IE VARSITY BOYS ATHLETE OF THE YEAR, 2024-25
Name: Eyan Turk
School: Woodcrest Christian
Year: Senior
Sports: Cross Country, Track and Field
Notable highlights: The final chapters of Eyan Turk’s storied career at Woodcrest Christian were riveting.
Turk, a recent graduate who is headed to the University of Kentucky, defended his CIF State Division V individual cross country championship during the fall season. Turk then joined a select fraternity of Inland distance runners during the spring season, as he claimed the 3,200-meter title at this year’s CIF State Track and Field Championship and set a Riverside County record in the process.
For those reasons, Turk has been selected the IE Varsity Boys Athlete of the Year for the 2024-25 campaign.
Expand
Woodcrest Christian has a storied history when it comes to distance running, and Turk now stands in a category by himself.
Turk started his final cross country postseason by winning a third consecutive CIF Southern Section Division 5 title. And the following week at the state meet, Turk again conquered the famed course at Woodward Park in Fresno, winning his second state crown in a time of 14 minutes and 32.5 seconds, a Division V meet record and the seventh-fastest time in meet history.
For his efforts in the final, Turk was chosen the IE Varsity Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year for a third straight season.
In the spring, Turk continued to impress. He won the Southern Section Division 5 title in the 3,200 meters for a second time. He then delivered the most memorable race of his career at the CIF State Championships. Turk captured the state title in a personal-best and Riverside County record time of 8 minutes and 51.62 seconds. He joined Big Bear’s Ryan Hall and Caleb Webb as the only Inland distance runners to claim state titles in cross county and the 3,200 meters in the same school year.
“That’s not something I would have imagined possible when I came to Woodcrest Christian,” Turk said about winning state titles in cross country and track and field in the same school year. “That changed a little this year after I ran the fastest time at the state (cross country) meet. That sparked something inside of me and gave me the confidence I needed to keep pushing.”
Turk’s final race for Woodcrest Christian was masterful from start to finish but will be remembered primarily because of how he finished. Turk ran the second 1,600 meters in 4:17.12, the final 800 meters in 2:02.25 and the final 400 meters in 59.92.
“I could tell early in the race that it was going to come going to that last lap,” Turk said. “My body was hurting, but I just kept telling myself to keep going strong no matter how much it hurt. In a race like that, it really comes down to who wants it more.”
Turk always takes time to express how his faith has guided him and contributed to his successes.
“My Heavenly Father has been with me through all the good times and the bad times and everything in between,” Turk said.
Turk is excited to see what the future holds for him at Kentucky.
“I hope to have a strong first season,” he said. “I’m not sure about times yet because I haven’t really run many 8Ks or 10Ks. As far as track goes, I want to see what I can do in the 5K. I want to see how that first race goes and shave time from there.”
