USTFCCCA Names Iowa High School Cross Country Coaches Of The Year

Eli Horton, Pete Westerkamp earn top coaching cross country honors

Waukee Northwest's Ella Jones competes during the Iowa high school cross country championships at Lakeside Municipal Golf Course on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, in Fort Dodge. / Lily Smith/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Two Iowa high school cross country coaches have been honored as U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association state cross country coaches of the year.

Eli Horton of Chariton High School and Pete Westerkamp from Waukee Northwest High School took home top honors from the USTFCCCA.

Here are the 2025 USTFCCCA High School Cross Country State Coaches of the Year Presented by the @USMarineCorps.https://t.co/SBM369Ztd4 pic.twitter.com/e3YCUKMaki

— USTFCCCA (@USTFCCCA) January 14, 2026

Presented by the United States Marine Corps, the honors are handed out to one boy and one girl coach in each of the 50 states - as well as the District of Columbia - for the success they had this past fall. A committee of experts from around the nation make the selections.

State-by-state winners were selected on the success of their respective team throughout the 2025 cross country season, including team score and placement at the state championships, margin of victory, performance against rankings, individual championships and how the team performed stacked up to previous seasons.

Both Horton and Westerkamp will receive a trophy from the USTFCCCA.

Each winner is now in consideration for the National High School Cross Country Coach of the Year award. Those will be announced in February.

Eli Horton Led Chariton To 2A State Team Championship

Under Horton, Chariton captured the Class 2A Iowa boys high school state cross country team title this past fall in Fort Dodge, Iowa from Lakeside Golf Course and Kennedy Park. They scored just 42 points, as all five counting scorers finished in the Top 15 of the individual race for counting teams.

Lucas Anderson placed third overall, Cy Stuart was fifth and Cody Dixson finished 12th for Chariton.

Pete Westerkamp, Waukee Northwest Won 4A Girls State Gold

Westerkamp and Waukee Northwest scored 67 points, earning first in the 4A team standings at state over top-ranked Pleasant Valley and Johnston.

The Wolves had all five counting runners finish inside of the Top 25 of those with counting team runners towards the state championship.

Sunset Laney was the runner-up and Emmy Stubbendeck finished sixth overall.

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