles, Boys -16, 11 at Snohomish and 5 at Glacier Peak, Girls – 27, 17 at Snohomish, and 10 at Glacier Peak. His teams won 37 district titles. The boys had 12, 9 at Snohomish and 3 at Glacier Peak, and the girls had 25, with 14 at Snohomish and 11 at Glacier Peak. They won the state meet 9 times, all with the girls teams, 4 at Snohomish, 1995, 1996, 2002, 2003 and 5 at Glacier Peak, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2018. Probably the most memorable (well they were all memorable but…) were the first, the last, 2003 when we scored 31 points, and the Glacier Peak team that scored 41. It was a fantastic feeling when we won when we weren’t supposed to but on the other hand, we sometimes lost when we were picked to win. On any given day… Laura Snipes was state champion with the Snohomish team in 1995 and, of course, Amy Eloise Neale was state champ for Glacier Peak in 2009, 2010, and 2012. Overall he had nearly 50 individuals on the podium at state with the highlight being 5 in 2003. Dan was also the distance coach in track at both Snohomish and Glacier Peak, and spent 4 years as head girls track coach at Snohomish, winning the state titles in 2001 and 2002, and finishing 2nd in 2003. He also coached all his kids in Snohomish Junior basketball.
His wife of 42 years is Kris and was his biggest supporter, totally enabling Dan to do something for which he had a passion while getting the real work done along the way. He and Kris have four children, Erin, Nate, Savannah, and Shea all of whom ran cross country and track for Dan at Snohomish which certainly was a highlight of his life.
Dan’s long-time involvement in our sport, his incredible success, and his support of coaches and athletes are among the many reasons that the Washington State Cross Country Coaches Association welcomes him into our Hall of Fame.
-
John grew up in Bellevue and graduated from Bellevue HS in 1986. He was a studentathlete in Cross Country, Soccer, as well as Track & Field. John ran in the State Track Meet his junior and senior years.
John graduated from WSU in 1991 where he was captain of the Cross Country team in 1988 and 1989….and co-captain of the track and field team. He was an All-American in the 3000 steeplechase in 1991.
Coach Hill graduated with a degree in History. He continued to pursue his running goals post-college and qualified for the 1996 & 2000 US Men’s marathon Olympic Trials. John’s best time was a blistering 2:17.44.
In 1991 Cliff Nixon (also a WSCCCA Hall of Fame member) invited John to assist him coaching at Interlake High School. In 1994 Cliff moved to Newport High School and John again followed his mentor. And in 1995, the Cross Country position opened up at Bellevue and John coached there until 2018.
John worked on helping young athletes find something inside themselves to go beyond their physical and psychological limits and imagination through athletics. He built programs that were all inclusive and celebrated each level of talent and personality with dignity and respect. Coach Hill coached numerous boys and girls League titles in the always rugged Kingco League. He coached 10 girls teams and 13 boys teams at the state meet. Four of the boys teams and also four of the girls teams were on the podium, and 15 of his teams finished in the top 10. Two of his outstanding girls at state were Marie Foushee and Kelsey Walker. For his boys at State, Mike Hill and Spike Sievert were two of his best.
In track and field, John helped coach the 2003 Girls State Champions and the 2014 Boys State Champions.
John has two daughters…..Zia and Kalea. He is currently the Athletic Director at Bellevue High School and Meet manager at numerous athletic events including the Bellevue Invitational, one of the larger meets in the state.
John’s involvement in the sport has affected numerous lives in a positive way. His success speaks for itself, and it is our honor to welcome him into the Washington State Cross Country Coaches Hall of Fame.
-
Dennis grew up in Davenport Washington and graduated in l970, where he played football, basketball, and track and field. He attended Eastern Washington for 2 years and then graduated from the University of Washington in l976. He then worked in the microbiology field for a few years before getting a teaching degree. He started at Central Valley High School in 1984. At Central Valley Dennis taught all the sciences.
Dennis started coaching cross country right away, and coached for 34 years. He coached both boys and girls but concentrated on the girls program the last part of his career. While coaching he had some incredible success. In fact, from 2002-2106 he had 12 teams at state. All were in the top 10, and three on the podium (3rd place, 2 in 4th place, 5th place, 2 in 6th place,7th place, 2 in 8th place,2 in 9th place and a 10th place). The team that was probably his most talented finished in 4th place at the 1993 state meet, running without their top athlete. Along the way, his girls won 8 GSL league titles, and 6 regional titles (as well as the last district title before the move to a regional format). Along the way was a run of 6 titles in 9 years.
Dennis’ teams were noted for being strong pack runners, rather than relying on 1-2 top athletes. Still, he had several girls on the podium, led by Kearan Nelson’s 3rd place in 2016. Kearan went on to place 2nd at the Footlocker West regional meet, and then 6th at Footlocker Nationals before running at BYU.
Despite the obvious athletic success of his teams, Dennis says he is probably most proud of developing a group of girls into life-long runners, goal setters, and hard workers.
Coach Dennis was also extremely happy to have had the opportunity to coach his children in the sport he loves. He is happily married to his wife, Janet.
In addition to his success in cross country, Dennis was also a highly successful track coach, as well as one of the key organizers for the Washington State Track and Cross Country Coaches convention. Tremendous contributions to our sport, and the many athletes he coached, not to mention the coaches he worked with are the reason we are honoring him with induction into the Washington State Cross Country Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
-
Rod describes himself as a lifelong track bum who grew up in Pendleton, Oregon. He attended Pendleton High School through his junior year and then moved and graduated from West Valley HS in 1982. Rod likes to say he was a beg-on athlete at the University of Washington from 1985-1988 where he was a high jumper for the Huskies and a letter winner.
Rod started as a personal trainer for 25 years and a part-time coach. He eventually retired from PT and became a full-time track and CC coach. Rod has been at Kings HS since 1992, taking over as head coach in 1996. He has coached 21 boys state qualifying teams and 22 girls state qualifying teams. But when you delve into a bit more, it is even more impressive. His girls have won 7 state championships and his boys 4 state titles. From 1999-2002 his boys won 4 straight titles, and then had 9 more top 4 finishes since then. His girls won 3 in a row from 2001-2003, and four in a row from 2006-2009, along with 8 other top-four finishes. Rod’s boys won 8 district and 6 league titles while his girls took 11 district and 5 league titles. In fact, his teams have won a league title in 16 of the last 23 years (discounting the Covid year of 2020). During that time, there were 37 podium finishes for the boys and 38 for the girls, with four individual titles on each side.
Many of you are also aware of Rod’s annual Washington State history list, which Rod has been publishing now for over a decade, and can be found at watfxc.com.
Outside of his time coaching, Rod still competes in masters track and field. He has won 11 national titles in the decathlon, heptathlon, and pentathlon.
Rod says his family is “the herd of kids with a dream” that he gets the pleasure to work with. So in a sense, he really is “Living the Dream.” Rod’s commitment to our sport, both as a coach, and in his work with the annual and in other areas are why he is being inducted into this year’s Hall of Fame.
2023
-
Joe grew up in Washington and has lived here his entire life, with the exception of four years in the Army, which is also where he started running. He attended Issaquah High School but didn’t run there. After his time in the Army, he attended Bellevue Community College and turned out for track and cross country at the suggestion of T.P. Perry, who was a friend and track coach at Bellevue. While at Bellevue, Joe’s teammates included a number of the top athletes in the state, virtually all of them going on to compete at 4-year universities. Joe said races were easier than practice. He might lose to a couple of athletes from other teams, but on any given day he had half a dozen of his teammates who could crush him. After Bellevue, Joe went to UPS where he ran cross country. Joe transferred to the University of Washington, getting a BA in English and a teaching degree. Because of the late start to college, he was too old to compete for the UW.
Joe started out coaching at the Mann Junior High in 1992 and moved up to Lakes as a volunteer assistant in 1994. He took over as head coach in 1997, where he has been ever since. During his time at Lakes, they have won 14 league titles, 5 district titles, and had 18 teams to state, as well as a number of individuals. He has had several individuals on the podium, including Savanna Hardman, Seth Bridges, Zander Trevino, Izaic Yorks, Joe Gray, and Cruize Corvin. Cruize won the state meet in 2022, Joe was second in 2000, and Izaic took 3rd in 2011. Izaic Yorks went on to be a collegiate All-American and competed in two Olympic trials, while Joe Gray has competed on numerous national teams. won the world mountain running title twice and was voted the greatest mountain runner of all time.
Early on in Joe’s career, he had the good fortune to be mentored by a number of Hall of Fame Coaches including Phil English, John Payne, Terry Rice, Patty Ley, and Joel Wingard. They provided him with support, advice, and encouragement. He founded the Fort Steilacoom Invitational and was part of the group that started the Westside Classic. Joe was also a member of the Washington State Cross Country Association executive board, where he served as President for 16 years. Joe treasured his time on the board, working with a fantastic group of coaches committed to the sport and athletes all across the state.
After coaching so many athletes, there are too many great moments to list. His greatest success is seeing so many athletes go on to lead happy and fulfilling lives. He has been blessed by a number of fantastic assistant coaches, including former athletes such as Dan Weldon and Seth Bridges, long-time assistants Wayne Bridges and Curt Covin, and particularly special, his daughter Emily who assisted for several years as well.
In his free time, Joe enjoys woodworking and outdoor activities like backpacking and kayaking, Joe has been married to his wife Maureen for over 36 years. They have two wonderful daughters, Brooke and Emily, as well as four grandchildren. It is our honor to welcome Joe into the 2022 Washington State Cross Country Coaches Hall of Fame.
-
Bill was a Navy dependent and was always moving as he grew up. He attended Antilles High School in San Juan Puerto Rico for 9th and 10th grade, and then moved to RB Stall High School in South Carolina for 11th and 12th grades. While in High School, Bill took 4th in the Island XC championships as a 10th grader, and 5th in the South Carolina State Championships as a senior. Later that year he became the 2-mile state champion in track.
Bill walked on to the University of Washington Track Team where he was 11th in the Pac 8 Championship and a member of the first University of Washington Team to compete in the National Championships (they placed 13th). After college, Bill continued to compete, winning the 1982 Seattle Marathon and qualifying for the 1984 Olympic Marathon Trials while being coached by Alan Bonney. While at the UW Bill earned a BA in English. He also received a BA from Seattle University and earned his MA in English from Middlebury College.
Bill started his teaching and coaching career at Zillah after doing his student teaching at Woodinville. He was at Zillah from 1989-1990, then was back at Woodinville from 1990-2000. Bill then moved to Bellingham where he has been since that time. During Bill’s coaching career, he has had 33 teams to the state meet, with 15 podium finishes. He gives a lot of credit to his wonderful and dedicated assistant coach Eric Bachmeier.
In 2022, both his teams made it to state once again, with the girls team finishing 5th, and the boys winning the state title with a 33-second spread. In 2010 and 2017, both his boys and girls teams were 3rd at state. In 2012, they were both second. His girls have finished 2nd 6 times and 3rd three times.
Among his notable athletes were Chris Ledford, Shawn Murphy, Brandon Roche, Chris Kwiatkowski, Becca Friday, Cade Brown, Annika Reiss, and Will Giesen. Between them, they have over 20 podium finishes in cross country and track, 10 state championships, and multiple All-American honors in their collegiate careers. Chris Kwiatkowski has followed in Bill’s coaching footsteps at the University of Washington, where he is an assistant working with the distances.
Bill relishes the joy of seeing so many go on to college to run and earn a degree, especially those who may never have expected that or the degree could happen and, therefore, maybe have the chance for a better life.
Bill has been married to Mary Deacon McClement since 1983. He says “She has supported running all our high school XC and Track teams all these years, and for whom nothing would be possible without her. She has developed her own relationships with athletes, coaches, and families!” They have three wonderful sons Alex, Matthew, and Terry!
It is our honor to welcome Bill into the 2022 Washington State Cross-Country Hall of Fame.
-
Sally Revere is one of those athletes who returned to her roots, coaching at Lakeside School where she graduated in 1979. While at Lakeside, Sally ran cross country and track all four years in high school, was a state competitor, and a captain of both teams in her senior year.
After High School, Sally started out at Linfield but then transferred to the University of Washington. While there, she ran cross country and track and majored in English literature. Sally started coaching at Lakeside with her former high school coach and 2005 Hall of Fame inductee Hugh Tower. She said it was a privilege to coach with Hugh. Sally started coaching in the fall of 1980. She took 9 years off in the 1990s to start her family, returning in 1999. After Hugh retired, Sally took over as head coach.
While at Lakeside, Sally has had significant success, winning 15 girls Metro League titles, and 6 more on the boys side. The success didn’t stop there though. During her coaching career, Sally has never failed to have an athlete at state and has had 13 boys teams and 18 girls teams compete. That includes a boys championship team, two girls second place teams, and 13 teams in the top 10. She says “I have had the great fortune of coaching fearless, tenacious runners who have surprised themselves countless times during their Lakeside running careers.”
Sally’s family has been wonderfully supportive and welcomed cross country and track seasons. She has three grown children, Sophie, Claire and Marius. She says “My love for running and coaching were inspired by my High School coach Hugh Tower (Hall of Fame inductee 2005). It was a privilege to coach with Hugh and to continue to coach at Lakeside where I ran. Coaching still remains one of my favorite passions – and I eagerly greet each new season. Lakeside running has always been about the pursuit of personal excellence in a supportive and inclusive team environment. It’s been a true privilege to have had a coaching career where each year the team has been filled with curious, brave, dedicated, team-oriented, talented athletes.” It is our honor to welcome Sally into the 2022 Washington State Cross Country Coaches Hall of Fame.
2024
-
Jay spent his entire coaching career at Cheney High School, starting in 1983. He coached both Cross Country and Track and Field, stepping away from Cross Country after the 2014 season. He coached Track & Field for 7 years. While at Cheney, Jay had tremendous success, winning a boys state title in 1989 and a girls title in 2011. During his coaching career Jay had six league championship teams and seven that were district or regional champions.
Jay started out as an assistant coach to Randy Hazeltine in 1983 and 1984 before taking over as the head coach in 1985. One year later, in 1986, Jay had his first team at the state meet. Ultimately Jay took 12 boys teams and 5 girls teams to the state championships. The amazing thing about those teams was that 14 of those 17 teams were in the top ten. Jay had five boys teams on the podium, culminating with a 2A championship in 1989. The girls success occurred later in his career, with three podium teams in 2000’s. In 2009 his girls were 4th, they moved up to 2nd in 2010, and won the 2A state title in 2011.
Among the numerous athletes Jay coached at the state meet were 7 athletes who combined for 11 trips to the podium. Jeannette Zimmer won it all in 1994, and Isaiah Rodrigo won the state title in the wheelchair division from 2013 to 2016. Jay coached him the first two years, and then his successor and current head coach Derek Slaughter coached Isiah to two more titles.
Jay met his wife Julie while they were both Cheney High School cross country athletes and they have been married for 43 years. They have four married children and 10 grandchildren. Jay’s passion for cross country has extended to his children. Of those children and their spouses, five of them have coached cross country and four have coached track and field, with several still coaching. Jay states “I am grateful for the nominators, the Coaches Association, and the Hall of Fame Committee who have helped make our sport one among the best in the nation.” The Washington State Cross Country Coaches Association is honored to recognize his service and success.
-
Paul Ruston was the accomplished cross country and track & field coach at Thomas Jefferson High School in Auburn from 2000-2023. During this time, he helped develop TJ’s running sports into some of the strongest in Washington State. These programs fostered life-long athletes and successful young adults, including those recruited to top universities for their sport. Paul taught and coached over 3,000 students and athletes, and was legendary for his ability to motivate young people, grow their character, and do so with good humor and kindness.
In Coach Ruston’s career, the TJ girl’s teams were league champions 11 times and competed in the Washington State Meet 12 times. Paul was proud of how, as he built the TJXC program, his girl’s teams gradually inched toward the podium with a 14th place finish their first year at the state meet, then 11th, 9th, 7th, 4th, 3rd, and eventually 2nd place (in consecutive years). He coached the girl’s state champion, Kenna Patrick, in 2006. Under Paul’s leadership, the TJ boy’s teams were league champions four times and competed in the state meet twice (their first appearances in TJ history).
In 2007, Paul was named 4A Girls Coach of the Year by the Washington Cross Country Coaches Association (WSCCCA). Paul founded the Ruston Family Foundation in 2023, a charity that works to promote high school cross country in Washington state. Beyond coaching, Paul taught photography, earned his National Boards Certification, mentored many teachers, and represented fellow teachers on union boards.
Paul was born and raised in Syracuse, New York. While earning his bachelor’s degree in photo management from Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), Paul was a four-time All-American, earning honors in cross country, indoor, and outdoor track & field. He finished in 2nd place nationally in the 5,000-meter run and held ten RIT track records. He was inducted into the RIT Athletic Hall of Fame in 1991. Paul earned a master’s degree in education from Fordham University. After college, he competed in the Pan American Games, the Maccabiah Games, and narrowly missed qualifying for the Olympic Trials in the marathon. For eight years, Paul taught and coached cross country and track in Alaska and ran competitively with Team Alaska Track Club.
-
Laurie Porter started her career in 2004 at Hockinson High School. She didn’t start out to be a coach or runner. She started running to make sure her daughter Sarah would be safe preparing for her first cross-country season. All four of Laurie’s children competed in both high school and college, with her daughters becoming professional runners. Her son went on to serve as an officer in the United States Marine Corps.
When Laurie started running with her daughter, she became hooked herself, At the age of 47 Laurie was competing as an elite masters runner. She has raced in everything from the 1600 on the track to 50K races. As a master, she just missed qualifying for the Olympic Trials Marathon.
As a high school coach, Laurie had numerous state competitors. She had perhaps her greatest success at Camas High School where she had 9 teams on the podium. Three teams took 1st place, four took second, and two took third. Her boys won the state title in 2019 with the girls finishing 2nd. In 2014 and 2015 her girls were state champions. The 2014 team also were the Nike Regional Champions.
Among her numerous athletes that finished on the podium were two state champions, Alexa Efraimson and Yacine Guermali. The Washington State Cross Country Coaches Association recognized her as the Girls Coach of the Year in 2015 and the Boys Coach of the Year in 2019.
Since retiring from high school coaching, Laurie continues to teach fitness classes and is a Team Run coach. She and her husband live in the forest in Washougal where she enjoys reading, traveling, gardening, and family time.
2025
-
Doug started his cross-country journey prior to his junior year at Seattle’s Roosevelt High School after much encouragement from my older brother Jon. Those two years of running were transformative and led him to a career as a high school science teacher and coach after graduating from the University of Washington.
Doug’s career began under the guidance of Hall of Fame coach Cliff Nixon at Interlake high school in 1990 where he served as an assistant coach during his student teaching assignment. Doug then spent six years at Hoquiam High School before settling down at South Whidbey High School in 1997.
Doug’s experience in Hoquiam was highlighted by teaching and coaching many talented athletes. Two of note were Miguel Galeana, a five-time state champion in cross country and track and field and an All-American in the steeplechase at Montana State as well as Dameon Marlow who has led the White River program for the past twenty years with great success.
At South Whidbey, Doug took over a girls’ program founded by Hall of Fame coach Carl Westling and very successful boys coach, Tim Gordon. Those coaches along with longtime middle school coach Jack Terhar laid the foundation which enabled the South Whidbey program to have the success that Doug continued to build on.
During the past 34 years, Doug has been a part of many great cross country and track and field teams and worked with a number of outstanding assistant coaches, including Steve Siders, Dean Hatt, Rosie Donnelly, Shauna Davies, Mark Eager, Kathy Rodgers, Scott Warwick and Joe Humrickhouse. Twenty-five of our teams qualified for the state cross country championships, with 6 top 4 podium finishes in cross country and 6 podium finishes in track and field including the 2003 State title. These teams also earned 32 league/district XCX and TF titles and numerous individual titles.
Doug also served on the WSCCCA executive board for the past thirty years working with a dedicated group of coaches including: Tom Campbell, Steve Bertrand, Mark Cullen, Joe Clark, Bruce McDowell, Phil English, Kevin Ryan and Jeff Hashimoto among others.
Doug states that “Cross Country teaches young athletes, like myself all those years ago, many important life lessons which help guide us throughout life. I am grateful I chose this path all those years ago. Since retiring from teaching, I have returned to competitive masters running and still feel the same excitement of racing as I did in my youth."
-
Jon didn’t plan on being a coach, but after his first year of teaching, the cross country position at North Central opened up and the rest is history. Jon got his start as a high school athlete where he had a lot of success. He was on the podium all three years in cross country, finishing 4th as a sophomore, and then 2nd as a junior and senior when his teams won the state title, coached by hall of Fame member Herm Caviness. Jon was also on the US junior World team that finished 3rd in xc. His track career was equally notable, including state titles in the 1600 and 3200 at the first Star Track at Lincoln Bowl. After high school Jon ran for Montana before moving to run for Coach Jon Chaplin at WSU for three years. After college he went to work as a teacher at North Central High School where he has coached and taught his entire career.
While at North Central Jon had an amazing run. His boys teams were dominant. Jon wants to thank an amazingly supportive spouse and equally amazing staff of coaches and volunteers for what they were able to accomplish at North Central. From 2006-2016 they won 11 3A state titles. In addition, they finished 2nd in 2004, 2005, and 2018, and 3rd in 2017 and 2019. During those years they had 3 individual winners. Ben Johnston won in 2009, Tanner Anderson took the title in 2013 and 2014 and then Justin Janke won in 2015. North Central also won the always tough Greater Spokane League Champions 10 years during that span. Jon is quick to note that he was surrounded by a number of outstanding assistants, particularly his core group of Len Long, Lori Wordell, JC Hodgson, Dick Baker.
North Central was also very successful on the regional and national stage. During these years, North Central (running in the postseason as North Spokane) won 7 Nike Northwest Regional titles during the years 2007-2014, 1 Nike National title in 2008, and finished 3rd at Nike Nationals twice in 2012 & 2014. In addition, they had two individual Nike National Champions, Kai Wilmot in 2023 and Tanner Anderson in 2014. In 2008 Jon received the National Federation of State High School Associations Sectional Coaches Award.
One of the things Jon is most proud of is his team's commitment to service. From 2000 to 2020 North CentralXC volunteered about 300 hours each year thinning trees at Riverside State Park where they frequently trained, with the annual Spokane River Cleanup, and with the Women’s and Children’s Free Restaurant, a local food pantry.
Jon would also like to thank his wife Janet and children Katie and Henry for their love and support.
-
Gene spent most of his time as the head coach at two schools--Hart High School in Santa Clarita, CA (11 years), and Medical Lake HS in WA (15 years). He was a volunteer or an assistant coach part of the time at West Valley, University, and Central Valley high schools as well.
In 1981 Gene started coaching cross country, and distance runners in track, at Canyon High School in California. He had been working as a Park Director in the L.A. Parks & Rec department for about 20 years at that time and he was asked to help out during the summer by three high school athletes because their coach was retiring.
Gene ran track and cross country for Leuzinger High School in Lawndale, CA. where he set a school record on their cross country course. In 1960 he also broke the school half mile and mile records. Ironically, the mile record had been set before he was born and had lasted 18 years but his 4:35.1 record was broken the very next year. That was back when tracks were covered with loose dirt or cinder. Gene then ran at El Camino Jr. College and his team were the XC team State Champs in 1961.
At Hart H.S. in California, the boys won 11 League Championships, 3 Sectional Championships and were the California State Champions three years in a row. They also received a #1 National ranking from Harrier Magazine. The girls also had 11 League Championships. During his time at Medical Lake, the boys had 5 League Championships and also had 3 State Championships. In 2022 they had the individual state champion, Reid Headrick. The girls’ best team performances at State were 2nd in 2021 and 3rd in 2022. At the time of his induction, his boys’ teams qualified for State for the last 13 years with podium finishes 9 times and three more for the girls.
Gene has received a number of awards including The Great Northern League 2006. The NEA League Coach of the Year for 2012, 2014, 2017, 2019, 2021, and 2022 and The WSCCCA Coach of the Year in 2013 & 2017. USTFCCCA recognized him in 2014. He was also inducted into the Mt. SAC Cross Country Invitational Hall of Fame in 2008.
His happiest memories are from the 2013 and 2014 State meets. He thanks all of his assistant coaches over the years for their hard work and dedication as well as all of the runners. He considers himself to have been fortunate to have had so many talented and dedicated runners!
Another favorite all-time running memory happened in Los Angeles in 1984 when he was asked to organize and provide aid stations for the first Women’s Olympic Marathon. Gene was in the entry tunnel to the track on the stadium floor when our American runner Joan Benoit ran by him and won.
2026
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.