Coaching Career
As an integral part of the Vikings return to the top of the GNAC in 2019, Eric Dudley enters his 4th season at WWU. Dudley coordinates the recruiting efforts for the Vikings Track & Field programs, helping to guide recruits through the stages of the recruiting process. As the coach of the WWU sprinters and hurdlers, Dudley mentored Cordell Cummings to six GNAC titles (400H in 2017; 110H in 2018; 60H, 110H, 400H and 4x400 in 2019) and a NCAA Championships appearance in 2019 and also oversaw the development of Karlington Anunagba from 10.70 in the 100m dash to a NCAA qualifying time of 10.33. WWU 60m dash school record holder, Macie Allen, would go on to win GNAC titles in the 60m and 100m dashes after transferring to Concordia – with the support of her Viking coaches – in order to pursue a major not offered at WWU. Dudley has coached GNAC podium finishers in the 200m (Savanah Smith 2018, Bryant Welch 2019, Hannah Bradley 2019), 400m (Bryant Welch 2019, Savanah Smith 2019, Myles Smith 2020) , 60H (Cordell Cummings ’18, ’19 & '20, Koby Okezie 2020), 110H (Cordell Cummings ’18 & ’19; Koby Okezie 2019), 400H (Cordell Cummings ’17, ’18 & ’19; Reid Lovercamp 2019), 4x100 (McLean, Bradley, Smith, Sytsma 2018) and 4x400 (Welch, Lovercamp, Longley, McArthur 2018; Smith, Cummings, Okezie, Welch 2019i; Cummings, Rinefort, Welch, Smith 2019o; Chhim, Daniels, Oglesby, Smith 2020i) during his brief tenure. A dominant team victory by the Viking men at the 2019 GNAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships earned Coach Dudley the USTFCCCA Regional Assistant Coach of the Year award.
In his first year at WWU the Viking program set three indoor school records, one outdoor school record, had seven individual conference titles, 17 USTFCCCA All-West Region honors, three USTFCCCA All-America honors and one national champion between indoor and outdoor seasons. In his second year at WWU, Vikings set one indoor school record, had five individual conference titles, 16 USTFCCCA All-West Region honors and three USTFCCCA All-America honors between indoor and outdoor seasons.
Eric came to Western Washington after one year at Sacramento State, where the Hornets won the Women’s Big Sky Indoor Track & Field Championship. Guided the Sac State pole vaulters and high jumpers to individual Big Sky wins and worked with the multis in their throwing disciplines. Previously spent seven seasons, three as assistant coach and four as associate head coach, at High Point University, located in High Point, N.C., handling field and multi-events for the Panthers. Also coached HPU student-athletes to NCAA Preliminary Round qualifying performances in the high jump, pole vault, and javelin, plus 11 individual conference championships and 47 school records. Holds USTFCCCA sprint, hurdle and relay specialist certification, throwing events specialist certification and is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS). In 2009, addressed North Carolina Track and Cross Country Coaches Clinic about specific strength development strategies for running economy in 800 meter runners.
Athletic Career
Finished own running career at 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials, placing 10th in 400-meter hurdles ... Ended collegiate career as 2003 Verizon/CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year for men's track & field/cross country ... Was twice a Division I All-American, a two-time first-team Academic All-American and three-time District VIII academic honoree, and a three-time Pac-10 Conference academic all-star ... Placed fifth at the NCAA I Outdoor National Championships in 400 hurdles in 2001 and sixth in 2003 ... Won Pac-10 title in 400 hurdles in 2001 and was second in 2003 with time of 49.59, second fastest in WSU history ... Awarded prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship in 2003 ... Also received Cougar Pride Academic Salute, SAAC Outstanding Senior Male Athlete, President's Leadership Award, Senior Excellence in Academics, and Pac-10 Postgraduate Scholarship...Set school records at Sehome High School in 110 hurdles (14.45) and 300 hurdles (37.46) ... As senior, named Western Conference track and field Athlete of the Year, winning Class 4A state title in intermediate hurdles and placing third in high hurdles as Mariners finished sixth as team ... As junior, member of Mariner cross country team that qualified for state.
Education
Graduated Summa Cum Laude in mechanical engineering with minor in mathematics from Washington State University in 2003, finishing with 3.97 grade point average (4.0 scale) ... Also earned master's degree in kinesiology with emphasis in biomechanics and motor control from University of Illinois...Graduate of Sehome High School ... SHS Class Valedictorian, graduating with 4.0 GPA.
Personal
Married to Amber Larsen ... Have one daughter, Charlotte ... Larsen was track assistant at High Point after six seasons in that capacity at Wake Forest University ... A Sehome graduate, she was the NCAA III national champion in 400 hurdles at Linfield College, three-time All-American and Northwest Conference and Linfield Female Athlete of the Year...Grandfather, Henry S. Godshall, ran track at Cornell University.
Updated Jan. 15, 2021
