Eric Ryan Biography

Preston - (Class of 2005) / Kingwood, WV

 

High School:

• Ran at Preston High from (2001-2005)

• Coached by Paul Martin, Mark Bjorkman, Brian Miller, Paul Sines, Greg Messenger while at Preston High

• Two-time WV All-State Cross Country Selection (2003, 2004)

• Individual State Cross Country Runner-Up (2004), while placing seventh as a junior (2003)

• Finished as the individual state runner-up (16:47) and lead the Knights to a second place finish at the 2004 State Championship

• Splitting time between soccer and cross country, he finished seventh overall as a junior (16:51) to help Preston win the 2003 State Cross Country Championship. This was the first team state title in county history

• WV Group AAA Region 1 Cross Country Runner-Up (2004)

• North Central Athletic Conference Cross Country Runner-Up (2004)

• Recorded a personal best in the 5k with a time of 16:47.00

• Ten-time WV All-State Track Selection (2 x 1600m, 3 x 800m, 1 x 400m, 3 x 4x800m Relay, 1 x 4x400m Relay)

• Two-time Individual State Track Champion (1 x 1600m, 1 x 800m)

• State Track Champion (2 x 4x800m Relay, 1 x 4x400m Relay)

• Gatorade West Virginia Boys Track Runner of the Year (2005)

• State Track Runner-Up (1 x 4x800m Relay)

• Four-time WV Group AAA Region 1 Track Champion (1 x 3200m, 1 x 1600m, 1 x 800m, 1 x 4x400m Relay)

• WV Group AAA Region 2 Track Champion (1 x 4x800m Relay)

• Four-time WV Group AAA Region 2 Track Runner-Up (1 x 1600m, 1 x 800m, 2 x 4x400m Relay)

• Eight-time North Central Athletic Conference Track Champion (1 x 1600m, 2 x 800m, 2 x 400m, 2 x 4x400m Relay, 1 x 4x800m Relay)

• Two-time North Central Athletic Conference Track Runner-Up (1 x 1600m, 1 x 800m)

• Had Top Performances of 2005 in 3200m (9:33.49), 1600m (4:14.03), 800m (1:56.36), while having the second top performance in the 400m (49.90)

• Broke nineteen-year-old state meet record in the 1600 meter run with a time of 4:14.03.

• Class AAA Boys 2005 West Virginia High School State Track & Field Championship High Point Runner-Up (25 points)

• Holds Preston High school records in the 1600m (4:14.03), 400m (49.90), 4x800 Meter Relay (7:57.30), and 4x400 Meter Relay (3:27.27)

• Ranks eighth on the 1600 Meters State Meet All-Class All-Time Top Ten List (4:14.03)

• Inducted into the Preston High Hall of Fame (2015)

• Ran a personal best in the 400m with a time of 49.90

• Marked a career-best in the 800meter with a time of 1:56.36

• Ran the 1600-meter event in 4:14.03 for a personal-record

• Finished with a personal-best in the 3200m with a time of 9:33.49

• Signed Letter of Intent to run at Cornell University 

 

Noteworthy: If you would ask any “old-timer” who frequents Laidley Field, “What is the most amazing race you have ever witnessed?”, most of them would refer to Eric Ryan’s anchor leg in the 4 x 800-meter relay at the 2005 State Meet. Down 75 meters when he received the baton, Ryan ran a super-human 1:51.7 split to propel Preston back into first place.

 

High School Personal Records:

• 400m – 49.90

• 800m (In) - 2:04.71

• 800m - 1:56.36

• 1600m (In) - 4:35.96

• 1600m - 4:14.03

• 1 Mile (In) - 4:29.12

• 5K (XC) - 16:47.00

 

Personal:

• Family: Karina Ryan (mother), Adam Ryan (brother)

• Born on November 24th, 1986

• College coaches: Robert Johnson (Cornell) and George Watts (Tennessee)

• Hometown: Kingwood, WV

• Resides in Brookline, Massachusetts and is a professionally licensed, Structural Engineer with The Vertex Companies, Inc.

• Races for the New Balance Boston elite running club

• This past summer at the ripe age of 28, he set a personal record in the 1500 with a time of 3:50.5 (equivalent to a 4:08 mile).

 

College:

During his undergraduate years, Eric ran collegiately for Ivy League power, Cornell. While running for the Big Red, he earned 1st team All-Ivy League honors in the DMR in 2007 and was a finalist in the indoor 1000 meter run in 2007. Injuries prevented Eric from competing in track all four years at Cornell. Undeterred, he began working on his masters and running at the University of Tennessee. He competed one additional year for the Volunteers. His college career culminated in Ryan earning All-SEC honors in the 1500 meter run in 2011.

 

Favorite Athletic Moment:

Making the finals and scoring in the 1500m at SEC championships in 2011 while at the University of Tennessee. The event was the culmination of several years of perseverance working through injuries and recovery from leg surgery.

 

Eric Ryan biography compiled by Mike McMillion & Paul Martin