Late last month it was announced that Woodridge's coach Jeff Howard was being honored as Ohio's men's cross country coach of the year by the U.S. Track and Field Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
Howard has been coaching at Woodridge for 27 years, 23 of those years being spent as head coach of the program. Coach Howard and the Bulldogs have been on a dominant streak since the mid-2000's, having taken home eleven state titles (total) since 2006.
The ten titles collected by the boys side of the program since 2006 saw them surpass the formidable group from Caldwell (who own an impressive nine themselves) as the most successful boys cross country program in the state. This accomplishment has not gone unnoticed by the Woodridge community according to Coach Howard.
"Woodridge is just such a good place to work and live. Our community really understands and backs our distance runners," Coach Howard said.
Coach Howard also believes that his athletes and coaching staff are a big part of his program's success, citing his assistant coaches as being instrumental in keeping the team organized and focused. While training and experience help athletes become better runners, Coach Howard believes that luck also plays a part in his program's dominance.
"We miss it as much as we hit it at the state meet. Some years you feel like you do it right and it just doesn't work out. Other years you do the exact same thing and it works great. I think a lot of it is luck," Howard said. "You've got to be healthy and stay healthy until you're done in November."
Ryan Champa, a senior at Woodridge, has been coached by Coach Howard for four years. He believes that Coach Howard's coaching style helps bring out the best in his athletes describing it as "unique but basic, it hits all the right things."
"He doesn't do anything crazy, he's never yelling at you. He gives you the facts and tells you how much work you've put in and that you're ready," Champa said.
Aaron Dutt, Champa's teammate and a junior at Woodridge, believes the team's social dynamics, influenced by Coach Howard, strengthen the team.
"I think what makes (Coach Howard) special is the culture he builds," Dutt said. "I think that was a big factor in our three-peat."
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