The South Carolina high school cross country and track and field community lost a coach Tuesday night.
Riverside coach Eric Cummings passed away, Spartanburg County Coroner Rusty Clevenger confirmed via text message on Tuesday night to The Greenville News.
Cummings, a SCTCCCA Hall of Fame member, has been coaching since 1997. In 2017, he was named the national boys cross-country coach of the year by the NFHS Coaches Association after leading Riverside to the Class AAAAA state championship.
Cummings had been placed on administrative leave on Sept. 3 Greenville County School District spokesperson Tim Waller said Tuesday to The News.
"The South Carolina Track and Cross-Country Coaches Association is saddened to hear of the passing of Eric Cummings, SCTCCCA Hall of Famer and current treasurer. "Our condolences go out to the Cummings family and the Riverside High School Cross Country program in this difficult time.
"Both the Cummings family and the Riverside High School community will be in the thoughts and prayers of coaches across the state of South Carolina during this difficult time," the SCTCCCA statement read.
scrunners.com has reached out to the South Carolina High School League for a statement late Tuesday night.
Kevin Melton contributed to this article.
