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