Warsaw Star Coon Tabs Tulsa
WARSAW – The strides and steps of Warsaw Community High School’s Ellis Coon have left an imprint on the courses as well as the program’s record books.
The standout speedy senior signed a letter of intent Thursday to continue his athletic career at Tulsa University in the Fall of 2014 where he will run cross country and track for the Golden Hurricane.
Shortly after finishing first place in the 3200 meters in the 2013 State Indoor Finals, an injury forced Coon to miss his spring track season. But as quickly as he rose in the racing ranks, Coon stormed back to full speed, becoming the first Warsaw men’s cross country runner to capture a Semi State medalist honor this past fall, and the senior followed that up a week later with a third-place finish at the IHSAA Cross Country finals in Terre Haute. The top Indiana finisher and overall runner-up at the Mideast Meet of Champions, Coon holds the mark for the fastest cross country time in school history for a sophomore (16:26), a junior (15:38), and a senior (15:21) cross country runner.
Coon’s gritty efforts have put Warsaw’s cross country and track programs among the state’s best the past several seasons. As a sophomore, Coon turned in an impressive ninth place finish in the 1,600 meters at the IHSAA state track finals in Bloomington, and he followed that with an eighth place finish as a junior at the IHSAA Cross Country finals, helping the Tigers’ cross country squad to a fourth place finish (the best team finish in the program’s history).
Coon’s accomplishments have earned him first team All-State in track & field (2012) and twice an All-State selection in cross country (2012 and 2013), and his performance in the classroom has earned him recognition as a four-time Academic All-State selection. Accepted into the Collins School of Business at Tulsa, Coon has compiled a tremendously strong 12.38 GPA (on a 12-point scale) while enrolled in advanced placement and honors courses throughout his educational career at WCHS.
The son of Michael and Christine Coon, Ellis is the third in his family to stand out for Tiger Athletics, as he is following sister Olivia (who competed in soccer at WCHS) and Corinne (competing in volleyball and track at WCHS and volleyball at Greenville College).
Coon will run for the Golden Hurricane Cross Country and Track programs, both coached by Steven Gulley. Tulsa finished seventh in the NCAA Cross Country Championships in in 2012 and 27th in 2013.