V 5 N. 117 Adolph Plummer RIP 440 World Record University of New Mexico

We received word tonight that former 440 World Record holder Adolph Plummer has passed away.
Pete Brown, Mr. Plummer's friend and former teammate has written about Adolph in the past, and we feel it is Pete who is best equipped to memorialize Adolph Plummer on our pages.  We celebrate this great man.    George and Roy



From Our Friend Pete Brown

I shared the pride of being Adolph's teammate from the time I first met him
rooming across the hall in Coronado Dorm in the fall of 1959, the night of
the great WR on May 25, 1963 and throughout his life. A statue to Adolph
seems like a splendid idea and Julia and I will contribute with pride. We
send deepest sympathies to Adolph's loving wife Carolyn and all family
members.

I am enclosing a recap of Adolph's track career I wrote a couple of years
ago for a track blog. The times are astounding even today, and we are
talking cinder and dirt tracks. Please note that Ed Lloyd was in the WR race
with Adolph that night, giving him an extra appreciation of how fast it was.
My two page report goes back to Adolph's upbringing in Brooklyn, his
introduction to the sport of track while serving in the Air Force and some
astounding achievements in track you may not be fully aware of. We truly
sorry to lose this wonderful teammate, educator and friend.

A special thanks to John Cordova for his steadfast friendship with Adolph
and Carolyn.

Pete Brown, class of 1963

That World Record

University of New Mexico Track Reunion
Adolph Plummer front row kneeling in White Sweat shirt
Pete Brown kneeling in front row left side
Wayne Vandenberg just over Pete's left shoulder

A LOOK BACK: FIFTY YEARS AFTER ADOLPH PLUMMER’S AMAZING WORLD RECORD OF May 25, 1963 by Pete Brown

The Western Athletic Conference, formed in 1962, featured a number of very good track teams, among them University of New Mexico and Arizona State U. The first ever WAC outdoor track championships were held at Tempe, AZ, on Goodwin Stadium’s black cinder track on May 24-25, 1963. The finals were held on a warm and windless evening, perfect for the long sprints, with the stands packed and all eyes on the start of the 440 yard dash featuring an Olympic style long straightaway. The sterling field had stars Ulis Williams of ASU in lane three and Adolph Plummer of New Mexico in lane four. Based on past meetings and PRs, Williams went to the line that evening a slight favorite. When the crowd finally hushed and the gun went off, Plummer took the lead, passing the 220 in a quick 21.7 with Williams close behind in second.

As a teammate and close friend of Plummer, I took a special interest in this race. I attended my first big meet in the LA Coliseum at age 11  in 1950 and had been an avid track fan ever since. Along with a host of my teammates, the excitement of this particular 440 race proved to be the highlight of our careers. It most certainly proved to be that for Plummer, who at age 25 was ready for a never-to-be forgotten race.  

Born January 3, 1938, in Brooklyn , NY , Adolph did not involve himself in any organized sports as a youngster. He joined the USAF three days after graduation from Manuel Training HS in his hometown. While stationed in Tripoli , Libya , in 1957, Adolph would run to work every morning with a friend who was the North African AF sprint champ. When they broke into an occasional sprint, the friend could not keep up, and urged him to come out for the track team with promises of visiting Greece , a place young Adolph had always dreamed of seeing, as a reward for merely running some 100 yard dashes. It beat hell of out of normal AF duty for a lowly enlisted man.

By the spring of 1959, Plummer had progressed to the Air Force championships in Denver and soon after posted a 21.0 220 in a heat in the AAU meet in Boulder , his PR at the time. Several colleges showed serious interest and Adolph, along with half-miler Jim Dupree, chose UNM in Albuquerque . I met them while rooming right across the hall in Coronado dorm. Seemingly carefree, Adolph quickly established a reputation as team comedian. Workouts were, for the most part, a place where a captive audience was bombarded by an endless stream of his New York style quips and jokes. However, by the close of his sophomore year of 1962, he had managed to establish himself as a force to be reckoned with by winning the NCAA 440 in Philadelphia in 46.2 and getting third in the AAU in hometown New York in 46.8 behind high school standout Ulis Williams’ 46.3. Williams would become Plummer’s chief rival within two years. 

His junior year of 1962 featured great duels with Earl Young of Abilene Christian. Adolph started showing world class speed that season, although it took him at least 60-70 yards to get rolling. At Abilene Christian on April 14th he ran a wind-aided 20.0 and four days later beat the great Henry Carr in Tempe in 20.3. On May 11^th in Albuquerque , in front of what most onlookers estimated to be a crowd of at least 12,000, Adolph defeated Young, both running 46.6, but lost the 220 by a step to Dennis Richardson in 21.0. His most memorable performance of the season was at the Skyline Conference meet in Denver on May 26^th where he won the 440 in 46.2 and anchored the mile relay to second place, making up 35-40 yards in a split of 44.4. Coach Hugh Hackett had a reputation of being very precise with the stopwatch and was miffed when T&F News chose not to print that mark---unable to get their heads around a carry that fast. Adolph went on to get 5^th in the AAU meet in Walnut on June 23rd in 46.4, won by the then unbeatable Ulis Williams in 45.8.

Plummer’s senior year arrived in 1963. Married with a young daughter, he showed a more serious attitude about his studies, but still wisecracked through the few workouts he chose to attend. Coach Hackett found a way to get him in shape however, running Adolph as anchor in the 440 relay (a new event for dual meets in 1963), the open 440 and 220 and anchoring the mile relay, week after week. UNM pointed only to dual and occasional triangular meets and participated in none of the big relay carnivals at Penn, Drake and Mt. Sac . Winning a big dual meet in early April was fully as important to Hugh Hackett as any national meet in June.  

Plummer ran both relays and posted 46.2 and 20.7 marks in Abilene on April 20, 1963. In Albuquerque on May 10^th, again against Abilene Christian (rival Earl Young had graduated), Adolph ran the same four event slate with 46.7, 20.3 marks and a 46.3 mile relay anchor. A week later, in the Coliseum Relays he ran a 44.7 mile relay split. Those of us close to the scene were sure something very big was about to happen. Constant speculation of what Adolph was ultimately capable of occupied the thoughts of teammates, fans, friends and more than a few opponents.

Going back to where this account started, the final 220 yards of the climactic showdown in Tempe on May 25^th, it was obvious that being in lane 4 and on the outside of Ulis Williams that night was all important for Adolph who knew it was now-or-never to run his race. And run he did. By the 300 mark Williams was unable to maintain the blistering pace. Plummer literally ran away from him, maintaining perfect relaxation and leg speed in winning by a full eight yards. Coach Hackett came running out of the stands on the backstretch, watch in hand, yelling “44.9; 44.9”. The fans, many of whom had stopwatches as well, knew that history had just been made. A long period of time ensued, punctuated by endless hugs for Plummer and celebration in the stands, before the results were finally announced with high drama: “In 4^th place Tobler, BYU, 46.5; 3^rdplace Freeman, ASU 46.2, second place surpassing the current world record, Williams, ASU 45.6 and first place, with a new world record of 44.9, Adolph Plummer, University of New Mexico.” Eight tenths had been shaved from the 440 record of Glen Davis, and Plummer had run the equivalent of 44.6 400 meters, three tenths under that existing record.

Fifty years have passed and many of us wonder what kind of time Adolph would have been able to achieve given a rigorous training regimen, use of resistance training for added strength, state-of-the-art nutrition, modern shoes and most important, today’s synthetic running surfaces. From this writer’s point-of-view, he would have been able to compete with anyone who has ever run the event, world record holder Michael Johnson included. We’ll never know, but speculating is always fun.

Thank you, Pete 

V 5 N. 116 Earl Young's Project Seeking Bone Marrow Donors

Bone Marrow Donor Project

Earl Young's Team

Earl Young who most of you remember as an Olympic gold medallist (4x400 Rome) and quarter miler extraordinaire is a survivor of cancer thanks to a bone marrow donor.
He is now part of the above project to register 10,000 potential bone marrow donors.

Consider this opportunity as a gift that is more valuable than anything you can buy in a store or online this Christmas season.

Thank you,

George and Roy

V 5 N. 115 Women Officially Get into Road Racing 1961

Gary Corbitt just sent us this piece on a couple of Thanksgiving day races.   FYI.   Note first distance race that women officially ran in the US in 1961.   I'm sure that England was way ahead of the US in this as I've seen some film of women's cross country there in the 1920s.    Oldest Thanksgiving race west of the Alleghenies is the race from Newport, KY to Cincinnati, OH.  I'll be running a solo on this non-Thanksgiving Day in Canada.   All the best to all of you on this occasion.
George Brose

Manchester, New Hampshire, 1961
Diane Lachausse and Julia Chase receive discouraging words from
Race Director  Pete Wigern.  Their expressions say it all.

Thanksgiving Day Running History

The Berwick Marathon – Run For The Diamonds – Berwick, PA

9 Miles( including a hill climb from 2 to 3.5 miles)

The Race Started in 1908

11-22-56 Browning Ross wins his 10^th Berwick Marathon this streak includes an incredible 7 in a row. This his last win was over Rudy Mendez-NYPC in an epic battle with a time of 46:39.

11-23-45 John A. Kelley wins his 4^th straight Berwick Marathon in 49:16 ahead of Forrest Efaw.

11-27-41 Lou Gregory-Millrose AA won his third Berwick Marathon in 48:25 in defeating John A. Kelley.  There were 22 starters.

11-28-29 The only African American to ever win at the Berwick Marathon was Gus Moore running 49:42 in beating Penn State’s Dick Detwiler in adverse weather conditions.  There were 31 starters.

11-28-40 Ellison “Tarzan” Brown the Narragansett Indian wins Berwick Marathon in 50:35 in beating Les Pawson in snowy conditions.

11-28-46 Harris Browning Ross a 22 year old Villanova Freshman wins Berwick Marathon in a record time 48:35 in beating Canadian Walt Fedorick.

11-30-22 Ville Ritola – Finland wins his second straight Berwick Marathon in record setting time 47:56 in beating African American R. Earl Johnson who was just 3 seconds off the old course record.  There were 8 starters.

Thanksgiving Day Running History

Manchester Road Race – Manchester, CT

4.7 Miles

The race started in 1927

11-22-45 Charlie Robbins wins at Manchester as the race returns after a hiatus since 1934. There were 8 starters and Robbins winning time of 26:19 is a performance he nearly duplicated 25 years later.

11-22-62 John J. Kelley-BAA records his 6^th win at the Manchester Road Race in 24:30 and beat Len Ehler and Larry Damon.

11-23-61 Julia Chase, Chris McKenzie, and Diane Lechausse make running history as the first women to compete in a road race in the United States.  This seminal event happened at the annual  Manchester Road Race on Thanksgiving.

Julia Chase at the finish

That 1961 Manchester Race Story

11-24-32 Joe McCluskey wins his 3^rd consecutive Manchester Road Race on Thanksgiving Day.  

11-24-77 Amby Burfoot wins his 9^th Manchester Road Race and his 7^th consecutive win.

11-25-48 Ted Vogel wins at Manchester and just misses Joe McCluskey’s record with a time of 25:03 in beating Fred Schoeffler of Tufts.

11-27-47 Joe McCluskey returned to the winners circle after 15 years since winning in record time 25:02 over Bob Knowles.

There's even a book on the Berwick Race

Follow more running history at the following:

www.tedcorbitt.com

“Like” Ted Corbitt – Pioneer on Facebook

 @corbittg on Twitter

V 5 N. 115 Run to Remember Barry Brown

For those of you living in the Gainesville, FL area, this announcement is to remind anyone
of the annual run to remember Barry Brown, one of the greats of American road racing back
in the 1970s.  Barry and his son were also one of the few father and son combos to both run
a sub 4 minute mile.

Hi,
Hope you can join us for the annual Barry Run/Brunch, Sat., Dec. 12.
9 am - Westside Park parking lot, 8th Ave & 34th St. - Run/jog,bike 5k-7mi morning loop.
11am - Brunch at Norm & Wendy's, 2127 NW 28 St., ph. 352.372.1800
Last year there were 25 for brunch. Lets top that this year.
thanks,
Bruce Kritzler 912-399-7599

George,
Yes it is for Barry Brown, and feel free to mention it.
Started out as a few guys meeting to run the 7mi morning loop, from Barry's house, in his
 memory.
One year Marty Liquori took everyone to breakfast. Then Norm Hommen and Wendy Frazier
decided to have everyone come to their house.
The run gets smaller (participants and distance) each year, but the brunch is growing.
Started in 1992, I've made about 50% of them, because of moving to Louisiana, and work 

obligations.

Bruce

V5 N. 114 Of Course You Remember the Last Time Syracuse Won the Nationals

1951 Syracuse Wins NCAA Cross Country Championship

The Syracuse University Magazine had the premenition to publish this article last summer.

V 5 N. 113 Remembering Steve Machooka, First Kenyan Running in US

From Gary Corbitt's Site Today, Gary notes the achievements of Steve Machooka who ran for Cornell back in 1961.  He may well be the first Kenyan to run for a university in the US.  Steve won the IC4 Cross Country meet in 1961.

On this date in Running History:

Stephen Machooka – The First Great Kenyan U.S. College Champion

11-21-61 Steven Machooka-Cornell running in 1-2 inches of snow, slush, and mud wins the 53^rd annual

IC4A Cross-Country title over Gerry Norman-Penn State in 26:02.9 at Van Cortlandt Park.

Stephen Machooka Career Highlights:

In fall 1960 he became the first Kenyan distance runner to compete in the United States.

He won the Heptagonal Freshman cross country race in 1960 by a wide margin competing against eight Ivy League schools plus Army and Navy.

As a freshman he set the one mile record for Cornell of 4:10.8 in 1961.

In his sophomore year he won six straight cross-country races and became the first black athlete to earn first team All-Ivy league status in cross country.

Machooka gave up competitive running before his senior year to concentrate on his studies and graduated in 1964.

He returned to Kenyan and began a life of service to grow and promote the development of Africa.

Gary,

I remember reading about Steve in Track and Field News in the early 60s.  He was from Machakos Kenya, not the traditional home of great Kenyan distance runners.  He was probably from the Kamba tribe, but he could also have been a Kisii as indicated on the trading card above.     That may be why that name has never been heard since in Kenyan running circles.  When I was in the Peace Corps in Kenya in 1966 and travelling through that area, I always thought I might see him running down the roads but the last sentence of your posting explains why I dd not.  

Going through old College Division XC results this week I noticed the name Mike Urio.   He was a 1:58 half miler from Tanzania who ran for Valparaiso U. at that time. Nowhere near as good as Machooka.   I met him in Tanzania working in the cooperatives on Mt. Kilimanjaro in those days.  He was 50th in the NCAA College Division cross country championships in 1963, but could still be the first Tanzanian running in the US.  

George Brose

Cornell Cross Country Newsletter from 1960  Interesting Newsletter with some stories of the Freshman from Kenya.

More about Steve can be found at this link to  HEPSTRAK.com
Steve Machooka

Thanks for this feedback.

Below is a bit more on Machooka.

He had an a life full of impact. Gary Corbitt

Stephen Machooka by Brett Hoover
He didn't follow the Kenyan running revolution, Stephen Machooka led it. The former League champion and Cornell standout also returned to Africa after graduating to share wisdom and improve conditions.

When Kip Keino -- a policeman back in his native Kenya -- defeated Jim Ryun in the 1,500-meter run at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, it spawned a revolution which is in evidence at every Olympics, World Championship or major marathon.

But Stephen Misati Machooka didn't follow that revolution, he led it. The distance runners in the Ivy League had watched a graceful and effortless Kenyan runner -- typically from far behind -- long before Keino's uprise.

Born in rural Kenya in 1936, Machooka was accepted to a government-sponsored secondary school in Kisii -- about 25 miles from his home village -- where his coach was Nyandika Maiyoro, who had taken seventh in the 5,000-meter run at the 1956 Olympics. Under Maiyoro's watch, Machooka had run a 4:15.6 mile in 1959. He passed the Kenyan equivalency of the SAT, the Cambridge School Certificate Examination, and with the help of a graduate assistant at Cornell, Nicholas C. Otieno, wound up in Ithaca to study in the school's agricultural program.

And so in the fall of 1960, Machooka became the first Kenyan distance runner to take on the United States. And he did so in dramatic style, winning the Heptagonal freshman cross country race -- which included the eight Ivy schools as well as Army and Navy -- by a wide margin.

Machooka continued to cause a stir in the spring of his freshman year by wiping out the 1914 Cornell mile record set by the legendary John Paul Jones. Machooka's 4:10.8 on a rain-drenched track to beat Jones' longstanding mark by nearly four seconds, was close to the Kenyan record. The first known Kenyan mile mark would not be recorded until 1962, when Keino ran 4:07.0 at the Commonwealth Games.

Machooka was even better the following fall as he won six straight races -- including setting a Franklin Park record in Boston -- heading into the Heptagonal Championships at Van Cortlandt Park in New York City. The windy, 50-degree weather did not affect Machooka at all, as he led all the way, finishing the hilly course in 25:38.3, about 100 yards ahead of the next runner.

With that performance he became the first black athlete to earn first-team All-Ivy status in cross country as the Big Red claimed a surprising team victory. Asked about his pre-race plan, Machooka replied, "I just run."

That strategy worked again at the IC4A Championships a few weeks later, when Machooka won by about 60 yards in what remain the worst conditions in meet history. Despite the freezing sleet and snow, Machooka won while wearing a blue woolen hat with ear flaps and socks on his hands.

At one point in the race, Vic Zwolak of Villanova made a move and passed Machooka. Afterward the 5-foot-11, 128-pound Machooka said, "I wanted to see how fast Zwolak could run."

Within a few hundred yards, Machooka reeled in the future NCAA Champion and 1964 Olympian, reclaiming the lead. He later said, "It was fun passing him, the whole race was a lot of fun."

When asked about the socks on his hands, he told reporters, "I didn't have any gloves."

Zwolak, who still runs competively, remembers the race quite well. "I was running well my sophomore year," he recalled. "I was one of the favorites in the race, but the ground was a sea of slush and mud. I was a power runner and I didn't run very well in that slush and snow, but my friend described Machooka the best. He said, 'He floated on top of everything.' It was like he had snowshoes. I remember that he was very cordial in victory."

The story of Machooka was now getting a lot of attention, although his modesty would have made him the last person to tell of his exploits. His appearance alone caused heads to turn, but he also possessed rare ability. He appeared on the cover of Track & Field News and was detailed and pictured in several stories in the New York Times.

His coach at Cornell, Lou Montgomery told the Times that he had never seen Machooka breathe hard following a race and called Steve "one of the potentially great distance runners in the world, and a certain prospect to make the Kenya Olympic Team."

But circumstances combined to change those expectations. He needed to work to pay his expenses and, struggling somewhat in his studies, was urged by an academic advisor to spend less time running and more time with his courses. He would still run, but he took several long layoffs, and in 1962 contracted mumps and went several months without running. He returned for the 1963 Outdoor Heps and nearly claimed the title, running a 4:10.5 mile along the way.

The summer brought a final flash of success, as Machooka joined the Penn-Cornell team in England to face Oxford-Cambridge and won both the 880-yard (1:51.1) and mile runs (4:16.6).

More important than his victories, Machooka shattered some age-old myths. "Back in the early 1960s, the great distance runners were the Eastern Europeans, but that was switching to the Australians and the New Zealanders," said Zwolak. "The thought back then was that black people couldn't run distance. But not only was he good, this guy was great."

Machooka gave up competitive running before his senior year, and then graduated on time in 1964. He was married soon after graduation and returned to Kenya, where he grew corn and kept cattle in Kitale.

His son Musa, who now lives in Nairobi, recalls playing soccer with his father, who, though not particularly skilled at the sport, maintained an advantage because of his athleticism. Musa also remembers a father who loved Handel and Mozart, weekend games of chess and spending time with immediate and extended family.

He would also give his country a legacy even more lasting than his running. Stephen became a lecturer of agricultural economics at two Kenyan universities -- Edgerton and Siriba. He became Field Controller in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, a position designed to help local communities develop land utilizing current agricultural methods, a vital change as Kenya emerged into independence. He returned to school in Britain in the early 1970s, earning a masters degree in Production Management Economics at the University of Wales.

"Thereafter he returned to Edgerton until 1981 when he left to work at the Pan African Institute of Development in Zambia as a consultant and senior researcher in rural development," said Musa. "This work saw him provide untiring services in Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Swaziland, Malawi, Lesotho and Botswana."

In 1986, Stephen joined the Lake Basin Development Authority in Kenya, ultimately becoming the non-profit organization's managing director. He retired in 1999 to management consultancy and his passion, farming. He passed away following a heart attack at his farm in Kitale in Western Kenya in 2002.

"Throughout his career, my dad had two stated professional objectives," said Musa. "One, to be of service to mankind and to serve in those areas where his professional competence could be exploited and two, to support, promote the development of Africa. So committed was he to these ideals that he long ago gave up the luxury of city life to work among the people in the rural areas."

"His death affected a lot of people," said his nephew Denis, who became an All-America collegiate runner before becoming a businessman in Iowa. "He helped communities all over the region become water independent, built agricultural farms and donated to schools.

"He helped me train to come (to the United States). He was my role model. I really miss him. He is one person who really helped me become what I am today."

— Brett Hoover

V 5 N. 112 Mal Whitfield RIP

Mal Whitfield,  Ohio State University, USAF , 3 Olympic Gold Medals a Silver and a Bronze  passed away on November 18, 2015 at the age of 91.  Whitfield was a member of the Tuskegee Airmen in World War II,  flew 27 missions as a tailgunner in the Korean War, was an NCAA Champion in the 880 for Ohio State University, and winner of the Sullivan Award for the country's top amateur athlete.   After he retired in 1956 he became a Goodwill ambassador for the State Department for 34 years.  He was also a professor of Physical Education in Nigeria.


Mal Whitfield CNN
This piece was done for CNN by Mal's daughter:



The following piece appeared on the IAAF website today.

TWO-TIME OLYMPIC 800M CHAMPION MAL WHITFIELD DIES AT THE AGE OF 91

• 

The IAAF is very saddened to learn of the death of three-time Olympic champion Mal Whitfield.

He died in Washington, USA, on Wednesday (19) at the age of 91.

At the London 1948 Olympic Games, Whitfield was then a 24-year-old US Air Force sergeant who had served in World War II and became the first US serviceman to win an Olympic gold medal while on active duty.

Whitfield won the 800m in an Olympic record of 1:49.2, anchored the USA 4x400m team to victory and also took a bronze medal in the 400m.

Four years later, at the Helsinki 1952 Olympic Games, Whitfield defended his 800m title and equalled his Olympic record from London, and also won a silver medal in the 4x400m.

Whitfield famously trained for the 1952 Games while serving during the Korean War, where he flew 27 missions. He won 66 of his 69 800m/880 yards races from June of 1948 to the end of 1954.

He set three individual official IAAF world records: two at 880 yards in 1950 and 1953, one at 1000m in 1952; and he was also a part of the USA teams that set official world records at the imperial distances of 4x440 yards and 4x880 yards within the space of six days in London in August 1952.

Whitfield’s other athletics achievements included winning the 400m, 800m and 4x400m gold medals at the 1951 Pan American Games.

Upon his retirement from competitive athletics at the end of 1956, Whitfield toured the world as a Sports Goodwill Ambassador for the US Department of State, coaching extensively across Africa, and later became the head of the Physical Education and Sports Department at the University of Nigeria.

He was elected to the National Track & Field Hall of Fame in 1974 and the US Olympic Hall of Fame in 1988.

The IAAF wishes to pass on its sincere condolences to his family and friends.

United States Olympic Committee and IAAF

V 5 N. 111 NCAA "College Division" Cross Country

If you're tired of reading the doping stories coming up on all the Track and Field websites, then subject number two seems to be this coming Saturday's NCAA Div. I championship.  But what about the little guys?  Looking back on a site created for the NCAA by Kirk Reynolds on history of Division III, you will also find reference to the period 1958 to 1973 when there was a group called the College Division as opposed to the University Division.  This was obviously the Littles vs. the Bigs.  Many great runners and performances came out of that College Division meet that was held annually at Wheaton College west of Chicago.  At first it was a small collection of Midwest colleges that attended the meet, but it began to grow until finally all sports in the NCAA were reclassified into DI, DII, and DIII.   I don't know where they drew the line between those groups, was it size, or athletic scholarship, or was it the prestige of counting yourself amongst schools such as the University of Chicago, Johns Hopkins, Washington University in St. Louis, and Carleton in Minnesota?  In 1973 the college sports gods decided there would be three new designations DI, DII, and DIII, and College Division cross country ended.  Somehow Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois was the designated host of the meet.  Initially most of the participating schools were from the Midwest, but then occasionally a West Coast team like San Diego State or Humboldt State would show up with a couple of studs.  San Diego would win the meet three consecutive years.  Then a New England Team such as Wesleyan with Amby Burfoot and Jeff Galloway came to the meet and flew their colors.  There were no qualifying standards or rules.  If  the coach felt it was worth a trip, you went.  Maybe he was able to save some money during the season, maybe he could convince the A.D. he could put the school on the national map.  Maybe he had a wealthy friend who financed the trip.  It was loosey goosey in those days. Better still he might have had a second job selling steak knives or bibles door to door.  I say 'he' because there were no female coaches or athletes in those yonder days.  You could squeeze a seven man team and a coach in one or two of those big Chevy or Ford station wagons.  You spent the day on the road at 80 mph and 30 cents per gallon gas and rent four  $8.00 motel rooms, then drive back home all day and all night after the meet.  In those days, the College Division race was on a Saturday, and if your guy got in the top five of the race, he could run on Monday over in East Lansing, MI in the University Division race.     The last year it was in East Lansing was 1964, so it may have become more of a logistical challenge to make the two meets.   Arjan Gelling of U. of North Dakota was able to very succssfully pull off the double in 1967 winning the College Race and getting second in the University race.  He also won the USTFF meet that year.    I remember a runner from Wheaton,  Dan Henderson placing in the top ten in the DI race as late as 1978.

Kirk Reynolds, NCAA historian for Division III has put together the national championship cross country results  at

DIII and College Division Cross Country.   (Click on the purple words, guys).

Just browsing through those results, a person of a certain age can spend a nice hour remembering those days,  finding the names of old friends and competitors,  reliving some of those races and seeing how the sport has evolved over the years.  Some of those schools in the College Division are now forces to contend with in DI and DII.  The majority have remained DIII.  Some have changed their names  Kansas State Teachers to Emporia State,  some have disappeared.  Some reached their zenith and then retreated.  Kentucky State and Central State of Ohio two African American majority colleges fit that description.

I'll try to go through each year and see what I can pick out of the results that brings back a memory to me.  Perhaps you will see other stories you would wish to recount.  How many of these guys went on to be movers and shakers in a multitude of fields?  Any Nobel laureates from those U. of Chicago teams or best selling writers?  Cross Country races were our playing fields of Eton.

All these events were at Wheaton, IL until 1975 when the event started moving around the country.
Weather conditions, number of teams, and number of teams and runners with top three are listed.  There were some men who really made their mark on our sport as you will see below.  See some I missed?  Have a good story about one of them?  Let me know.

1958   
Nov. 15,  50 degrees and rain  13 teams  95 runners finishing, 4 miles
1. Northern Illinois 90             1. Paul Whitely  Kans. State (Emporia)   20:45
2. South Dakota St. 93            2. John Gutkneckt Ohio Wesleyan           20:49*
3. Central Michigan 107         3. Ed Vander Heuvel Cent. Michigan      20:53

*in a year to come , Gutkneckt would represent the US in the Russian dual meet at 10,000meters

1959
Nov. 14, 30 degrees, 4" snow on course, 20 mph winds,  11 teams, 90 finishers, 4 miles
1. S. Dakota St.     67                1. Paul Whitely Kans. State (Emporia)         23:01
2. Kans.St Emp.   75                 2. Richard Anderson   Winonoa  WI             23:10
3. Wabash            78                 3. Les Hegedus   Central St. Ohio                 23:40*
4. Central St. OH 87                43. David Wee   St. Olaf   MN                       23:40**
11. MIT              314    MIT had less than stellar day, they were working out the Big Bang theory in the motel last night.
* Les is covered in an earlier posting Les Hegedus story
** David is on our mailing list and a regular reader of this blog

1960
55 degrees, 21 teams, 137 finshers  4 miles
1. Central St. OH     72                       1. Mulholland      Loras College          20;28
2. Mankato St.        109                      2. Shirey               Slippery Rock         20:34
3. S. Dakota St.     111                      3. Ed Winrow       SUNY Buffalo         20:35
                                                          4. David Wee        St. Olaf MN             20:46
                                                          5. Les Hegedus     Central State OH      20;51
                                                          6. James McFadden  NE Missouri         21:10 *
*James is another guy on our regular readers list.   His brother Jerry is another and a major contributor of pictures and comments. Jerry was a 4:05 miler, and finished second for Missouri in the Big 8 mle in 1963.
Central State , a team from a traditionally African American college dominates the establishment.  Hegedus was an American Hungarian, and there was a Frenchman also on that team.

1961
Weather conditions unknown 16 teams, 118 finishers   4 miles
1. Southern Illinois     33               1. Mulholland    Loras                   20:06
2. S. Dakota St.          82                2. Joe Thomas  S. Illinois             20;12
3. Slippery Rock       113               3. Helgeson   N. Dak. St.              20:13
                                                       4. Les Hegedus  Cent. St. OH      20:30
                                                      10 Jim Dupree  So. Illinois           20;52*
* Jim Dupree several times represented US in international meets as an 880 man, about 1:48.
He was fourth at the 1960 Olympic Trials for U New Mexico, then transferred to S. Illinois that summer.  Amazing race for a middle distance runner.

1962
weather not known,  20 teams, 146 finishers,  4 miles
1. Central St. OH    77                               1. Les Hegedus  Central St. OH   19:59
2. Northern IL         96                               2. John Camien  Kan. St. Emporia   20:06
3. Kans. St. Emporia 119                           3. Ireland Sloan Kan. St. Emporia   20;08
                                                                   7. Ed Winrow   SUNY Buffalo        20:49*
Ed Winrow would go on to be a great competitor on the roads in years to come.

1963
55 degrees 10mph wind, 23 teams  160 finishers   , 4 miles
1. Kansas St. Emporia     94                            1. John Camien    Kan St. Emporia     19:16*
2. Akron                          174                          2. Ireland Sloan    Kans. St. Emporia     19:29
3. S. Dakota St.               179                          3. Patterson           Mont. St.  19:57
* Camien would finish second in the University Division to Villanova's Vic Zwolak.
 A great day for the wide open spaces.

1964
Nov. 14  63 degrees, 23 teams, 169 finishers,  4 miles
1. Kentucky State       95        1. Ed Schneider  NE Missouri       19:43.9
2. NE Missouri          105       2. William Moore Cent. St. OH     19:44.8
3. St. College of Iowa 164     3. Gene Takle   Luther College      20:02
                                              99. Ken Sparks  Ball St.                  22:36*

Kentucky State another a traditionally African American university like Central State of Ohio.  The only surprise here is that Jim Kemp their great sprinter was not on that team as he had a very wide range of running ability.  Interstingly they came to the meet with only five runners.
*Ken Sparks would become a noted 880 runner for the Chicago Track Club as well as an exercise physiologist through the Human Performance Lab at Ball St.

1965
28 teams, 228 runners (the West Coast is getting into the meet now) 4 miles
1. San Diego U.     55                            1. Gene Takle    Luther College     19:38
2. Eastern MI        164                           2. Dennis Boehler  West. IL          19:41
3. Valparaiso  IN  207                           3. David Hefferen  S. Dak. St.       19:55
                                                              8. Ed Watt  NW Louisiana  *                     *
                                                             21. Robert Fitts  SUNY Cortlandt   20:39**
The West Coast boys skunked the Midwesterners in their first appearance at the nationals.
*  Finally a rep from the Deep South NW Lousiana St.
**Bob Fitts another exercise physiologist to be,  coached at SUNY Cortlandt by none other than Dave Costill who would go on to Ball State in a couple of years and create the world famous Human Perfomance Lab.

1966
Nov. 12, 40 degrees, 40 teams, 286 runners, 4 miles.  Hey the West Coast saw how San Diego dominated last year and decided to come out in greater numbers.

1.  San Diego St.     58                     1.  Robert Fitts  SUNY Cortlandt        19:40
2.  Western IL        184                    2.  Ambrose Burfoot  Wesleyan          20:03*
3.  Eastern MI        203                    3.  Dennis Boehler  West IL                20;09
                                                         5.  Gary Tuttle   Humboldt St.             20:11**
                                                        14. John Galloway  Wesleyan              20:26***
                                                        47. Russell Pate  Springfield                20:57****
                                                       130. Bob Lewis  North Central IL        21:35*****
                                                       164. Joe Piane   Loras                           22:06******

* Burfoot future 1968 Boston winner and long time writer and author on subject of racing.
** Gary Tuttle would make a huge name on the roads.
** *Jeff (listed here as John) Galloway future Olympic marathoner and running writer/entrepreneur.
**** Russ Pate, future exercise physiologist at South Carolia and very good road runner in the 1970s
***** Bob Lewis  Long time successful coach at Frostburg State MD
***** Joe Piane  Long time successful coach at Notre Dame U.
What a year and another shellacking by San Diego St.

1967
Nov. 11, 54 degrees  46 teams, 321 finishers, 4 miles
1. San Diego St.    66                                 1. Arjan Gelling North Dakokta   19:33*
2. Cal. St. Pomona 133                              2. Grant Colehour Eastern KY     19:39**
3. Ball State           191                              3. Greg Bagley  San Diego           19:55
4. Arkansas St.      218                              37. Chuck Koeppen Ball St.          20;39***
                                                                 120. Bob Lewis North Central IL   21:26
* Arjan Gelling  would cross over the creek  and get second at the University Div. meet as well
as winning the USTFF meet in 1967.  See earlier posting  Arjan Gelling
** In 1969 Grant Colehour would finish 4th in the University Divison race.
***Chuck Koeppen would run in Olympic marathon trials in 1972 and become a long time HS coach in Carmel IN.

1968
42 degrees , 45 teams, 313 runners,   Meet goes to 5 miles.

1. U. of Nevada      56                          1. Maurice Benn  Nevada       24:54
2. Eastern IL          119                         2. Dave Robbins  Portland St. 25:14
3. Mankato St.        151                        3. Troy Roberts  Western IL    25:18
                                                              4. Gary Tuttle  Humboldt St.   25:26
                                                              5. Arjan Gelling N. Dakota     25:30
Nevada? WTF

1969  
Nov. 15  50 teams, 357 runners
1. Eastern IL    84                  1. Ron Stonitsch   C.W. Post       24:53
2. East MI       146                  2. John Cragg St. John                25:06
3. Chico St. CA 228               3. Arjan Gelling North Dak.       25:14
4. Humboldt St  240              4. Bill Scoby Humboldt   St         25:38*
* Is this the guy who would become known as "Mad Dog" Scoby tearing up the roads in the 70s?

1970
Nov. 14, 41 degrees, , 47 teams,   5 miles
1. Eastern MI  100                                    1. Mark Covert  Cal St. Fullerton  25:13*
2. Cal. Fullerton 124                                 2. John Cragg  St. John                 25:17
3. Cal St. Davis                                         3. Gordon Minty Eastern MI        25:23
                                                                  8. Tim Tubb  Cal. Fullerton          25:37*
**Tim Tubb another one of our regular readers.
                                     

*Mark Covert - had the longest continuous days running streak

1971
Nov. 13, 50 degrees, 51 teams, 389 finishers,  5 miles
1. Cal Fullerton      47                          1. Mike Slack  North Dakota St.   24:19
2. North Dak. St.    81                          2. Tim Tubb Cal Fullerton            24:34
3. Eastern MI         109                        3.  Mark Covert Cal Fullerton       24:38
                                                            10. Steve Foster  Ashland               25:03*
                                                            29. Tom Fleming Wm. Patterson   25:32**
*  ** Both Foster and Fleming would go on to be first class road runners in the 1970s.

Steve Foster - 3:55.0 mile, sold shoes at Athletic Attic, Gainesville

1972
59 teams 413 finishers,  5 miles
1. North Dakota St.  84                1. Mike Slack    North Dak. St.   24:36
2. South Dakota St.  143              2. Daniel Moynihan Tufts           24:40*
3. Cal St. Fullerton   158              3. Chris Hoffman  Fullerton       24:46
                                                     4. Gary Bentley  South Dak. St   24:50
                                                     5. Wayne Saunders  U. IL Chicago Circle  24:52**
                                                     6. Chuck Smead  Humboldt St    24:53
                                                    10. Steve Foster   Ashland            25:03
                                                    12. Tom Fleming  Wm Patterson 25:05
*   famous daddy?
** All time highlight of U. IL Chicago Circle?

1973  After this College Divison splits and becomes DIII and DII
Here's where it gets weird.
This was the last year of the College Division, but also the first year of Division III.  Well the meet did seem to be getting larger each year.  Was it getting too unwieldy for the organizers or was it just a response to the formation of DIII across the board for all sports?  Why then did they run two meets,  same day, same place?  Any answers from our readers?   Was it because we got out of Viet Nam this year and were still feeling ambivalent about everything?

Division II 1973, I have trouble saying it.
Nov. 10, 30 degrees, 26 teams, 194 finishers, 5 miles.   The results refer to this race as the 16th year of Division 2.    Division 2 was only created this year, I guess the writer made a mistake in calling the College Division thusly.

1. S. Dakota St.  88                     1. Gary Bentley S. Dakota St.   23:49
2. SW Missouri  93                     2. Charles Duggan Springfield  24:09*
3. Eastern IL      99                     3.  Joe Rukanshagiza   Sienna    24:10**
4. N. Dakota St 102                   92. Ron Tabb   Central Missouri 25:58***
5. Western IL    161                  106. John Shull  Wright St. OH   26:15****
6. Chico St.      180
7. Cal. Northridge 205

*Charlie Duggan - 13.38 - 5k, worked for Athletic Attic, Gainesville

* *Joe is first African to appear in the top three of this race.
*** Ron would be heard from a lot on the roads in the future.
**** John is protege of a new coach at Wright St.,  Bob Schul, 1964 Olympic 5000 champ.

Division III 1973
Nov. 10 30 degrees , 33 teams ,  250 runners, 5 miles.   Again, this race appears to have been run same place, same date as College Division.   Last time this ever happened.
1. Ashland    62                             1. Steve Foster   Ashland   24:27*
2. SUNY Albany  172                   2. Glenn Behnke  North Central IL 24:35
3. North Central IL 172                3. James Shrader  SUNY Albany   24:38

George,

Enjoyed the d2, d3 xc histories.

*Steve Foster, Jack McGwon, Bob Linn, Barry King ran 7:28 in indoor 2mi relay. May have won ncaa d1 ?

Bob Linn was in Gainesville at Athletic Attic for a while.

Jeff Milliman  running for North Central - 3 x double d3, d1, made World Junior xc team, owns running store in Greenville, SC.

Bruce

The 1974 results do not list where the meet was held. But we now know it was again at Wheaton.   In 1975 it was in Boston, MA in Franklin Park and has continued to move every year since.  

Some additional info about the meet history is seen below taken from Kirk Reynolds' site.
Of interest is what College or DIII runners faced logistically to run the DIII and DI on the same weekend. With DIII and DI migrating all over the country, it could become a major challenge to get to the meet.

Comments from Steve Price, Kettering Striders coach, Bowling Green St. women's coach, Findlay University hurdles and sprints coach.

Addenda.....Meet Results:

1958-Wonder what the story was on John Gutkneckt ? Big talent at a small school.

1959-With four (4) inches of snow, it was only right that S. Dakota State should win. I notice that Wabash came third. Wonder if Stan Huntsman's dad coached there at the time ? 

1960-Ed Winrow was third and ran in some of our Ohio River Road Runners Club (ORRRC) events....later coached for many years at Valpo. He may have represented NYAC when racing.

1961-Jim Dupree-Hell of a runner with a distinct style. Where is Loras College ? Iowa ?  Illinois, I think.

1962-CSU wins ! 

1963-Akron wins led by Al Campbell. Al won the All-Ohio and later returned to his alma mater to coach. After retiring,I think Al is still coaching at (small school in that area-can't remember right now)

1964-Who in hell was coaching at Kentucky State that year ? Amazing that two (2) virtually all black teams won this meet over the years.

1967-Runnerup Grant Colehour (EKU) was a friend of Billy Riggs and I think ran for Kettering Striders on at least one occasion. Chuck Koeppen ran in some ORRRC races winning the annual Washington Court House (OH) 15 miler once.

1970-Gordon Minty (EKU/England) was a super runner who I saw a lot of. You made mention that Mark Covert set a consecutive day(s) of running record. Do you remember what it was ? Vic Godfrey went seven (7) years with nary a miss. 

1973-South Dakota State won. Does it seem that the Dakota's may have produced more good distance runners per capita than any other area of the US ?   Steve,  we do know there were at least 9 people there in those days with a cross country team, a coach, and an AD.  GB

Division III runners at the Division I meet

At the start of NCAA Divisions (I, II, and III) in 1973, the individual winners of the NCAA III and NCAA II (plus a few additional runners
in the early years) were invited to compete in the NCAA I meet on Monday – just two days after winning their own division meet on Saturday.

The NCAA Cross Handbook carried this text:

"It has been established for the 1973 Cross Country Championships that the first five finishers in Divisions II and III will be allowed to compete
in the Division I Championships.

In 1974 and in subsequent years, the numbers shall be six from Division II and four from Division III. The individual finishers will be able to earn
medals, but their finishes won't be counted in team point totals."

This made for some very difficult racing challenges. For example, former SUNY Cortland coaching legend Jack Daniels relates: "We drove
to nationals when Marybeth won (in 1989 at Rock Island, Illinois) and drove home all night after the race, arriving at 8AM on that
Sunday morning.  She got some new clothes and we drove to Annapolis for the Monday DI race.  I doubt she was well rested for that one."

From 1982-1990, the invitation to run in the Division I meet was then limited to only the Division III champion, and then invitations stopped

completely before the 1991 season. 

It was overheard that DI coaches were unhappy with DIII 

runners taking All American positions away from the big

boys.

Men       NCAA Division III Runner                     Result at Division I Meet

1973       5. Fernando Suarez, SUNY Oswego       105^th at Washington St. U. (6M), 30:22.8

               2. Glenn Behnke, North Central              112^th, 30:26.2

               4. Francis Verdoliva, SUNY Oswego      114^th, 30:27.4

1974       1. David Moller, Rochester                     19^th at Indiana Univ. (6M), 30:27

               3. David Teague, Hamline                       74^th, 31:19

1975       2. Joel Jamison, Occidental                     31^st at Penn State Univ. (6M), 29:34

               4. Bruce Fischer, North Central              171^st, 30:52.9

               3. Peter Kummant, Case Western           213^th, 31:23.8

1976       2. Bob Hodge, Lowell                              22^nd at North Texas State (6M), 29:11

               1. Dale Kramer, Carleton                         70^th, 29:49

               4. Frank Richardson, MIT                      140^th, 30:20

1977       1. Dale Kramer, Carleton                         46^th at Washington State Univ. (10k), 30:08.7

               2. Domenic Finelli, Brandeis                   121^st, 30:57.2

1978       1. Dan Henderson, Wheaton                   10^th at Univ. of Wisconsin (10k), 29:48.5

               3. Jeff Milliman, North Central               144^th, 31:34.6

1979       1. Steve Hunt, UMass-Boston                85^th at Lehigh Univ. (10k), 30:49.4

               3. Paul Mausling, Macalester                  92^nd, 30:53.2

               4. Jeff Milliman, North Central               147^th, 31:31.2

               2. Michael Palmquist, St. Olaf                31:33.6

1980       3. Mark Whalley, Principia                     62^nd at Wichita, KS (10k), 30:31.8

               1. Jeff Milliman, North Central               101^st, 30:54.3

               2. Paul Mausling, Macalester                  130^th, 31:18.1

               4. Clark Cox, Occidental                          148^th, 31:27.8

1981       1. Mark Whalley, Principia                     50^th at Wichita, KS (10k), 30:20.9

               2. Michael Axinn, Chicago                      74^th, 30:40.8

               4. Steve Underwood, Hope                     118^th, 31:21.4

1982       1. Nicholas Manciu, St. Thomas             did not run

1983       1. Tony Bluell, North Central                 did not run

1984       1. Mark Beeman, Brandeis                      60^th at Penn State Univ. (10k), 30:55.9

1985       1. James White, UMass-Dartmouth       61^st at Marquette Univ. (10k), 31:07.93

1986       1. Arnie Schraeder, UWisc-Stevens Point   11^th at Univ. of Arizona (10k), 31:14.49

1987       1. Jukka Tammisuo, St. Lawrence           73^rd at Univ. of Virginia (10k), 30:42.55

1988       1. David Terronez, Augustana                66^th at Iowa State Univ. (10k), 30:42

1989       1. David Terronez, Augustana                56^th at US Naval Academy (10k), 31:01.65

1990       1. Seamus McElligott, Haverford            35^th at Tennessee (10k), 30:13

Women   NCAA Division III Runner                     Result at Division I Meet

1981       1. Cynthia Sturm, Westfield                    52^nd at Wichita, KS (5k), 17:35.2

1982       1. Tori Neubauer, UWisc-La Crosse       50^th at Indiana Univ. (5k), 18:02.1

1983       1. Tori Neubauer, UWisc-La Crosse       11^th at Lehigh Univ. (5k), 17:01.0

1984       1. Julia Kirtland, Macalester                   25^th at Penn State Univ. (5k), 16:59.6

1985       1. Dorcas Denhartog, Middlebury          did not run

1986       1. Lisa Koelfgen, St. Thomas                  did not finish at Univ. of Arizona (5k)

1987       1. Shelley Scherer, Carleton                     59^th at Univ. of Virginia (5k), 17:23.33

1988       1. Anna Prineas, Carleton                        21^st at Iowa State Univ. (5k), 17:09

1989       1. Marybeth Crawley, SUNY Cortland  77^th at US Naval Academy (5k), 18:00.06

1990       1. Victoria Mitchell, SUNY Cortland      did not run