MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – More than 2,650 miles separates University High School from the city of Eugene, Oregon.
No amount of distance, though, could keep University’s Josh Edwards from one of the best running schools in the nation.
Edwards, a three-time West Virginia Gatorade Player of the Year, announced his commitment to the Ducks via Twitter on Monday.
“I’m super pumped. I mean, yeah, it’s a little nervous, but it’s a good nervous,” Edwards said in a phone interview with 12 Sports on Tuesday. “I’m not a person that expresses a lot of emotion, my parents will tell you that. But I was really happy to hear from them. (It was great) to go to Oregon, you know, which is the most famous running school, but beyond that, go to where I want to go and have a great time doing it”
The University High standout is the state’s two-time Gatorade Boys Cross Country Player of the Year, and also earned the award for boys track & field his junior season.
A senior, Edwards is without a doubt the top runner in the state, and will hope to lead the Hawks to another cross country state title this fall.
“They kind of brought me to be the caliber of athlete that I am. Beyond that, Ed (Frohnapfel) teaches a lot of the guys on the team in independence,” said Edwards when asked about how his time at UHS has prepared him to run with the Ducks. “We all rely on each other, and rely on ourselves. Ed’s not one to hold our hands and do it, which I think helps us all out because it prepares us, especially in my case because I’m moving all the way across the country, so being independent is something that you have to be.”
The University of Oregon is home to one of the top track & field, and cross country, programs in the country. The Ducks have captured numerous national titles in both sports.
Eugene has earned the nickname “Track Town”.
Click on the video below to hear more comments from Edwards from my conversation with him on Tuesday.