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This Day in X-Country/Track & Field, November 21: Greg Rice wins first NCAA XC Individual and Indiana wins first NCAA XC team title (1938), written by Walt Murphy )

Published

2 months ago

November 24, 2025

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Walt Murphy’s News and Results Service ([email protected])

This Day in X-Country /Track & Field-November 21

1889—The inaugural U.S. Indoor Championships were held at the original Madison Square Garden. Among the events contested were: Kicking football for accuracy, 56-pound Weight for Height, 24-pound Shot Put, 3 Standing Broad Jumps!

From the NY Times: “Most of the excitement attached to the football kicking. The garden with its myriad gas and electric light globes is not well suited to that pastime. D.A. Lindsay, Jr., of the Staten Island Athletic Club, who was the 2nd to try his accuracy of foot, put the ball squarely against an electric light globe, to its great detriment, and followed by hitting another, but not as disastrously.”

(For subscribers):https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1888/11/22/100952857.html?pageNumber=5

(Photo of results attached if it doesn’t appear here)

1938–The first NCAA X-Country Championships were held at Michigan State in East Lansing, Michigan. Notre Dame’s Greg Rice won the 4-mile race in 20:12.9 and Indiana won the team title on a cold and windy day. The meet would be held in East Lansing every year through 1964.

From Hickock Sports: “The Central Intercollegiate Conference began holding a cross-country meet in 1926. During the 1930s, it virtually turned into a national event and the widespread interest spurred the NCAA to inaugurate its first National Cross-Country Championships in 1938.”

Results:

https://trackandfieldnews.com/ncaa-cross-country-championships-mens-results/1938-ncaa-cross-country-championships/

MileSplit

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1938_NCAA_Cross_Country_Championships

1942–Notre Dame’s Ollie Hunter was the NCAA individual winner at Michigan State, while Indiana and Penn State tied for the team title. With the U.S. involved in World War II, the coaches adopted the following resolution at the meet: “The National Collegiate Cross Country Coaches Association points out that running is a basic conditioner for all sport activities and is especially timely for all war conditioning activities. It is our recommendation that Cross Country and distance running and hiking be made more use of by high schools and colleges and all other groups in their physical hardening courses”.

(9 teams, 63 finishers)

Results

https://trackandfieldnews.com/ncaa-cross-country-championships-mens-results/1942-ncaa-cross-country-championships/

MileSplit

1960--Still reeling from a poor performance at the Rome Olympics, Australian Al Lawrence won his 2nd straight individual title at the NCAA X-Country Championships, which were held on Michigan State’s 4-mile course. The 28-year old Lawrence was joined by his Houston teammates (an all-foreign group) John Macy(Poland), Barrie Almond(Australia), Pat Clohessy(Australia), and George Rankin(Scotland) as the Cougars won the team title. Finishing 5th in the individual race was Kansas senior Billy Mills.

For the 2nd year in a row, Lawrence followed his NCAA victory with a win at the U.S. Championships (at a time when the U.S. Nationals were open to international athletes).

(12 teams, 99 finishers)

SI Vault: http://www.si.com/vault/1960/12/05/585901/a-double-double-for-allen

Results:

https://trackandfieldnews.com/ncaa-cross-country-championships-mens-results/1960-ncaa-cross-country-championships/

1961–Cornell sophomore Steve Machooka, wearing socks on his hands to ward off the bitter cold, overcame the snow, slush, and mud on the Van Cortlandt Park course in New York to win the IC4A X-Country title. Machooka was the first Kenyan athlete to compete for a U.S. school. Finishing 3rd in the race was St.Joseph’s Kevin Quinn, who spent 49 years as a coach at his alma mater before retiring in 2015.

http://www.ivy50.com/story.aspx?sid=10/19/2006

1966–Washington State sophomore Gerry Lindgren won the first of his three NCAA Div.I titles (6-miles/also won in 1967 &1969), while Villanova also marked the beginning of a three-peat with a convincing win over Kansas State (79-155) at the NCAA Championships in Lawrence, Kansas.

Leading the way for Jumbo Elliott’s Wildcats was Tom Donnelly, the long-time men’s coach at Haverford College (He retired after the 2023 Championships), who finished 7th overall. Other notables: Iowa’s Larry Wieczorek (3rd), who retired in 2014 after coaching at his alma mater for 30 years, Wesleyan’s Amby Burfoot (6th), who would win the 1968 Boston Marathon (and was the top editor at Runner’s World for many years, Southern Illinois’ Oscar Moore (12th), Villanova’s Dave Patrick (39th), Minnesota’s Tom Heinonen (53rd), the former women’s coach at Oregon, and Colorado’s John Lunn (54th), whose son Jason was one of America’s top milers from 2000-2002.

(25 teams, 189 finishers)

Results

https://trackandfieldnews.com/ncaa-cross-country-championships-mens-results/1966-ncaa-cross-country-championships/

MileSplit

1977–It was clear who the individual champion was at the NCAA Div.I Championships in Spokane, Washington, with Washigton State sophomore Henry Rono (28:33.5) pulling away from the Providence duo of John Treacy (28:51.0) and Gerald Deegan (28:56.9) for the win, but figuring out who won the team title was an entirely different matter. UTEP was originally declared the winner over Oregon, but Miner coach Ted Banks wasn’t so sure. He told T&F News before rushing to the airport for the team’s flight home, “We won’t know until it’s official”. Sure enough, officials discovered they had mistakenly identified Tennessee’s George Watts as a UTEP runner, understandable to a degree since both teams sported orange uniforms. After another error was corrected, the official scores were finally announced, giving Oregon a narrow 100-105 win.

Rono had to contend with 15-degree weather and two recalls, one after the field had gone 300-yards, but won easily after receiving an early challenge from Treacy and Deegan. Other notables in the field included Arizona’s Thom Hunt (8), Oregon’s Alberto Salazar (9), East Tennessee State’s Ray Flynn (26), Oregon’s Rudy Chapa (27) and Bill McChesney (28), BYU’s Henry Marsh (29), and Oregon’s Matt Centrowitz (63).

About those recalls. A gun was fired to signify one minute to go before the start of the race. Some runners, including Rono, thought it was the actual start, but were stopped before going too far. Someone jumped the second time they tried to start the race, but a large group, again including Rono, apparently didn’t hear, or were confused by, the recall gun and went the 300 yards before being stopped!

(29 teams, 255 finishers)

Results

https://trackandfieldnews.com/ncaa-cross-country-championships-mens-results/1977-ncaa-cross-country-championships/

MileSplit

Local Coverage: http://tinyurl.com/1977NCAAXC

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1977_NCAA_Division_I_Cross_Country_Championships

1981–The very first NCAA championships for women (in any sport) were the Div.II and Div.III cross country championships. The Div.II winners in Kenosha (WI) were Eileen Kraemer (Cal Poly/San Luis Obispo) and South Dakota State.

Running on a snow-covered course in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, Cynthia Sturm of Westfield State College(Ma) was the individual Div.III winner and Central College (IA) won the team title. (North Carolina State’s Betty Jo Springs and the University of Virginia would win the inaugural Div.I titles two days later).

Men’s winners were (Div.II) Mark Conover (Humboldt State) and Millersville, and (Div.III) Mark Whalley (Principia) and North Central.

Div.II Results: Women Men

Div.III Results: Men Women

1983–Texas-El Paso/UTEP thought they had won their 8th Div.I team title, scoring 108 points to Wisconsin’s 164, but the Miners were later stripped of the Championship because of unspecified “rules violations” (Wisconsin was not moved up). UTEP’s Zak Barie (29:20.0) was allowed to retain his individual title.

Oregon (95) won its first Women’s Div.I title, winning a close battle over Stanford (98) and North Carolina State (99). NC State’s Betty Jo Springs (16:30.7) won the individual title for the 2nd time in 3 years.

Other notable finishers:

Men-2.Yobes Ondieki (Iowa State-29:41.3), 9.Ed Eyestone (BYU/coach at BYU), 32. Keith Brantly (Florida), 36.Mike Blackmore (Oregon), 47.Marcus O’Sullivan (Villanova/men’s coach at Vill.), 58.Brian Diemer (Michigan/Calvin coach), 62.Jim Sapienza (Dartmouth), 80.Matt McGuirk (Oregon–current Willamette coach), 86.Arturo Barrios (Texas A&M), 89.Jeff Drenth (Central Michigan), 90.Patrick Sang (Texas), 171.J.J. Clar k(Villanova—Head Coach at Stanford)

Women-2.Nan Doak (Iowa-16:35.2), 3.Kathy Hayes (Oregon-15:35.5), 6.Sabrina Dornhoefer (Missouri), 7.Tina Krebs (Clemson), 8.Cathy Branta (Wisconsin), 9.Regina Jacobs (Stanford), 10.PattiSue Plumer (Stanford), 15.Joan Nesbit(North Carolina), 20.Jenny Spangler (Iowa), 53.Alisa Harvey (Tennessee), 63.Claudette Groenendal (Oregon), 66.Ceci Hopp (Stanford), 88.Gina Procaccio (Villanova—women’s coach at her alma mater)

(Men-22 teams, 182 finishers, Women-16 teams, 133 finishers)

Results: Men Women

MileSplit

https://www.nytimes.com/1984/04/29/sports/has-a-big-time-track-program-gone-too-big.html

1988–Indiana athletes swept the individual titles at the NCAA Div.I Championships in Granger,Iowa. A year after winning the Foot Locker H.S. title, freshman Bob Kennedy won the men’s race in a close finish over Clemson’s Yehezkel Halifa (29:20-29:21), while a barefoot Michelle Dekkers, a junior from South Africa, won the women’s race. Wisconsin (Men) and Kentucky (Women) were the team champions. Kennedy, who would win a 2nd NCAA title in 1992, went on to become one of the greatest U.S. distance runners in history.

(Men-22 teams, 184 finishers, Women-16 teams, 135 finishers)

Sports Illustrated Vault

Other notable finishers:

Men-19.Todd Williams (Tennessee), 38.John Trautmann (Georgetown), 39.Mike Peroni (Boston College), 50.Brad Hudson (Oregon), 175.Tom Nohilly (Florida)

Women-6.Suzy Favor (Wisconsin), 132.Jill Geer (Arkansas–USATF’s former Chief Marketing Officer)

Results

Men: https://trackandfieldnews.com/ncaa-cross-country-championships-mens-results/1988-ncaa-cross-country-championships/

Women

https://trackandfieldnews.com/ncaa-cross-country-championships-womens-results/1988-ncaa-cross-country-championships-women/

MileSplit

1994–Jen Rhines’ individual win (16:31.2) led Villanova to its 6th straight Women’s NCAA Div.I title in Fayetteville, Arkansas. 2nd was Providence’s Amy Rudolph (16:44.8) and 12th was Arkansas senior Deena Drossin (Kastor).

Arizona senior Martin Keino (30:08.7), the son of the legendary Kip Keino, won the Men’s individual title over Colorado freshman Adam Goucher (30:12.0) and Michigan sophomore Kevin Sullivan (30:22.4), while Iowa State won the Men’s team title over Colorado (65-88). Finishing 15th was UCLA freshman Meb Keflezighi.

(Men-22 teams, 178 finishers, Women-22 teams, 181 finishers)

Other notable finishers:

Women-14.Sarah Schwald (Arkansas), 32.Karen Harvey (Michigan), 56.Amy Wickus (Wisconsin), 112.Melody Fairchild (Oregon)

Men-11.Alan Culpepper (Colorado), 13.Corey Ihmels (Iowa State–head coach at Boise State), 16.Louie Quintana (Villanova- coach at Oregon State), 25.Robert Gary (Ohio State–coach at Furman), 37.Andy Downin (Georgetown), 57.Pascal Dobert (Wisconsin), 89.Graham Hood (Arkansas),

Results

Women

https://trackandfieldnews.com/ncaa-cross-country-championships-womens-results/1994-ncaa-cross-country-championships-women/

Men: https://trackandfieldnews.com/ncaa-cross-country-championships-mens-results/1994-ncaa-cross-country-championships/

http://villanovarunning.blogspot.com/2011/01/villanova-women-at-cross-country.html

2005–Simon Bairu (29:15.9) won his 2nd straight NCAA Div.1 Men’s title and led Wisconsin to a lop-sided 37-105 team win over Arkansas in Terre Haute, Indiana. Following Bairu across the finish line were Iona’s Richard Kiplagat (29:21.9), Wisconsin’s Chris Solinsky (29:27.8) and Liberty’s Josh McDougal (29:32.6),who would win the 2007 title. 6th was Brigham Young’s Josh Rohatinksy, who would become the 2006 individual champion.

Stanford won the first of three straight Women’s team titles with146 points, the highest winning score ever (at the time). Northern Arizona’s Johanna Nilsson (19:33.9) was the individual winner over Columbia’s Caroline Bierbaum (19:46.0).

Other notable finishers:

Women-8.Ari Lambie-Stanford (19:59.1), 13.Amy Hastings (Arizona State-20:09.0), 15.Molly Huddle (Notre Dame-20:13.0), 23.Marina Muncan (Villanova-20:23.5), 43.Jenny Barringer-Simpson (Colorado frosh-20:36.0), 47.Lauren Centrowitz (Stanford-20:39.4), 55.Shannon Rowbury (Duke-20:43.3)

(Men & Women-31 teams, 215 finishers)

Men–26.Dan Huling (Miami-Ohio-30:09.8), 32.Ben True (Dartmouth-30:15.6), 68.Leo Manzano (Texas-30:43.1), 77.Tom Lancashire (Florida State-30:47.4).

Results Men Women

Reports: https://in.milesplit.com/meets/12858-ncaa-di-cross-country-championships-2005/articles#.X7fnpC9h1QI

Race Results Weekly: https://www.letsrun.com/2005/ncaaxcrecap.php

Videos (Men): Part 1 Part 3 Women

2011— Villanova’s Sheila Reid (19:41.2) outdueled Oregon’s Jordan Hasay (19:41.8) and Dartmouth’s Abbey D’Agostino (19:42.9) to win her 2nd straight NCAA Div.1 Women’s title in Terre Haute, Indiana. Georgetown won the team title by only 8 points over Washington, while its winning score of 162 points was the highest in the history of the Women’s championships (at the time).

“I could not be more proud of this team,” said Georgetown coach Chris Miltenberg. “Today was a true team effort. With all the ups and downs throughout September and October, this team never stopped believing that they could do something big. Today was a huge step forward for all of us.”

Arizona’s Lawi Lalang (28:44.1) was the Men’s individual winner, while Wisconsin (97) beat Oklahoma State (139) to win the team title.

Other notable finishers:

Women:4.Emily Infeld (Georgetown-19:44.3), 7.Katie Flood (Washington-19:47.9), 9.Betsy Saina (Iowa State-19:50.7), 10.Tara Erdmann (Loyola Marymount-19:51.3), 18), Megan Goethals (Washington-20:06.8), 19.Shalaya Kipp (Colorado-20:08.1), 20.Emma Coburn (Colorado-20:08.6), 24.Chelsea Reilly (Cal-20:11.2), 48.Violah Lagat (Florida State-20:35.8), 55.Emily Lipari (Villanova-20:40.9)

Men:2.Chris Derrick (Stanford-28:57.5), 3.Leonard Korir (Iona-29:02.5), 4.Cam Levins (Southern Utah-29:04.8, 6.Luke Puskedra (Oregon-29:09.3), 7.Diego Estrada (Northern Arizona-29:24.7), 11.German Fernandez (Oklahoma State-29:32.9), 12.Ryan Hill (North Carolina State-29:37.1), Miles Batty (BYU-29:40.0), 19.Donn Cabral (Princeton-29:44.4), 39.Andy Bayer (Indiana-30:11.5).

(Men-31 teams, 214 finishers, Women-31 teams, 217 finishers)

Results: Men Women

MileSplit: https://www.milesplit.com/meets/96502-ncaa-di-cross-country-championships-2011/results#.X7fl5S9h1QI

Reports

MileSplit: https://in.milesplit.com/meets/12858-ncaa-di-cross-country-championships-2005/results#.X7fj0C9h1QI

LetsRun: Men Women

2015—Oregon junior Edward Cheserek (28:48.5) ran away from the field to win his 3^rd straight individual title at the NCAA Div.I Championships in Louisville, Kentucky (Joining legends Gerry Lindgren, Steve Prefontaine, and Henry Rono as a 3-time winner). Trailing Cheserek were two future champions, Villanova’s Patrick Tiernan (2^nd/29:11.1), who would win the following year (beating Cheserek!), and Syracuse’s Justyn Knight (4^th/29:46.1), the winner in 2017. Splitting Tiernan and Knight was Colorado’s Pierce Murphy (29:37.0).

Syracuse coach Chris Fox also got top-10 finishes from Colin Bennie (8^th/29:55.9) and Martin Hehir (9^th/29:59.5) as the school won its first team title since 1951. Colorado, looking for its 3^rd straight title, finished only 9 points behind the Orange (82-91). The Buffaloes had their five scorers finish ahead of Syracuse’s 4^th runner, but couldn’t overcome those 3 top-10 finishes. Next in the team scoring were Stanford (151) and Oregon (183).

It was a runaway in the Women’s race, with New Mexico winning its 1^st title by a whopping 80 points over Colorado (49-129). Also on the podium were Oregon (214) and Providence (231).

The Lobos were led by Courtney Frerichs (4^th/19:48.0), a transfer from Missouri-Kansas City, and Alice Wright (5^th/19:53.1). Notre Dame senior Molly Seidel (19:28.6) won the individual title, with Boise State freshman Allie Ostrander (19:33.6) finishing 2^nd, followed by Arkansas’ Dominique Scott (19:40.9). Seidel became the first female Foot Locker champion to follow up with a NCAA title. She would go on to win the bronze medal in the Marathon at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

(Men-31 teams, 252 finishers, Women-31 teams, 254 finishers)

Results: Men Women

https://www.milesplit.com/meets/177498-ncaa-di-cross-country-championships-2015/results#.X7fpbC9h1QI

LetsRun Coverage: http://www.letsrun.com/events/2015-ncaa-cross-country-championships/

MileSplit: https://www.milesplit.com/meets/177498-ncaa-di-cross-country-championships-2015/coverage#.X7fpMy9h1QI

Historical Links

Div.I Women Men T&F News Archives USTFCCA

Div.II http://www.ustfccca.org/meets-results/meet-history?series=3370

Div.III Kirk Reynolds Archives

NAIA https://www.naia.org/sports/wxc/2025-26/Releases/Program

2021—Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo, who had won the bronze medal in the 10,000m at the Tokyo Olympics in July, narrowly set a World Record of 57:31 for the Half-Marathon in Lisbon (since broken). The previous record of 57:32 was set by Kenya’s Kibiwott Kandie in 2020. Kiplimo also get credit for WRs at 15k (40:27) and 20k (54:29).

https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-label-road-races/news/jacob-kiplimo-world-half-marathon-record-lisbon

Born On This Day*

Almaz Ayana—Ethiopia 34 (1991) 2016 Olympic gold medalist—10,000m. Set an amazing World Record of 29:17:45 in

Rio (bronze medalist—5000m);

2017 World Champion—10,000 (2^nd-5000); 2015 World Champion—5000m (3rd-2013);

Winner of the 2022 Amsterdam Marathon in her debut at the distance—ran 2:17:20, making her the 7^th fastest

performer in history (at the time/fastest-ever debut)

Due to injuries and pregnancy, she raced only once (in 2019) since 2017 before returning to action in 2022

Son Surafel was born in November, 2020

PBs: 8:22.22, 14:12.59 (2016/#7-All-Time World), 29:17:45 (2016/now #5 A-T), 1:05:30 (2023),

2:16:22 (Dec.2023/#13 A-T); Last competed in 2023

Rio 10k Video: https://www.olympicchannel.com/en/video/detail/women-s-10-000m-final-rio-2016-replays/

www.espn.com/espnw/voices/article/17286920/ethiopian-runner-almaz-ayana-stuns-olympic-crowd-10000-meter-world-record

https://worldathletics.org/news/report/amsterdam-marathon-2022-ayana-getachew

Andrew Wheating 38 (1987) 3-time NCAA Champion (Oregon)—2009-800, 2010—800, 1500

2-time U.S. Olympian—2008 (800/1st round), 2012 (1500/semi-finalist);

A key figure in the incredible 800 at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, arguably the most exciting event ever

contested at Hayward Field (finished 2^nd). Read Curtis Anderson’s updated account at:

http://dailyrelay.com/chaos-reigned-oral-history-2008-800m-olympic-trials-final/

PBs: 1:44.56 (2010), 2:17.44 (2012), 3:30.90 (2010), 3:51.74 (2010)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Wheating

Trials 800: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49Fwxo50ZiI

https://www.ussportscamps.com/coaches/co-director

H.S. Coach (2018): https://www.milesplit.com/articles/238438/andrew-wheating-gives-high-school-coaching-a-shot

Sabine Busch—East Germany 63 (1962) 1987 World Champion—400m-hurdles

Missed out on a potential gold medal at the 1984 Olympics due to the Soviet-led boycott.

2-time World Champion—4×400 (1983,1987)

1987 World Indoor Champion—400m

1988 Olympic bronze medalist—4×400

Former World Record holder—400h/53.55 (1985)

PBs: 49.24 (1984), 53.24 (1987/German Record)

Wiki Bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabine_Busch

https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/69644

Eamonn Coghlan—Ireland 73 (1952) The Chairman of the Boards

1983 World Champion—5000m

4-time NCAA Champion—Mile (Villanova-1975,1976/indoors and outdoors)

7-time winner of the Wanamaker Mile at the Millrose Games

5-time U.S. Indoor Champion—Mile (’78,’83,’87), 3-mile (’80,’81)

2-time Irish Olympian—1976 (1500-4^th), 1980 (5000-4^th)

Set 3 World Indoor Records in the mile:3:52.6–San Diego (1979), 3:50.6—San Diego (1981),

3:49.78—Meadowlands,NJ (1983)…the latter stood for 14 years until Hicham El Guerrouj ran 3:48.45 in 1997

Member of the Irish team that set the current World Record of 15:49.08 in the 4-mile relay in 1985

(Coghlan 4:00.2, Marcus O’Sullivan 3:55.3, Frank O’Mara 3:56.6, Ray Flynn 3:57.0)

41 at the time, he became the first man over 40 to break 4-minutes for the mile—ran 3:58.15 indoors at Harvard

in 1994.

PBs: 1:47.78 (1977), 3:35.6h(i) (1981), 3:49.78i (’83/#10 All-Time), 3:51.59 (’83), 7:37.60 (’80), 13:19.13

(’81), 28:19.3 (’86)

Won 9 Penn Relays watches from 1973-1976.

1973: 4xmile

1974: 4xmile, DMR

1975: 4×800, 4xmile, DMR

1976: 4X800, 4×1500, DMR

Sports Illustrated Vault

3:49.78:

https://vault.si.com/vault/1983/03/07/he-had-the-time-of-his-life

(For subscribers): www.nytimes.com/1983/02/28/sports/coghlan-winner-in-first-sub-3-50-indoor-mile.html

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGXGTfGB_wc

’83 WC-Video(Last Lap): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWCX1SxSAF4

Chairman of the Boards—Master of the Mile

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Eamonn-Coghlan-Chairman-Boards-Master/dp/0954865340

Review: http://www.racingpast.ca/reviews.php?id=23

Wiki Bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eamonn_Coghlan

http://www.racingpast.ca/john_contents.php?id=240

https://worldathletics.org/heritage/news/eamonn-coghlan-world-indoor-mile-record

Wanamaker Mile Winners: http://www.runningpast.com/wanamaker_mile.htm

Alberto Juantorena 75 (1950/some sources have his DOB as Dec.3) 1976 Olympic gold medalist—400m, 800m

Former World Record holder—800m (1:43.5-1:43.50/1976-OG, 1:43.4-1:43.44/1977)

After finishing 2^nd in his heat of the Men’s 800-Meters at the inaugural World Championships in 1983,

veered to his left and stepped on the metal curb with his right foot, suffering a broken bone that took him out

of the Championships! That was the last race of his career.

Named T&F News’ Male Athlete of the Year in 1976 and 1977

Former member of the World Athletics (IAAF) Council

Known as “El Caballo” (The Horse)

https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/66798

https://www.worldathletics.org/athletes/cuba/alberto-juantorena-14359171

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alberto_Juantorena

https://vault.si.com/vault/1983/08/15/splendor-and-agony-in-helsinki

https://vault.si.com/vault/2002/12/23/runners-mike-boit-and-alberto-juantorena-september-12-1977

https://www.worldathletics.org/about-iaaf/structure/council

2018 Interview(in English—talks about his career): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R73W0CPelCw

Cover: https://vault.si.com/vault/1977/09/12/43699-toc

Videos

(’76 OG-both races): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tY0JOwJO5Ek

’83 WC(Juantorena’s race starts at the 7:35 mark): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2O3Yj95btq8

Deceased

Tom Murphy 89 (1935-June 18, 2025) My cousin was one of my first sports heroes (along with Gil Hodges of the

Brooklyn Dodgers). The whole Murphy clan followed his exploits throughout his career and he’s the reason I’ve

had a life-long association with the sport!

Tom’s Career

High School

Set two National High School Indoor Records(flat-floor) at 600-yards at NY’s Armory

Anchored St.Augustine (Brooklyn,NY) to a win in the championship mile relay at the 1953 Penn

Relays

1953 CHSAA Outdoor Champion–440-yards, was 2nd in the Javelin!

His son Keith ran the opening 800m leg on the John Gregorek-anchored St.Anthony’s team that won the H.S.

Distance Medley at the 1979 Penn Relays

College (Manhattan)

1958 IC4A Indoor Champion–600-yards

1958 All-American–2^nd (to Ron Delany) in the 1/2-mile (880-yards) at the NCAA Championships

Anchored Manhattan College to victory in the featured mile and 2-mile relays at the 1958 Millrose

Games at Madison Square Garden; Also anchored the Jaspers to a win in the 2-mile relay at the 1957 Penn

Relays. Member of the Manhattan College Hall of Fame

Post-College

1959 U.S. and Pan American-Games Champion–800-meters

1959–Winner of the 800-meters at the 2nd USA-Soviet Union dual meet in Philadelphia–also ran on

the winning 4×400 relay

1960 U.S. Indoor champion–600-yards

2-time winner of the half-mile at the Millrose Games (1959,1960)

Winner of the 800-meters at the 1960 U.S. Olympic Trials–ran 1:46.7, just one second off the world record at

the time; Semi-Finalist in the 800-meters at the 1960 Olympics in Rome

Member of the U.S. team that set a World Record in the 2-mile relay in 1960

https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/78829

https://gojaspers.com/honors/manhattan-college-athletic-hall-of-fame/tom-murphy/22

Larry Eder has had a 52-year involvement in the sport of athletics. Larry has experienced the sport as an athlete, coach, magazine publisher, and now, journalist and blogger. His first article, on Don Bowden, America’s first sub-4 minute miler, was published in RW in 1983. Larry has published several magazines on athletics, from American Athletics to the U.S. version of Spikes magazine. He currently manages the content and marketing development of the RunningNetwork, The Shoe Addicts, and RunBlogRun. Of RunBlogRun, his daily pilgrimage with the sport, Larry says: “I have to admit, I love traveling to far away meets, writing about the sport I love, and the athletes I respect, for my readers at runblogrun.com, the most of anything I have ever done, except, maybe running itself.” Also does some updates for BBC Sports at key events, which he truly enjoys.

Theme song: Greg Allman, ” I’m no Angel.”

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CSUN Improves to 2-0 After Holding Off Harvard in Four Sets

Published

44 minutes ago

January 10, 2026

Your Sports Nation

GOLETA, Calif. — Joao Favarim and Hank Kaufman powered a balanced attack as CSUN defeated Harvard 25-16, 25-19, 26-28, 25-18 to improve to 2-0 at the Asics Invitational Friday afternoon at UCSB’s Rob Gym.

CSUN (2-0) struggled a times offensively, hitting .206 as a team, but controlled the match with steady serving and a strong block. The Matadors finished with a 9.5–7 edge in total team blocks as Favarim had a match-high six block assists. The sophomore middle also led the Matadors offensively with 10 kills on 17 swings to hit .471. Kaufman finished the match with nine kills (.065), two aces, and two blocks, while senior Shane Nhem chipped in six kills (.455) and a pair of blocks.

Setter Owen Douphner helped CSUN to a sizable 10-4 edge in team aces as he served a career-high five in the win. Doughner directed the offense with 30 assists and chipped in five kills, as CSUN placed four players in double figures in points. Shane Nhem added six kills on .455 hitting, and Joao Avila contributed a match-high 10 digs, seven kills (.214), and two aces.

CSUN jumped out early, rolling to a convincing win in the opening set behind efficient sideout play and four aces. The Matadors carried that momentum into the second set, pulling away late to take a two-set lead.

Harvard (0-2) extended the match by outlasting CSUN in a tightly contested third set, but the Matadors responded with their most complete effort in the fourth. CSUN broke open a close set with a decisive run midway through and closed the match on a kill by Grayson Albers.

Sawyer Nichols led Harvard with 15 kills, but the Crimson hit just .037 for the match and struggled to find consistency against the CSUN block and serve pressure.

HEAD COACH THEO EDWARDS SAID

“I thought we were inconsistent at times today. We had four guys out there that are starting to really learn how to do this and how to play at a consistent level. There were some great performances; Owen (Doughner) commanded the match for the most part. For me, it’s just about us learning and making progress throughout the season. Part of the struggle for us today was playing back-to-back days. We’re having some conversations about that and how to get the proper rest and get ready for tomorrow.”

UP NEXT

CSUN concludes the 2026 Asics Invitational on Saturday afternoon, meeting Kentucky State (0-1) at 4:30 p.m.

#GoMatadors

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2026 Season Opens in a Five-Set Thriller

Published

59 minutes ago

January 10, 2026

Your Sports Nation

IRVINE, CALIF. – In a thrilling five-set showdown to kick off the 2026 men’s volleyball season, the Golden Eagles showcased heart, hustle, and plenty of promise in front of a spirited home crowd – ultimately falling in a close 3-2 (19-25, 25-22, 25-21, 27-29, 13-15) to Rockhurst. Despite the loss, CUI took numerous positive takeaways from an electric night of volleyball that highlighted depth, leadership, and grit.

Fresh into his Golden Eagle debut, Aidan Case delivered a standout performance, delivering 54 assists, which is currently tied for ninth in the CUI record books for a five-set match. His ability to distribute the ball kept the Green and Gold competitive through every set and provided real momentum swings for the Golden Eagles.

CUI’s offense was firing on all cylinders at times, with several players stepping up to the plate. Christian Galoppo led the Green and Gold with 15 kills and eight digs. Logan Whitaker and Nathan Habermas added 13 and 11, respectively.

Defensively, the Golden Eagles were active at the net, finishing with 10 total blocks. Players like Paul Schulties and Logan Whitaker were particularly disruptive to the Hawks’ offense, recording nine blocks between the two of them. The back row also made key plays that extended rallies and pressured Rockhurst’s offense. The energy never wavered, even as the match went the distance.

While the Green and Gold came up just short in their home opener, the performance laid a strong foundation for the rest of the season. The Golden Eagles will be on the road Sunday, January 11, to take on #1 UCLA at 5:00 PM in their first MPSF match-up.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE SCHEDULE FOR THE REST OF THE SEASON

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Men’s Volleyball Sweeps St. Thomas Aquinas to Begin 2026 Campaign

Published

1 hour ago

January 10, 2026

Your Sports Nation

MALIBU, Calif. – The Pepperdine men’s volleyball team (1-0) took three straight sets from the Spartans of Saint Thomas Aquinas (0-1) to open the 2026 season in Firestone Fieldhouse Friday night.

“It was great to start off our season with a win,” head coach Jonathan Winder said. “Our serving was really strong for a few stretches with Aidan Tune and Grant Lamoureux in different sets that opened up the games. All in all, pleased with the effort and focus of the group and ready to get prepared for Sunday’s game.”

In the closest of the three sets, the Waves went back and forth with the Spartans in the first, withstanding opposing runs while maintaining the lead. Hitting a monster .700, Cole Hartke led the squad with seven kills to give Pepperdine a 25-18 win in the opening set of the 2026 season.

Forcing a negative hitting percentage for STAC in the second set, the Waves kept the foot on the gas. Ryan Barnett and Lamoureux split the heavy lifting for Pepperdine with three kills on five attempts a piece. After a close set through the opening 14 points, Tune took his turn at the service line to compose the Waves, aiding in a 6-0 run on seven-straight serves to give Pepperdine a 20-11 lead. From there, it was smooth sailing as Pepperdine took the second set 25-17.

Five aces by Lamoureux highlighted the third and final set of the night as Pepperdine shut down the Spartans completely to close the night out. Six errors by the opposing side helped the Waves hold STAC to 12 points, finishing the sweep with a 25-12 set win.

WAVES VS. SPARTANS

PEPPERDINE ATTACK BY SET
Set     K         E        TA       Pct
1         13      2         19       .579
2         12       2         22       .455
3         7         1         13       .462

STAC ATTACK BY SET
Set     K         E        TA       Pct
1         10       3         25       .280
2         7         9         24       -.083
3         7         6         19       .053

The Waves have the second home match of the weekend Sunday against Daemen. First serve is scheduled for 2 p.m. with streaming available on B1G+ (subscription required) and live stats available at www.pepperdinewaves.com

GAME NOTES
• Cole Hartke led the Waves offensively, hitting .381 on 21 attempts.
• Grant Lamoureux shined from the service line, leading the Waves with five aces.
• The Waves only recorded five errors on the night, compared to the Spartans 18.
• Noé Matthey had a hand in the most blocks tonight, with three assists and one solo block.
• Andrej Polomac recorded over 85 percent of Pepperdine’s assists with 26.
• Polomac also led the team in digs with five.
• Zach Chapin, Matthey, Polomac, Lamoureux, and Ford Harman made their Wave debuts tonight.
• Chapin recorded an ace in his third collegiate set.

ABOUT PEPPERDINE MEN’S VOLLEYBALL
Pepperdine men’s volleyball boasts one of the richest histories in collegiate volleyball, with five NCAA National Championships. Four of those championships came under the direction of Hall of Fame coach Marv Dunphy who totaled 612 victories in 34 seasons at the helm. With 19 NCAA Appearances and 63 All-Americans, the program has consistently been a destination for top talent across the country. Under current head coach Jonathan Winder, the Waves reached the NCAA Final Four in his third season at the helm in 2025.

TICKETS
For more information and to purchase tickets to upcoming home events, visit here.

FOLLOW
To stay up-to-date on the latest Pepperdine women’s soccer news, follow the Waves on social media @PepperdineMVB_ .

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Men’s Volleyball Falls In Season Opener At #3 Long Beach State

Published

2 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Your Sports Nation

LONG BEACH, CA. – The Lindenwood Men’s Volleyball team (0-1, 0-0 MIVA) fell in their season opener on the road at #3 Long Beach State in three sets by scores of 21-25, 16-25, 20-25. Luke Kraft led the Lions in kills with seven in his first game in a Black and Gold uniform while Zach Solomon led the team in assists with 22.

In the first set, both teams went back and forth early. Trailing 6-4, the Lions went on a 4-0 run as Caden Whiteside had a kill during the run to put LU in front 8-6. The Beach responded with an 8-2 run of their own to take control of the first set by a score of 14-10. Amir Grant and Brendan Louthain each had a kill following the LBSU run to cut the deficit to three at 17-14, but the Beach were able to use their run in the middle of the opening set and protect their lead to take the first set by a score of 25-21. In set two, Long Beach State was able to limit the Lions to a hitting percentage of 0.033% and recorded five blocks in the middle set. LBSU won the set by a score of 25-16 and Luke Kraft led the Lions with three kills in the middle frame.

The third set saw the Lions take a 15-13 lead into the media timeout thanks to two kills each from Grant and Kraft. Kraft also had a block assist and solo block in the third set which helped give the Lions the lead in the middle of the set. However, out of the media timeout Long Beach State went on a 7-1 run and took a 20-16 lead. The Beach never gave the lead up after that and went on to complete the sweep over the Lions, winning the final set by a score of 25-20.

Lindenwood will now head to Costa Mesa, CA tomorrow where they will wrap up their first road trip of the season at Vanguard University. First serve is set for 4 p.m. CT.

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Men’s Volleyball Drops Rematch With Loyola Chicago In Four Sets

Published

2 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Your Sports Nation

HONOLULU – The second-ranked University of Hawai’i men’s volleyball team valiantly battled back from an 2-0 deficit before falling in four sets to No. 7 Loyola Chicago Friday to close out a two-match series at Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center. Set scores were 25-23, 25-22, 24-26, 29-27.

The teams split the season series for the second time in three years after UH took the opener in straight sets on Thursday.

The Rainbow Warriors (3-1) would not fold easily, rallying from a seven-point deficit in Set 3 and fending off five match points in Set 4. Ultimately, the Ramblers pulled off the upset with a block on their seventh match point.

Hawai’i committed 25 attack errors and allowed eight service aces and 15.5 blocks in virtually a repeat of the teams’ 2024 series in which the Warriors won the opener in straight sets and dropped the rematch in five.

Louis Sakanoko recorded his first career double-double with 18 kills and 12 digs along with two service aces and two blocks. Kristian Titriyski added 16 kills before giving way to Kainoa Wade in the third set. Wade finished the match with four kills, one ace, and three digs.

Adrien Roure added nine kills in 26 errorless attempts, nine digs and five blocks while Ofeck Hazan, who started in place of Trevell Jordan, posted five kills and five blocks. Tread Rosenthal dished out 50 assists along with seven digs and four blocks and Quintin Greenidge tallied 13 digs.

The Ramblers (1-1) were led by Aleksandar Sosa’s match-high 19 kills. Setter Ryan McElligott had five of the team’s eight aces along with 11 digs and four blocks.

Loyola led big early in Set 1 after McElligott fueled an 8-0 run with three aces. UH chipped away and tied it at 22 after an ace by Wade but McElligott’s fourth ace closed out the set. In Set 2, the Ramblers rallied from a 21-19 deficit and out-scored Hawai’i 6-1 to take a 2-0 lead in the match.

UH trailed by as much as seven in Set 3 including 20-13. But again, the Warriors would not go away, scoring four straight, including two kills by Wade and an ace by Sakanoko to tie it at 23. After a Rambler point, UH’s block came alive during a 3-0 run to steal the set.

Hawai’i reeled off five straight points for a 13-11 lead in Set 4. The Ramblers tied it and surged ahead 20-18 after a three-point run before the Warriors tied it at 20. Loyola jumped back ahead but Hawai’i rallied to tie it at 23. From there, the teams traded side-outs until the Ramblers blocked Hazan to end it.

The Warriors will next host a pair of doubleheaders next week against Roberts Wesleyan and Rockhurst, Wednesday, Jan. 14 and Friday, Jan. 16 at Bankoh Arena. Match times are 11:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. each day.

#HawaiiMVB

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From Clemson Clinics to Friday Night Lights

Published

3 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Your Sports Nation

As a teenager, Sam Betz used to walk the halls of Danville Area High School into its athletic training room as a curious co-op student. Now he walks in as one of the school’s two certified athletic trainers, responsible for the health and safety of hundreds of student-athletes.

“Every day is different. You never know what’s going to come through the door,” said Betz ’23/25M, a Danville native and Commonwealth University–Lock Haven alumnus. “As a high school athletic trainer, you cover pretty much everything.”

Betz’s responsibilities include injury evaluation and management, game and practice coverage, and handling parts of the registration process, such as tracking physicals. On any given day, the training room fills with athletes from nearly every sport the school offers.

“I really wanted to come back to Danville,” said Betz, who completed Lock Haven’s accelerated three-plus-two athletic training program, finishing his undergraduate work in three years and advancing straight into the two-year graduate program. “This is home, and it’s pretty special to be working with the same person I did my co-op with.”

Discovering Athletic Training

Betz’s interest in athletic training started in the same place he now works, spending afternoons as a co-op high school student in the training room with John Zayas ’12/13M, the athletic trainer and Bloomsburg alumnus who’s now his colleague.

Commonwealth University-Lock Haven 3+2 athletic training grad serves hometown high school

“I got to see what the job really looks like day to day,” Betz said. “I saw how much care goes into it with building relationships with athletes, coaches, and the whole community.”

What impressed him most was watching injured athletes move through the entire process.

“Treating someone, helping them through rehab, and then seeing them come back to the sport they love,” Betz said. “That really stuck with me,”

Majoring in Athletic Training

When it came time to pick a college, Betz toured several schools but kept coming back to Lock Haven. The campus, the town, and especially the athletic training faculty made the decision easy.

“I really liked the professors I met and the curriculum they had,” Betz said. “Lock Haven is a beautiful town, and the sports culture there is strong. Working with all the different teams was great.”

As an undergraduate, Betz took courses in anatomy, physiology, exercise physiology and sports psychology, among others. Those classes, he said, laid the groundwork for graduate study.

“I really enjoyed learning about the body, especially in lab,” Betz said. “Getting that foundational understanding was huge for going into the master’s program.”

Advancing in Athletic Training

In graduate school, Betz said the focus shifted to higher-level skills. Courses in evaluation techniques and functional anatomy were particularly meaningful. Betz points to the cadaver lab as a pivotal experience.

“Being able to see a real human body — muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves, blood vessels — that’s pretty much everything you’d want to see,” he said. “It made the anatomy we learned in undergrad come to life.”

Betz credits his evaluation techniques courses with shaping him as a clinician.

“Evaluation and assessment are one of the big domains of athletic training,” he said. “Those classes were probably my favorite, because that’s where you really learn how to assess the body.”

Clinical Rotations

Clinical experiences started close to campus. Betz’s first rotation was at Lock Haven, where he worked with football, volleyball, track and field. His second rotation took him to Lycoming College in Williamsport, where he focused primarily on men’s lacrosse, with some time with wrestling and women’s lacrosse.

A third rotation exposed him to multiple settings in quick succession. He spent time at Bald Eagle High School, rode along with an EMS crew, and observed at a chiropractor’s office that emphasized sports patients. He also participated in an industrial athletic training day at the Frito-Lay facility in Williamsport.

“In the industrial setting, you’re working with people in factories, doing a lot of ergonomics and injury prevention,” Betz said. “It’s a different world, but it’s good to know those options exist. Amazon and other companies hire athletic trainers for those roles.”

High-Level Immersion at Clemson

The capstone of Betz’s clinical training was his immersion experience — a full-semester internship that serves as the fourth and final clinical rotation in the graduate program. Betz headed south to Clemson University and joined the track and field sports medicine staff for five months. The internship sharpened skills in three key areas, he said.

“First was rehab,” Betz said. “Really understanding how to program rehab. My preceptor (internship mentor) emphasized how important that is.”

The capstone of Sam Betz’s clinical training was his immersion experience — a full-semester internship that serves as the fourth and final clinical rotation in the graduate program.

Second was preparation.

“I didn’t travel much with the team, but I helped pack before trips,” Betz said. “You make sure you have everything — rehab equipment, electrical stimulation units, medications, foam rollers, cupping sets. You may not need all of it, but if you do, it has to be there.”

The third lesson was about balance.

“Athletic training is a serious job, because you’re responsible for people’s health,” Betz said. “You need to build relationships, ask athletes how school is going, what their goals are. Crack a joke once in a while. That makes a difference for them.”

High-impact Experiences

Across his clinical rotations, Betz saw athletes from a wide range of sports and levels. That variety, he said, is essential for athletic training students.

“Different sports come with different injury patterns,” he said. “In swimming and baseball, you see a lot of upper extremity injuries like shoulders and elbows. In track and cross country, you see a lot of lower extremity injuries. Football adds more acute injuries like ankle sprains and contusions.”

Prepared for the Profession

Looking back, Betz says Lock Haven’s athletic training program gave him both the technical skills and the confidence he needed.

“The professors were really supportive in the classroom, with clinical placements, and with helping you figure out your goals,” Betz said. “The curriculum prepared me to pass the board exam and to do my job day to day.”

That preparation shows up every time an athlete walks in with a new injury.

“There are moments where I’m doing an evaluation and I can remember sitting in class learning the exact technique,” Betz said. “It’s a good feeling to know that what you learned translates directly to helping someone in front of you.”

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