Born: February 28, 1965 in Ventura, CA
Camarillo High School 1983
UCLA – 1988 – Bachelor of Arts, Economics
Eric ran track and cross country for Camarillo High School from 1979-1983 and for UCLA from 1983-1988. In high school he set many local cross country course and track records, some of which still stand today.
In 1980 while Eric was a sophomore at Camarillo High School he was the Ventura County Cross Country Champion and the Ventura County runner of the Year. He led the Scorpions to the unofficial title of Best Cross Country Team in California that year as there was no State Meet at that time.
In 1981, during Eric’s sophomore track season, he qualified for the State Meet in the 3200 meters where he finished 9th in a school record time of 9:00. He was also named to the All County Track and Field team.
During Eric’s Junior Year Cross Country (1981) season he was the Marmonte League Champion, Ventura County Champion and Ventura Runner of the Year. He was ill at CIF finals and finished 4th. He went on to finish 6th at the Kinney/Foot Locker Western Regionals in Fresno and 3rd overall at the Kinney/Foot Locker National Cross Country Championships in Orlando, Florida.
During the spring of Eric’s junior track season (1982), he was the Ventura County champion, the CIF Champion and Masters Champion at 3200 meters. He finished 2nd in the 3200m by less than 1 second at the State Meet in Sacramento. He was named to the All CIF Southern Section Team, he was the Ventura County Track Athlete of the Year and named to the Adidas All American High School Boys Track and Field Team.
During the summer of 1982 Eric was part of a Junior National team that represented the United States in an international track meet in Soule, South Korea.
Eric was undefeated during his senior cross country season in 1982. He was the Ventura County Champion (First ever 3 time VC individual champion), the Mount SAC. Sweepstakes winner, the Marmonte League Champion and the CIF Southern Section Champion.
He went on to win the Kinney/Footlocker Western Region Championship at Fresno in a then course record time of 14:39. This time is still tied for fastest in County history and the Southern Section record. Eric then went on to win the Kinney/Footlocker National Championships in Orlando, Florida. He set a course record and won this National Championship race by 14 seconds.
Upon graduation, Eric owned the 2nd, 3rd and 4th fastest time on Mt. SAC cross country course. After his senior cross country season, Eric was named Ventura County Runner of the Year, 1982 Runners Magazine High School Athlete of the Year and had his “face in the crowd” of Sports Illustrated.
During Eric’s senior track season in 1983 he was the 3200m Ventura County Champion, the CIF Southern Section Champion, the Masters Champion and the State 3200m champion. Eric is the first and only Ventura County male runner to qualify for the State Meet 3200m three years in a row. After the season, Eric won the prestigious, senior only, Golden West meet while setting a meet record for 3000m.
Post 1983 season honors included Ventura County Hall of Fame Male Athlete of the Year, Ventura County High School Male Runner of the Year, 1983 Southern California Track and Field Athlete of the Year and 1983 Southern Adidas’s All American High Track and Field Team.
Eric’s 1983 high school bests of 8:44 for two miles, 8:41 for 3200m and 8:09 for 3000m still stand as Ventura County Records in 2015.
Eric received an athletic scholarship to UCLA. Although he battled injuries at UCLA he was a multiple time letterman in both track and cross country. He participated in the 1985 NCAA Division Cross Country Championships in Wisconsin, he was the 1987 Cross Country Team Captain and a participant at the 1988 Pac 10 Championships (5,000m).
After graduating from UCLA he worked in the real estate and loan industry for 6 years. For the last 21 years Eric has worked in the insurance, claims and risk management industry, Eric currently works for the Ventura Unified School District.
While at UCLA Eric met fellow runner, Ms. Nancy Brown. Nancy was the Jr National 3,000 meter champion in Canada in 1984. She also qualified for the NCAA Championships her senior year at UCLA in the 3,000m. They have been married for 25 years, love living in Ventura, and have two children, Garrett, 17 and Peyton, 15. Nancy has been a teacher at Ventura Unified School for 18 years.
Eric has stayed busy in the community with coaching youth sports including baseball, basketball, and track. In 2014 Eric was an Inductee to the Ventura County High School Cross Country Hail of Fame. Eric still enjoys running as well as hiking, golfing and traveling with friends and family.