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 Ryans 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