Vol. 3 No. 80 George Dales Western Michigan University

Paul O'Shea sent the following article from  Cross Country Journal  telling something about Coach George Dales of Western Michigan University.   Coach Dales , now in his 90's was the youngest Chief Petty Officer in the Navy in WWII.  In the links below you will find out more about the NCAA Champion Cross Country Teams he coached in 1964-65.    Men's track and field is gone from WMU, but Coach Dales is still going  strong.  One of the following links is from the website of Bring Back Track that tried so hard to give new life to the program, but finally had to throw in the towel.  The Broncos under coach Dales never threw in any towels when they were a team.  The second link below talks about the university hall of fame induction of their national champion Cross Country team.   Thanks Paul O'Shea and Thomas Coyne for sending this article about Coach Dales. 

 

Coach George Dales member of US Track and Field Coaches Hall of Fame

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.bringbacktrack.com/history/Mach-Westerns_Heyday.asp

 

Dale Story(Oregon St.) John Bork (WMU)  Jerry McFadden (Missouri)
at the Drake Relays 4x 1 mile in which WMU set the American
Record and Bork was outstanding performer.   See story in link above.
Photo was contributed by Jerry McFadden

http://www.mlive.com/broncos/index.ssf/2009/09/1964_65_cross_country_teams_ge.html#comments

From: Bill Schnier University of Cincinnati

I have come to know George quite well over the years and everything you said about him was true.

   I am passing on a  story I once heard about George Dales and Don Canham when George was at WMU and Don was at the University of Michigan.  The U of M went to Kalamazoo once for a T&F dual meet.  The Broncos won and Coach Canham demanded that his athletes get on the bus at once, even if it meant leaving their equipment on the field.  Those two went on the establish the NCAA Indoor Championships in Detroit, a well-attended meet of great excitement, much more than today's version.  George is truly one of the giants in T&F and XC and I consider the award given in his honor to be the finest award at the USTFCCCA Convention.