Ben Welch enters his 28th year at the helm of the men's and women's cross country teams and 17th as head coach of track & field team in 2018-19. He took over EOU’s prestigious cross country program in 1991 before being named commander in chief of the track & field team during the 2002-03 campaign.
During Welch’s tenure, the Mountaineers have come to be known for their dominance in cross country. His men's teams have gone to the NAIA National Championships 23 out of the last 28 years, where they have finished in the top-20 19 times and the top 10 on 10 occasions, including a second-place finish in 2002 and a fourth-place finish in 2014. The top-10 finishes include: fourth in 2014, sixth in 1993 and 2000, seventh in 2004 and 2017, eighth in 1994, and tenth in 2001 and 2003. The women have made the trip to nationals as a team nine times. In those trips, they have finished in the top 10 on four occasions. The women finished third in 1999, sixth in 1997, seventh in 2002, and ninth in 1998.
Welch’s cross country success extends beyond the national level, as the Mountaineers have been one the top teams in the Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC). The men have won 12 team titles and finished second on another eight occasions. The women have won seven titles and finished in the runner-up spot another six times.
Because of his team’s successes, Welch has picked up 12 men’s CCC Coach of the Year honors. On the women's side, he has added eight CCC Coach of the Year awards. In addition, Welch has mustered NAIA District II Coach of the Year plaudits twice for the men and five NAIA Regional Coach of the Year honors. In 1997, Welch received the prestigious honor of being named the NAIA Women’s Coach of the Year.
Welch has produced 30 NAIA cross country All-Americans during his time at EOU. Seven times EOU runners have finished in the top 10 at nationals, including Karlee Coffey second in 2011 and third in 2012, Damion Flores second in 2014 and sixth in 2010, Eric Griffiths sixth in 2004, Alex McGladrey eighth in 2004, and Abby Peters eighth in 1999.
His success has also carried over to the track both as head coach and with his distance runners. On the track, EOU distance runners have collected 42 individual CCC titles and eight NAIA national championships, including titles from Tim Riley (10K), and Karlee Coffey (3000, 5K, 10K), Hans Roelle (5K, 10K twice), DJ Flores (5K), and Isaac Updike (3000 steeplechase). Welch has had 42 of his middle distance and distance runners earn all-American honors in indoor and outdoor track.
