Glendale Prep Cross Country Coach Webdale Named Arizona Coach of the Year
Glendale Prep January 27, 2025 -
Glendale Prep’s cross-country coach, Eric Webdale, was named Arizona’s Coach of the Year by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). The announcement of the tenth annual High School Cross Country Coaches of the Year, presented by the United States Marine Corps, was made, much to the surprise of the humble Webdale, during the academy’s Fall Sports Awards Night. The night was already full of honors for Webdale, who also celebrated his boys’ cross-country team, which took the AIA Division IV 2024 State Championship title.
“Receiving the award was a complete surprise,” explained Webdale. “For me, working with the kids has always been its own reward. It’s truly humbling because I’m just a small part of the larger community that makes our teams successful. The credit really belongs to the athletes and their families. I’m just grateful for the opportunity I’ve been given to support the kids as they grow and strive to become the best versions of themselves.”
One boys coach and one girls coach from 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia, were honored for their successes during the fall of 2024, as selected by a committee of experts from around the nation. Winners were selected based on their teams’ performances throughout the 2024 cross country season. Among the factors taken into consideration were team score and placement at the state championships, margin of victory, performance against rankings if available, individual championships, and how their teams’ performances stacked up to previous years.
Webdale was presented with a trophy from the USTFCCCA recognizing his achievements. The presentation was made by Ron Smith, who also nominated and advocated on Webdale’s behalf for this honor. Track parents and athletes would recognize Smith as the voice for meets around the state. He is a longtime track and field announcer, who has been calling meets for over 30 years. Being a respected track and cross-country coach himself, he was honored with having a large track meet named after him, The Ron Smith Classic. During the presentation, Smith openly sang the praises of Coach Webdale and the many reasons he personally nominated him.
Jon Rickey, Arizona Network Director of Athletics, shared his admiration for Webdale, who he recalls being an easy choice for the coach position back when he was the school’s AD “It’s hard for many to remember Glendale Prep XC and Track without Coach Webdale as a coach or in the program. He has grown the program into a powerhouse for small schools,” said Rickey.
“Every athlete that has participated under Coach Webdale will say that he truly cares about them as people first, and athletes second,” added Rickey. “He holds athletes to a high standard, while making his programs so inclusive that even those new to running or track are welcomed and have the opportunity to excel! There are very few days in the summer that the XC team is not running or being led by Eric. This is part of the success of the program and another example of his effort!”
Rickey noted that Coach Webdale does not like talking about himself or his accomplishments. He often shrugs off accolades and many times will point to his athletes when congratulated for championship wins. “In a world where successful coaches want to be part of the story, he would rather build up his athletes, thank his wife and family, and get as much pleasure seeing those around him improve than to receive credit himself,” explained Rickey. “He is a true example of servant-leader and I always enjoyed hearing him speak during our award ceremonies when he would have so much information on how well each athlete had improved.”
Join the Glendale Prep running community, along with the greater Great Hearts family, as we continue to cheer Coach Webdale on as he continues to inspire and lead young runners with excellence.
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