Sunday, May 8, 2016

V. 1 #17 Facts about the University of Cincinnati Track & Field and Cross Country Programs (Part 2 of 3; 1950-1975)

1950-51
Records were set in 440 the dash by Robert MacVeigh (49.5) and the mile relay team (3:24.4).
Cincinnati placed fourth in the MAC Conference Meet, and won two Tri-Meets.
UC tied for fourth in the Ohio College Meet.

L-R  Bob MacVeigh, Don Wahle

1951-52
Cincinnati went 2-2 on the season, placing third in the Mid-American Conference Meet, and eighth in the Ohio College Meet.
Ted Corbitt placed 38th in the 1952 Olympic Games in the Marathon.
Bob MacVeigh also qualified to the Olympic Trials.

Corbitt posing in front of the Paavo Nurmi statue, which is outside of the Helsinki Olympic Stadium

1952-53
Don Wahle dominated in both the one and two mile runs, setting new school records in each (one-mile, 4:26.6; two-mile 9:52.5).
William Shalosky put the shot 49' 2" beating the record.
Robert Husic threw the discus an impressive 142' 11.5”, which also set a new school record.
The team finished fourth in the MAC Meet.

Don Wahle leading

Bill Shalosky

1953-54
UC went 2-1 on the season, beating Berea College and Central State at home. They came in second at the Tri-Meet in Hanover, IN. The Bearcats finished seventh at the Ohio College Meet, with six individuals and one relay team placing in the top five.

1954-55
Robert Crawford jumped 6' 3.25" to set a new UC record in the high jump.
The Bearcats beat Butler University in a downpour by 1/3 of a point to capture their only win of the season.

1955-56
Cincinnati finished with a 3-2 record on the season, setting four new school records in the process. The 880 Relay team finished the race in a time of 1:30.7. Don Havlicek broke a record set in 1929, finishing the 120 high hurdles in a time of 15.4 seconds. Wayne Stevens jumped 23 feet in the broad jump, and William Roth catapulted to 12' 7.5" in the Pole Vault.

Wayne Stevens also high jumping

1956-57
William Roth catapulted into the record books, posting a 13' 3.5" jump to set a new school record.
The Bearcats went 5-1 on the season, and scored three points in the Missouri Valley Conference Meet, scored by Roth after he placed third in the pole vault.

1957-58
UC finished seventh in the difficult Missouri Valley Conference Meet.
In other competitions they beat Butler and DePauw.
Bill Roth bettered UC's high jump record, posting a 6' 4" finish.

1958-59
Coach Nikoloff retired at the end of the season.
The Bearcats smashed Berea and Bellarmine (81-51-30) at the Tri-Meet in Kentucky.
Cincinnati ended the season with an eighth place finish in the Missouri Valley Conference Meet.
Bill Roth bettered his own high jump record by an eighth of an inch.

1959-60
Tay Baker took over at the helm for the track team. Cincinnati finished in seventh at the Missouri Valley Conference Meet, and placed third in the Ohio Wesleyan Meet.

Tay Baker

1960-61
Posting a three and five season, Cincinnati placed second in two Tri-Meets, and first in the Kentucky Tri-Meet against Louisville and Bellarmine.
Andy Edwards set a new school record in the discus, throwing 41'4".

1961-62
UC recorded their best season since 1956, posting a 5-1 record on the season and placing sixth in the Missouri Valley Conference. The Bearcats also defended their title against Bellarmine and Louisville, again downing both in the Tri-Meet.
Carl Burgess preformed impressively during the season, setting school records in the high jump (6'7") and high hurdles (15.1), and tied the record in the low hurdles. Burgess was also a member of the 880-relay team that set a new record in a time of 1:29.8.

Carl Burgess High Jumping High

1962-63
Cincinnati went undefeated, winning all four of their dual meets. The Bearcats also placed second at the Missouri Valley Conference Meet, the highest place in that meet up to this point.
Nine new school records were set, and one as tied in the course of the season.
Carl Burgess again led the team, setting five records on his own. Breaking his own record in the 120-yard high hurdles (15.0), he also broke the high jump mark (6'8 3/4") and broad jump (23'3"). Setting a high standard in two new events, Burgess finished the 220 medium hurdles in 41.2, and the renewed hop, step, jump in 44-8. Burgess went on to represent UC in the NCAA Track and Field Championships.

Carl Burgess broad jumping (that’s what they called the long jump back then)

1963-64
Dave Dunkelberger took over as Head Coach.
Thirteen new records were set, leaving only the shot, discus, pole vault and high jump events untouched.
Carl Burgess was impressive again, setting four individual records and participating on two record setting relay teams. He was also the only triple winner in the Missouri Valley Conference Meet, taking high jump, broad jump and high hurdles.
Co-Captain Bob Howell set two new records in the dashes, and won the 100 and 220 at the MVC.
Coach Dave Dunkelberger


1964-65
Burgess soared 6'9" in the high jump to set a new school record during the indoor season.
John Jennings equaled the pole vault record set by Bill Roth in 1960 when he jumped 13'7".
Miler Martin Perret received the first Jimmy Nippert Award. The Nippert Award is annually presented to UC’s top graduating male student-athlete.

Martin Perret

1965-66
Cincinnati placed sixth in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC), and beat Hanover College to better their previous record.
Jim Sweeterman broke the school record, tossing the shot put 50' 8.5".
Denny Woodruff set a new mark of 149' 2" in discus. 
Gary Truce took over as the new head coach and remained until 1968.

1966-67
UC set six new records, and placed fifth in the MVC Meet. Cornelius Lindsey set a new mark in the high jump, leaping 6'10", and finished the 120 high hurdles in 14.6 for a new record.

1967-68
Cincinnati boycotted the Kentucky Relays held in Lexington. High jumper Cornelius Lindsey, and runners Jim Calloway and Chuck Roberts all qualified for the NCAA Track and Field Championships. Lindsey set a MVC record, jumping 6'8" and winning the conference meet. He also qualified in the 120 hurdles. Calloway won the 880-yard run at the MVC, setting a school and conference record (1:50.6). The Bearcats finished fourth in the MVC. In all, eight new records were set. Lindsey became the first UC track member to score a point in the NCAA, although he was not considered an All-American.

1968-69
Paul Armor began his first year as Head Coach. Cincinnati went 7-3 on the season, placing sixth in the MVC Meet.
Eight new individual records were set, with Jim Callaway posting two of the records himself (one-mile, 4:09.8; 880-yard run 1:50.4).
The oldest men’s outdoor track and field record at the end of the century is the 4 x 800 relay:  7:28.54 (1969).  The team was composed of Dan Mock / Dave Udovic / Chuck Roberts / Jim Calloway.

1969-70
Al Lanier qualified for the NCAA Track and Field Championships, with a long jump of 25' 4" and a triple jump of 50' 1/4". He was undefeated in the long jump until the Central Collegiate Meet, where he placed second. He set new school records in both events. He finished sixth in the triple jump in a distance of 49'8 3/4", earning the first ever Bearcat point at the National Meet. Lanier placed 13th in the long jump.
As a team, Cincinnati placed third in the MVC, and set seven new school records. 
Chuck Hunsaker is the coach from1970-72.

Al Lanier

1971
Al Lanier again makes an appearance in the NCAA Championships in the triple jump.
The top UC finisher at the NCAA Cross Country Championships was Ron Stapleton’s 23rd in 1971.

1972
After two years of trying, Al Lanier became the first All-American in track, scoring the accolade in the long jump. He won the acclaimed Drake Relays in the same event and he also qualified to the Olympic Trials. 

Bill Klayer is the coach from 1972-75.
Coach Bill Klayer


1973
Al Lanier is one of three UC athletes to compete at the NCAA Championships and becomes the first and only Bearcat to earn All-American accolades in two events in the same year, doing so in the triple jump and long jump.
Jim Stanley is also named an All-American in the 10,000 meters, while Ron Stapleton competed in the 5,000 meters.

1974
Jim Stanley goes back to the NCAA's in the 10,000 meters, this time being joined by Jim Schnur, who qualifies in the 400 meters. 
Ted Corbitt, called the Father of American Distance Running, wrote his autobiography, Corbitt, in 1974.

1975
Jim Schnur makes a second NCAA appearance in the 400 meters, being joined at the championships by teammate Barry Pajcic (880-yard run). 
Lansing Holman begins his coaching tenure at UC (1975-80).


Jim Schnur

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