BY MIKE BLACKERBY
Webb coach Bobby Holcombe admits he has never seen anything like the ascension of Colin Eckerman during his high school cross-country career.
The transformation of Eckerman, the 5Star Preps 2023 Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year, was nothing short of amazing.
Eckerman went from obscurity to one of the top prep cross-country runners in the nation in seemingly a flash.
“He’s not your stereotypical kid who came into high school and was an elite runner right off the bat,” said Holcombe.
“His (5k) PR was something like 23 minutes his first year with him coming off basketball,” recalled Holcombe.
“He was the second-to-last runner on the team that year, but granted we were pretty good. We won the state championship that year.”
Eckerman admitted it wasn’t exactly love at first sight for him with cross country.
“I started running my freshman year after quitting the (Webb) basketball team,” said Eckerman.
“I honestly hated it at first. I would just show up to have something to do and hang out with some of my friends. (But) I got injured late in the season and that made me realize how much I actually enjoyed running.”
Holcombe said the turning point for Eckerman came a couple of years into his high school career.
“His junior year he decided to go all in,” said Holcombe.
“He became a different person athletically wise and went from one spectrum to another. He decided to make a full-dive investment in the sport. He really is a smart kid who does a lot of homework and research.”
Eckerman made a big step his junior year and then emerged in 2023 as one of the nation’s best.
“From about December 2020 on I have been centering my life around training and being the best athlete I can,” said Eckerman.”
Holcombe said the transformation has been jaw dropping.
“This is the stat that really stands out,” Holcombe said.
“According to one of the running publications, from his freshman to senior year Colin had the No. 1 improvement in the country.”
Eckerman finished as the No. 35-ranked runner in the country in 2023 by Dyestat.com.
He was one of only five runners in the country to qualify for the NIKE and Foot Locker nationals.
Eckerman might have saved his best for last as he took 12th place in the Foot Locker Nationals, which featured 40 of the top prep runners in the nation.
“Foot Locker nationals was probably his best race,” said Holcombe.
“He led the first 1.4 miles by five to seven meters. He beat guys in that race that were ranked fifth or sixth in the nation. Getting 12th at Foot Locker is a big deal.”
Holcombe said he believes Eckerman is just the eighth runner from the Knoxville area to earn All-American honors at Foot Locker.
“Foot Locker was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, for sure,” said Eckerman.
“I got out a little too hard and from there it was just a grind. I was hanging on for dear life and pushing with what I had. I ended up 12th, which I am happy with but I know the result could have been better if I had run smarter.”
There were other milestones during his senior season.
Eckerman finished his prep career in Tennessee with the fastest time (14:51.54) ever at the TSSAA State Cross Country Championships.
He also broke Carter Coughlin’s school record at Webb by running 14:49.90 for 5K in 2023.
Eckerman has signed with Furman, which is regarded as one of the top 20 collegiate cross-country programs nationally.
“He’s just now starting and his future is unlimited,” said Holcombe.
“He’s an alpha personality who has the potential to be a pro runner down the road. This kid will definitely make his four years at college interesting.”
Eckerman said he is looking forward to moving on to the challenge at the next level.
“I’m super excited to be joining the team at Furman next year,” he said.
“I am trying to center my goals (and) focusing on controlling the controllables and doing everything right one day at a time,” Eckerman continued.
“We have a great group of guys coming in with me, including (Farragut’s) Matteo Tonnos who I am thrilled to chase some big goals with.”