Dulaney senior Eric Walz, one of the top distance runners in the state of Maryland having four state titles over the past year in 4A, made his college decision known this week.
After deciding between NC State and Syracuse much of the year, the 9:21 two miler has announced that he will be joining the Wolfpack next fall down in Raleigh, North Carolina. MileSplit Maryland caught up with Walz on his break following his indoor campaign which included two state titles to discuss his college decision.
Interview with Dulaney's Eric Walz
What ultimately made you decide on NC State over the other schools that looked at?
NC State has a great and storied program, and is coached by one of the greatest ever, Rollie Geiger. The school offers a lot of support athletically as well as academically, which will help me a lot with the initial transition into college life and training. It's also hard to beat Raleigh. It is a vibrant place and has a lot of nice locations to run and train, which is definitely something I'm looking forward to.
I know had stated in fall that NC State was an early front runner for you. Did that ever change and did other schools make you consider them before over time?
NC State was always near the top of my list, but I was also heavily considering Syracuse. Syracuse was great and has a great program as well, and is coached by two greats, Coach Bell and Coach Fox. I had to choose between two great programs, which is a good problem to have, but at the end of the day, there is more to a college selection than just the running aspect.
How many visits or trips did you make to NC State?
I took an unofficial visit junior year, and an official visit the first weekend of March.
What stood out or did you enjoy the most when you visited NC State?
A lot of things impressed me on my visit. Raleigh is a great place, and the facilities at NC State are top notch, which is a plus. The biggest thing that stood out to me about the school was the team. They were great guys, and I knew these were people I would want to spend the next 4-5 years of my life training with. They were like a family, and I think that is super important in having a great cross country team, and it was something I wanted to be a part of.
What did you like most about the coaches and program?
The coaches are great. Geiger is a legend and Coach Seaton was great to me on the visit. I think they really believe in me and when I told them my college goals and aspirations, they didn't laugh, but seemed certain they could get me there. Another huge thing is the similarities to Boyle. Both programs are built on similar training philosophies, which will definitely help with the transition.and they both have also created a similar culture. NC State is a team first and tight knit environment, which is similar to what I've experienced during my time at Dulaney under Boyle.
What help or input did Coach Boyle provide you in the recruiting process?
Boyle wasn't deeply involved in the actual decision process, but he really helped me get started. He put in some good words for me and helped me plan what I was going to say and how I was going to say it when I was trying to get my foot in the door during the early stages of recruiting. I owe a lot to him.
Having such a great team experience in high school at Dulaney, was that very important to find a college squad in good chemistry as well?
Extremely important, and like I mentioned earlier, I found that at NC State. Cross country is very much a team sport, and you need to be around a group of guys willing to do what it takes to get better t thrive in the sport. Running is relentless, and having a group of guys who will support me through the ups and downs of training was crucial to me, and I know I will have that at NC State.
What events do you imagine that you focus more on in your college career at NC State?
I can't say for sure, but I imagine I'll end up being a 5k 10k guy, maybe run the 1500 as well, depending on where training takes me. I think Boyle has trained me to succeed in most distances but only time can tell what I'll be running.
An impressive state meet doubling with two wins in the 1600 and 3200 holding off Rohann Asfaw in both races with a strong kick. How pleased were with those races and how you were able to finish?
I was very pleased. The times weren't blazing but I was proud with how I raced them. State titles are never given, so anytime I can come away with one is humbling and exciting. Rohann is a stud, and will do great things, so overall I was happy with the day.
No indoor nationals this weekend, so whats the plan right now? What kind of training are you doing for outdoor?
We took some time off and now we are training for outdoor. We jumped into it with a pretty tough week, but nothing we can't handle, and will be ready to run fast throughout the season and be prepped for championship racing.
Now a 4-time Maryland state champion, what are your remaining high school goals that you would like to accomplish?
To me, winning never gets old, and is never given. I want to keep winning races, and come away with some more state titles. It is a brand new season so nothing is guaranteed, especially in this sport. I also want to run pretty fast. Last year, I had a decent outdoor season but thought I was capable of running a lot faster, and I would like to prove that. I have some tough marks in my mind I would like to hit by the end of the season, and I think under Boyle I can get there. We'll see, but I am hoping to have a solid season with the team and get some quality team victories in as well.
