Mr. English is the head coach of the Eisenhower Cross Country team. He has been coaching Cross Country and Track & Field since 1978. He spent his fist 7 years coaching at Carroll High School where he coached 3 girl's teams and 1 boy's team to State Cross Country titles. He has been coaching at Eisenhower since 1985 where he has added 5 more State Cross Country titles (4 girl's, 1 boy's) and a girl's State Track & Field title to his record. Mr. English is currently ranked 9th on the Washington State All-Time Coaches list (based on state XC performances) and was named the National High School Girls Coach of the Year in 2001. Mr. English is a science teacher at Eisenhower teaching honors biology and anatomy.
Mr. English started competing in running events in Ireland at the age of 14. In 1971 he was the Irish School's National Steeplechase Champion and in 1974 he was the Irish Men’s Steeplechase Champion. In 1974 he received an athletic scholarship to attend Washington State University where he competed in 4 NCAA cross country seasons from 1973 to 1977.
Mr. Tegen has been coaching track for 32 years; 22 of them at Eisenhower High School. He works with the jumpers and the hurdlers.
Mr. Tegen attended Yakima Valley Community College and Central Washington University. He ran relays and hurdles for four years in college. As a member of the Central Washington University track team he twice earned the title of District Champion. During his senior year he served as captain of the team. He was honored to be a member of the Evergreen Conference Champions in 1973 and 1974.
Mr. Tegen was an assistant coach when the Eisenhower girls won the State Championship in 2000 and was thrilled to share in that experience. His most memorable track and field experience was when he “witnessed Jon Von Reenar of WSU, a world class discus thrower toss the discus inside Martin Stadium and hit a runner 230 or more feet away. The runner survived!” His favorite coaching experiences are working with the young men and women and helping them to achieve their athletic goals.
Mr. Tegen is currently a math teacher at Franklin Middle School. After 34 years of teaching he is looking forward to his retirement.
Mr. Tyler is the Head Throwing Coach. He has 47 years of experience coaching Track and Field at the high school and college levels. Since retiring and moving to Yakima he has coached the last 11 years at Eisenhower.
Mr. Tyler graduated from Central Washington University and received his Master’s degree from Gonzaga University. At CWU he lettered 4 years in football and was named All-Conference Tackle. He was the team captain and was voted “Most Inspirational”. Of his Track and Field experience he says he was a Ballard High shot putter that needed lots of help!
Some personal achievements as a track coach include: While serving as Head Track & Field Coach at Whitworth College he was voted to officiate the N.A.I.A. National meets for 4 years which culminated in him being the Head Official. He was invited several times to bring outstanding high school and collegiate athletes to the Olympic Training Centers in Colorado and California because of their nationally significant performances in the Decathlon, Shot Put, Discuss, Hammer, and Javelin.
Some of the significant competitions he has been involved with include: As the Head Track and Field Coach for Men and Women at Whitworth College he produced 26 NAIA All-Americans from 1981 to 1989. Three of the 26 All-Americans were National Champions and two of them set 3 National records, 2 of them still standing today! His highest ranking team was 10th in the nation. He has coached women’s teams at Eisenhower and Mead to 4A State Championships as well as many individual titles including Jessica Bush's 2010 State Championship in the Discus.
Mr. Tyler loves “working with young personalities to help them find a way to have success and the realization that they feel more worthy because of what they personally have accomplished.” After 47 years of coaching he highlights the following: Doug Larson winning the NAIA Decathlon Championship and setting the record, Allison Beatty (Mead) and Sammie Freeman (Ike) earning two-time State Championships in the Javelin, being chosen by 3 of my Whitworth athletes to induct them into the Whitworth College Hall of Fame.
Mr. Price has been coaching Cross Country and Track & Field since 199?. He spent his first 7 years coaching and teaching at Ellensburg High School where he was the head Track & Field coach for 7 years and head Cross Country coach for 2 years. At Eisenhower he has been an assistant coach for Cross Country and Track & Field since 199?. While coaching at Ellensburg Mr. Price coached Ja’Warren Hooker to a total of 8 State titles, one National 100m title, and state records for Washington in the 100m (10.27) and 200m (21.02) and a #2 All Time 400m in 46.23. In 1997 he coached the Bulldogs to the State 2A Track Team Title. In 1995 he coached the Bulldog women to a third place state trophy with the help of the “Quick Chicks from the Sticks” who won the 400m and 800m Relays. As an assistant coach at Eisenhower, Mr. Price helped coach the Eisenhower girls to the 2000 State Cross Country title and the 2001 1600m Relay State title in track. He spends his days teaching Social Studies at Eisenhower.
Mr. Price graduated from Carroll High School in 1986 where he ran Cross Country and Track & Field for Mr. English and was an All-American in both Cross Country and Track and an 8-time State Champion (3 titles in Cross Country, 3 in the mile, and 2 in the 2 mile). Robert was the first male in Washington State history to win 3 consecutive state Cross Country titles.
After high school Price attended Washington State University where he competed in the Steeplechase. In 1987 he was a member of the United States National Junior Track & Field Team in the Steeplechase. In 1991 he was an All-American in the Steeplechase for Washington State University. In 1992 Price qualified for the Olympic Trials in the Steeplechase. His Personal Bests include an 8:38.10 3000m Steeplechase, 4:02.5 mile, and 14:56 for the Sunfair course in 1984.
Rick Alderson has been coaching the pole vault team for 7 years. He attended Washington State University. Rick’s personal experience in Track and Field include: Varsity team 4 years at Eisenhower High School, the freshman record in the pole vault in 1991, the sophomore record in the pole vault in 1992, a record which still stands today. He was a member of the record holding 4x100m Relay team at Wenatchee Relays.
When asked to relate his most memorable track and field experiences (good, bad, funny), he says”: The good: Pole Vaulting, it’s the event few are able to do, but the one everyone wishes they could do. The bad: Stalling out and falling from 12’6” into the metal plant box at Pasco. The funny: Stalling out and falling from 12’6” into the metal plant box at Pasco.
Some of his memorable coaching experiences were coaching Doria Holbrook from a 10’6” to a 12’6” pole vaulter, who placed 3rd that year at the State Meet. He coached Davis’ second girl pole vaulter to a height of 9’6” in her first year, breaking the school record and finishing in the top 8 at the Regional Meet.
His favorite coaching experiences come from teaching an athlete an event and not just coaching them through it. “If I do my job correctly, I should become obsolete when finished, all the while, the athlete will continue to grow and understand the event on their own”.
Mr. Alderson also has extensive experience in swimming as an athlete as well as a coach. As an athlete: 3-time District Champion, 50 Free & 100 fly, 1st Team All-Conference 50 Free 1992, 100Fly 1993 & 1994, State Competitor 1992-1994, member of school record 299 Free relay team. As a coach: District and League Championship teams boys/girls, voted 4-Time Big 9 coach of the Year for swim and dive, coached 2 Automatic All-Americans and 5 All-American Consideration Athletes.
Mr. Alderson is a 6th grade teacher of Special Education at Lewis and Clark Middle School as well as the Head Swim and Dive coach and an assistant Track & Field coach for Eisenhower.
Mr. Steinhilb coached distance runners for 27 years in the Yakima School District; 17 years at Eisenhower and 10 years at Lewis & Clark Middle School. Mr. Steinhilb retired from coaching at the end of the 2005-2006 school year. We miss him dearly and thank him for his 17 great years at Eisenhower.
Mr. Steinhilb helped guide the Eisenhower girl’s team to win the Washinton State Cross Country title in 1994, 1999 and 2000. He was an assistant coach in 2000 when the girl’s team won the Washington State Track and Field Championship. Mr. Steinhilb considers his most significant achievements as a coach to be “helping kids to be successful”. Mr. Steinhilb taught school for 32+ years, continuing to work as a substitute teacher after retirement.
It was with great sadness that we announced the passing of Mrs. Annette Menzia in 2010. Mr. and Mrs. Menzia retired from coaching at the end of the 2008 Track & Field season and were favorites of all the kids who turned out for Cross Country and Track & Field at Eisenhower. The Menzia's had over 90 years of coaching experience between them and
received two Summer Track Coaching awards from the Yakima Quarterback club. They were instrumental in coaching the girls to a Washington State XC Championship in 1994, 1999 and 2000; and in coaching the girl’s Track and Field team to the State Championship in 2000.
Following is Mrs. Menzia's Obituary from the Yakima Herald-Republic:
YAKIMA - Annette Menzia, 73, passed away unexpectedly at home February 12th, 2010. She was born January 17th, 1937 to Manford and Maxine Nelson in Indianapolis, Indiana. They moved to California where they lived for a time, before moving up to Zillah, WA, where they remained for the rest of her childhood. She studied music, and was trained to sing, as well as play the piano and trumpet.
While she was in college she met the man of her dreams, Ray Menzia, on a blind date. Less than a year later, they eloped and began their journey of love together.
Ray taught school and coached while Annette became a homemaker and mother. She returned to finish college in the 1980's with a degree in education. She spent many years working as a substitute teacher in the West Valley school system, as well as coaching alongside her husband in track and field and cross country.
Ray and Annette impacted the lives of many young people in their years of coaching at West Valley Junior High, Eisenhower High School, and Carroll High School. They founded the West Yakima Ramblers track club, and ran it for over a decade.
She will best be remembered by her family and friends as a loving, caring, and giving person who had a quick wit and an extraordinary relationship with her best friend and partner of 49 years.
She is survived in death by her husband, Ray Menzia of Yakima, sister Gloria Draggoo of Vancouver, WA., daughter Cathy Curry of Helena, Montana, son Todd Menzia of Yakima, daughter Meaghan Phelps of Yakima, son Conrad Menzia of Tulsa, Oklahoma, 6 grandchildren, 3 great grandchildren, and two nieces.
Annette is preceded in death by her parents, Manford and Maxine Nelson.