RIVERSIDE — Running is a passion for Eyan (pronounced Ian) Turk and it goes deep. His father, Rick, says his youngest son has loved running as long as he can remember. Eric Reynolds, the ninth-year cross country head coach at Woodcrest Christian, remembers first meeting Eyan as a fourth-grader. The youngster attended the practices of older brother Gavin, who ran cross country and track for the Royals.

Reynolds, seeing Eyan’s enthusiasm for running, went so far as to create easy, fun workouts — suited to a fourth-grader’s level — to keep the boy occupied.

“There’s nothing I’ve done to make Eyan love running,” said Reynolds. “He has loved running from the moment I’ve known him and more so than any athlete I’ve coached in my 14 years with the program.”

Reynolds, a Woodcrest Christian alumnus and a cross country and track coach at this private school for students in grades 7-12, technically wasn’t doing any illegal recruiting. He was simply contributing to a young boy’s interest in running. What a difference, though, does a few years make for his program and for Turk.

In late November, Turk achieved something he’s been chasing for a few years. The Woodcrest Christian junior ran a 5000-meter personal-best time of 14 minutes, 59 seconds at Woodward Park in Fresno to capture his first individual CIF-State Division V Cross Country Championship. It came one week after Turk won his second straight CIF-Southern Section individual title, going 14:07, a three-mile PR, on the rain course at Mt. San Antonio College.

“This was all I wanted to do this season,” said Turk, of his State championship-winning feat. “I was coming back to State as the top returning underclassman and I really wanted to win.”

Win State he did, becoming the first Royals runner to win the State Division V title since Jake Jeanson in 2008 (15:46). In addition to repeating as section champion, Turk is also repeating as the IE Varsity Male Runner of the Year.

Turk’s season consisted of nine victories in three-mile races, one runner-up finish, and 28th place in the Woodbridge XC Classic sweepstakes race. He only ran two 5000-meter course races, a runner-up finish at the Clovis Invitational and his State title win, and both races were at Woodward Park in Fresno.

Turk nearly got to run the State Meet with his entire team, but Woodcrest Christian finished eighth in the Southern Section Division V final standings — missing automatic qualification by one place and by four points.

Individually, though, is where Turk shines brightest. Reynolds marvels at his No. 1 runner’s unwavering focus and reliability.

“If I give Eyan a workout, I know it’s going to be done just as I asked him to do it. He executes his times without anyone pushing him. With Eyan, it’s all about the clock and his high mental makeup to execute and get the workouts done within the timeframe numbers we need to see progress,” Reynolds said.

In races, Turk is eager to lead the pack from the start, a tactic that for some runners can be fatal if they go out too fast and later fade in a race. Not Turk.

“He’s going to go out, lead the race and he’s not afraid to fail. He goes out, takes the lead and lets the chips fall where they may,” Reynolds acknowledged.

Perhaps Turk’s best example of this was the CIF-SS final on the Mt. SAC rain course. While he’s much better suited to the traditional hilly course that Mt. SAC offers, transitioning to the flatter, faster rain course 24 hours before the race could have been a letdown. True to his mental toughness and adaptability, he listened to the strategy employed by his coaches and did exactly what he was told.

“We wanted him to take the lead from the get-go, not look back and not think about it,” Reynolds said. “Get the early lead and everyone will chase you. The plan worked to perfection.”

Turk’s 14:07 was a personal best and he felt great despite adapting to an alternative course. His mental approach served him very well.

“Once I really learned about the mental toughness needed and what I was capable of, that’s when I started to improve. It has really changed how I view how I train and how I should run.”

His 14:59 and State title win the next week was equally satisfying. He had run a strong race in his previous performance in the Clovis Invitational in October — a 15:04.8 in a Small Schools varsity division — to give him a boost in confidence.

“It meant a lot,” he said.

The State win fulfilled a personal goal that he set for himself when he was still just a middle school student at Woodcrest.

“At the start of my journey here, I went into the gym and I saw the banners of the state championships team and saw that Jake had won state. It inspired me. I knew I wanted to do something like that. I wanted to win one of those banners. It’s an honor to have done it. I feel blessed by God to have this gift to run and be able to show that glory,” Turk said.

He’s had the ability from an early age. He’s eager to continue his love of running, both when track season begins in the spring and again next fall when, as a senior, he knows what lay ahead.

“I’ll be returning as the state champion, and I’ll want to defend my title. I know there’s a challenge ahead.”

— RYAN T. BLYSTONE

IE VARSITY COACH OF THE YEAR

Alfonso Ibarra, King

Ibarra guided the program to one of its most successful campaigns in just his second season at the helm. The Wolves finished sixth in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 team standings and qualified for the CIF State Championships for just the second time in the program’s history. King capped the season with a 10th-place finish in Division I at the state meet. Sophomore Maximo Zavaleta led the way for the Wolves, as he finished in the Top 7 at both the section and state finals. King also captured the Big VIII League team championship after four consecutive second-place finishes.

— ERIC-PAUL JOHNSON

IE VARSITY FIRST TEAM

Joshua Agostini, Chaparral, Sr.

Jacob Brown, Great Oak, Jr,

Gabriel Castillo, Etiwanda, Sr.

Kael Jex, Big Bear, Jr.

Jeffrey Keeney, Great Oak, Sr.

Caleb Ornelas, Ayala, Sr.

Ethan Parcells, Rim of the World, Sr.

Benjamin Rippe, Norco, Sr.

Gabriel Rodriguez, Great Oak, Sr.

Micah Watson, Fontana, Sr.

Eyan Turk, Woodcrest Christian, Jr. (Runner of the Year)

Maximo Zavaleta, King, So.

IE VARSITY SECOND TEAM

Jace Deledonne, Riverside Poly, So.

Nolan Koopman, Rancho Cucamonga, Jr.

Nathan Magana, Patriot, Jr.

Lyle Mideiros, Claremont, So.

Max Neely, Claremont, Sr.

Antonio Olmos, Santiago Sr.

Jack Paradise, Great Oak, So.

Bradley Quezada, King, So.

Daniel Reza, Chaffey, Jr.

Michael Rodriguez, Great Oak, Sr.

Frank Rodriquez, Redlands East Valley, Jr.

Emmanuel Wallace, Redlands East Valley, Sr.