1976 NCAA XC nationals grumblefest

Oops, that should say 3 of 16, forgot to adjust when I saw Salazar was born in Cuba.

to clarify my vagueness, "NCAA News at the time said [1976] was 6 miles", 1976 being the alleged first year of 10k.

It was 10k. The course was flat except for one gentle hill. The grass was burnt brown and hard. The footing was fast and the runners were exceptional.

The first two runners would soon each set the 10k world record. The 3rd place runner would soon set the 10k AR twice, and win the world cross country champs twice.

Complete results have been posted here many times before.

I see. I didn't mind Rono time, but the rest was what got me, especially when some course in the following 33 years should have been nearly as fast. I'll see if I can find the complete results and maybe swing a top 100.

berol wrote:

I see. I didn't mind Rono time, but the rest was what got me, especially when some course in the following 33 years should have been nearly as fast. I'll see if I can find the complete results and maybe swing a top 100.

You never seen a cross country course this fast. As I said, the grass was hard and burnt brown. It was like running on a hard cinder track.

1976 NCAA XC at North Texas State 10k

1 28:06 Henry Rono WSU (KEN) (8:05WR, 7:32WR, 13:06WR, 27:22WR)

2 28;16 Samson Kimobwa WSU (KEN) (7:47, 13:21 ,27:30WR)

3 28:26 Craig Virgin IL (7:48, 13:19, 27:29AR, 2:10:26, 2xWXC Champ)

4 28:30 Herb Lindsey MSU (28:04, 47:02AR, 1:01:47AR)

5 28:34 John Treacy Prov (IRE) (13:16, 27:48, 2:09:15, 84 OG marathon 2nd, 2xWXC Champ)

6 28:39 Wilson Waigwa UTEP (KEN) (3:35, 3:50, 7:40, 13:20, 28:44)

7 28:43 Naill O'Shaughnessey AR (IRE) (1:46, 3:39, 3:55)

8 28:46 Sam Maritim UTEP (KEN)

9 28:49 Rudy Chapa OR (3:38, 3:57, 7:37AR, 13:19, 28:32AJR, 2:11:13)

10 28:52 James Munyala UTEP (KEN) (3:38, 8:21, 13:36)

11 28:54 Jim Peterson Gtwn

12 28:55 Josh Kimeto WSU (KEN) (7:46, 13:32, 28:00)

13 28:57 Thom Hunt AZ (7:48, 8:26, 13:26, 27:59, 22:14, 46:15, 2:12:14, WJrXC Champ 77)

14 28:58 Bruce Bickford NE (7:48, 8:25, 13:13, 27:37, 22:18, 1:01:57)

15 29:00 Kip Sirma UTEP (KEN) (13:35, 28:34) 16 29:01 Terry Williams OR

17 29:03 Art Redhair BYU

18 29:04 Terry Cotton AZ (28:11)

19 29:06 Greg Meyer MI (8:28, 13:35, 27:53, 43:07AR, 43:13AR, 2:09:00 Boston Marathon Champion)

20 29:07 George Malley PSU (8:21AR, 1:01:43AR)

21 29:09 John Flora NE (13:43, 28:13)

22 29:10 Bob Hodge Lowell (28:24, 2:10:59)

23 29:11 Tony Staynings W.Kentucky (GB) (8:27, 13:38, 28:22)

24 29:12 Henry Marsh BYU (3:59, 8:09AR, 13:45)

25 29:14 Billy Donakowski MI (13:32, 28:13, 2:10:41)

28 29:17 Steve Lacy WI (3:33, 3:54, 13:27)

33 29:22 Ron Addison TN (8:22)

34 29:23 Eric Hulst Irvine (28:55, WJrXC Champ 76)

38 29:26 Steve Plasensia MN (7:46, 13:19, 27:45, 2:12:51)

41 29:29 Carey Pinkowski Vill.

47 29:36 Kirk Pfeffer CO (28:19, 1:02:32AR, 2:10:29)

51 29:41 Matt Centrowitz OR (3:36, 3:54, 7:48, 13:12AR, 28:32)

55 29:45 Don Clary OR (7:46, 8:26, 13:27, 28:07)

74 29:51 Ralph Serna Irvine (2:14:16)

115 30:09 Dan Schlesinger Yale (28:33, 2:11:37)

132 30:16 Pete Pfitzinger Cornell (28:41, 2:11:53)

169 30:36 Craig Masback Princeton (3:35, 3:52)

170 30:37 Randy Jackson WI (8:22)

171 30:37 Kyle Heffner Tex A&M (1:16:05AR, 2:10:55)

182 30:44 Ron Tabb Cent.MO (28:37, 2:09:31)

187 30:46 Steve Scott Irvine (1:45, 3:31, 3:47AR, 7:36, 13:30)

203 30:55 Mark Nenow KY (7:43, 13:18, 27:20AR, 2:14:21)

Sweet, tho I was kinda hoping the results weren't out there. :) Researching fr/so/jr/sr is a pain in the neck and rarely reported back then. I saw a post saying that the first mile in '76 was a screamer.

Here, Henry Rono and Craig Virgin chat about the race.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=867871&l=55115a61c3&id=1247251800

John Walker had the funniest line with the showers.

Progress, now I can get a top 58. I'll have to scare up the rest of 26th-37th to fill out the 100.

You're right, Malmo, those times don't seem unreasonable, for any of them, on a track-like course. Just about all of them were faster on the track. Thanks for the insights.

I forgot about some runners being older back then. Here is another for the 1976 list, not that it helps fill in my hole.

40 29:28.79 Frank Munene, UTEP

Malmo: thanks for sharing the conversation.

[quote]malmo wrote:

You never seen a cross country course this fast. As I said, the grass was hard and burnt brown. It was like running on a hard cinder track.

Agreed, I remember hearing splits from my coach that made no sense on a CC course. Felt like I was running a repeat of the 76 track nationals 10k. Breaking 30 on a CC course was pretty decent back then - Not that day.

Still hurts thinking about it

whoareu wrote:

[quote]malmo wrote:

You never seen a cross country course this fast. As I said, the grass was hard and burnt brown. It was like running on a hard cinder track.

Agreed, I remember hearing splits from my coach that made no sense on a CC course. Felt like I was running a repeat of the 76 track nationals 10k. Breaking 30 on a CC course was pretty decent back then - Not that day.

Still hurts thinking about it

Interesting, my coach was at what was purported to be the half mile mark and the leaders were 2:01.

I passed the mile in 4:21 in about 25th place.

From the December 10, 1976 edition of "The Harrier."

The splits for the leaders given in the article are:

1 -- 4:17

2 -- 8:47, with Rono, Kimombwa, Kimeto, and Virgin in lead pack

3 -- 13:20, with Rono the clear leader w/Virgin 40y back

4 -- 18:00, Rono leads w/15y on Kimombwa and Virgin 100y back

5 -- 22:37, Rono

10,000m (finish) -- 28:06.6 Rono wins by 60y over Kimombwa (28:16) and Virgin (28:26) 140y back.

Hodgie-san wrote:

whoareu wrote:

[quote]malmo wrote:

You never seen a cross country course this fast. As I said, the grass was hard and burnt brown. It was like running on a hard cinder track.

Agreed, I remember hearing splits from my coach that made no sense on a CC course. Felt like I was running a repeat of the 76 track nationals 10k. Breaking 30 on a CC course was pretty decent back then - Not that day.

Still hurts thinking about it

Interesting, my coach was at what was purported to be the half mile mark and the leaders were 2:01.

I passed the mile in 4:21 in about 25th place.

I did not go out that fast but still fast for me - you must have been right around my teammate Ron Addison.

Pfitz ran 2:11:43

Boy that is one hell of a list of great runners in one race.