The 5-foot-11, 134-pound senior won his second LHSAA Class 5A state title this past season, breaking the tape in 15:19.50 over three miles to finish 12.7 seconds ahead of his next-closest competitor and leading the Wolves to the state championship as a team. Coston, who was unbeaten against in-state competition this past fall at three miles, won six of seven meets he entered at that distance in 2016, setting two meet and four course records, including a new state 3-mile record in October (14:25.70). Coston was the top Louisiana finisher (7th overall) at California's prestigious Woodbridge Cross Country Classic, and also ran the state's fastest prep time at 5K (15:03.88) in 2016.
Coston has maintained a 3.71 GPA in the classroom. He remains undecided upon a collegiate destination.
A member of the Lasallian Youth Leaders organization at his school, Coston has volunteered over 110 hours at the New Orleans Veterans Hospital and more than 40 hours at a local physical therapy clinic. He organized a clothing drive for the Restoration House Pregnancy Center and has also donated his time to an area sports performance club, the Louisiana Kidney Foundation, the Louisiana Lupus Foundation and the American Cancer Society. "One of the traits that is so admirable about Eric is his ability to push himself to the max in every race," said Catholic High head coach Pete Boudreaux. "Whether he is leading the pack by a huge margin or is in an extremely competitive race, he's always pushing the pace, pushing himself and challenging himself and his opponents to the fullest. He is a very, very tough guy mentally and physically. He brings his `A' game every time out."
