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Tragic Loss
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I've known for years now that the greatest gift the sport of running, cross-country, and track and field has given myself and others is relationships. This is true of all sports, but I like to think that this is even more so in the sport all of us are a part of. People with the highest qualities imaginable constantly surround us. Even with such a high percentage of quality people in our sport, there are still those ones that seem to stand out. Erik Anderson is one of the better coaches I've ever met, but he was more than that. I instantly had thoughts back to this last November after the NWAACC Cross Country Championships, where his teams did what they always seemed to do. They won. I went up to congratulate him and he was so incredibly sincere and happy for how well MY teams had performed. That interaction summed up the type of guy he was in my mind. Erik had a way about him that is incredibly unique. He was one of those guys who would kick your butt, but you couldn't help but like and admire. I remember last night I was contemplating how I might be able to go about beating Spokane in the fall. I had recently gotten excited that a couple of recruits that could be on my team in the fall and the potential for my squads, but I got to thinking about just how good Spokane is. I thought about how Erik Anderson was ALWAYS going to have that team running at an incredibly high level. Despite Erik Anderson coaching at a rival school and him beating me often, I've always had an incredible amount of respect for him. He was just one of those guys you knew did things right. He developed kids, he cared for his athletes deeply, and he not only made them better runners, but better people. I want to wish his family, his athletes, his fellow coaches, and the entire Spokane community my deepest sorrow for the loss of such an amazing person. I will miss coaching against him and regret I was unable to learn more from Erik. He had a lot to share on so many levels. Travis Floeck - Lane Community College Head Cross Country Coach
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