PENDLETON — When Ben Welch signs an Eastern Oregon athlete to his program, he knows he will get someone with an honest work ethic.

The longtime Eastern Oregon University coach recently added Pendleton’s Jack Reynolds to the fold for cross country and track.

“Those are the ones we like to recruit,” Welch said. “It’s easier to do in a small community. It’s not hard to tell who has the grind mentality. There is an art to that. You don’t always get it right, but it’s a lot of fun when you do get it right. Jack is not afraid to work. That is one of the biggest components in life, and this sport in particular.”

Welch has built a nationally ranked program in La Grande.

The EOU men finished seventh at cross country nationals in the fall, led by sophomore Grady Greenwood of Condon, who turned in a time of 25:08.60 for 31st place and All-American honors.

His incoming freshman class, along with Reynolds, includes 2A state champion Wyatt Jacobson of Knappa, Miguel Fuentes of Hermiston, Diego Zambrano of Santiam Christian and Ethan Beaty of Riverside.

“That freshman class is shaping up to be huge,” Welch said. “It’s really an exciting crew.”

Reynolds, one of the most successful cross-country runners to grace the halls at Pendleton High School, said he was glad to get the college process over so he could concentrate on the upcoming track season.

“After my freshman year of cross country, I thought I wanted to run in college,” Reynolds said. “From there, that is one of the main reasons I push myself. Now that I’ve reached that, I am content. I don’t have to worry about making it to school. I just want to go out and do well.”

Welch said Reynolds’ talent is pretty raw.

“It will be interesting to see how far he can go,” Welch said. “He has a lot of untapped potential, for sure. I’m always a little cautious. I don’t want to set them up for failure. You don’t want them to struggle. I think his best years are ahead of him. Those individuals are capable and not used up.”

In Reynolds, EOU is getting a cross-country runner who has qualified for state four years in a row.

His freshman year, he was 29th (17:55.10), and he moved up to 15th his sophomore year with a time of 17:28.40. He also was 15th as a junior (16:52.90) despite shaving more than 30 seconds from his time the year before.

As a senior, Reynolds placed ninth (16:42), and reached the top10 podium for the first time.

“I was seeded 17th or 18th before state, so I was happy to be there (on the podium),” Reynolds said.

Reynolds ranks second all-time in school history for the fastest time over a 5,000-meter course with a personal best of 16:29.20. Nick Knobel holds the school record of 16:20.50, set in 1981.

“I missed the school record by like 8 seconds,” Reynolds said. “I really wish I would have gotten that. I PRed in September and couldn’t better my time after that.”

Reynolds said he did not pick EOU out of a hat. He also had interest from George Fox and the College of Idaho.

“I got recruited real hard from George Fox, but it really wasn’t my vibe,” Reynolds said. “I was also looking hard at the College of Idaho because one of our former coaches (Ben Bradley) is an assistant coach there. I went on visits to all three and decided on Eastern. I texted Ben (Welch), and he said he had a spot for me. I really like all the guys on the team. I think it will be really good.”

The proximity to home is pretty good, as well.

“I drove over there for an indoor meet and it took me 40 minutes,” said Reynolds, who plans to major in business.

Reynolds doesn’t have a winter sport, but that doesn’t mean he takes time off. In the winter months, he will run 20-30 miles a week and take time for duck hunting.

During the summer, the miles vary between 40 and 50 miles per week, and he’s more consistent because he does not like to run in the cold.

“What will help him here is the group he will have to run with,” Welch said. “Over there, I think he pretty much runs solo. They blossom here because they aren’t doing it on their own. It helps to have people around you.”

At the college level, the races will move 5,000 meters (3.10 miles) to an 8K (4.97 miles).

“I am perfectly fine with that,” Reynold said. “I like the longer stuff.”