The fastest runner in the 1973 NCAA XC Champs

Wish I were there for that one!

Here's my Minty story:

In the fall of 1986 (God, it's been 20 years!), our ISU squad was prepping for the upcoming season with a grassy 5K in Terre Haute. Not much comp came over, a few alums and the Rose-Hulman squad from down the road. For most of the varsity it was an nice diversion. Running fast for 15 minutes was a nice break from the mileage. At the start line, this fella lines up with us and none of us know him. He's clearly older than us, and we just assume he's some local roadracer getting in a morning run. Little do we know that's the last time we'll see him before the chute.

All I can say is that he ran 14:56 and I got a great view of his back during that Labor Day race. Gordon would come by and run with us from time to time. He never offered much in terms of training advice, except that we should run--a lot! Anyway, he's a heckuva nice guy and a good example of what a person can accomplish with a high level of determination.

[quote]Hangman Valley GC wrote:

11. Ted Castaneda UColo 28:55

20. Peterson UColo 29:08

Was John Gregorio from C.U. in the race?

fallen timber, who are you? I was a senior on that 86 team and recall Gordon killing us all!

check your e-mail, scott

Bob Parks also like to claim that Earl Jones would have gotten Silver in L.A. if he didn't hit 124 pound Coe's arm down the homestretch.

fallen timber wrote:

check your e-mail, scott

you talkin' to me? i don't think you're talkin' to me. nuthin' from nobody this afternoon.

Oletimer wrote:

11. Ted Castaneda UColo 28:55

20. Peterson UColo 29:08

Was John Gregorio from C.U. in the race?

Can't tell for sure but the other Buff in the top 91 was Griffin @ 35th, 29:34. CU was 6th as a team.

sorry, different scott.

we flew to Portland after the race, so missed the snow storm. We did a little celebrating, so don't remember much about the next day (Blitz Beer seemed to be a favorite in Portland!).

I remember thinking that Rose had it wrapped up as I saw him enter the back part of the course. However, I also remember that, in general, Pre didn't like to lose.

I was in Munich (as a spectator only, of course) and saw Pre's 5K-one of the gutsiest races I've seen an American Collegian run anywhere. shame he couldn't sustain the last 300 meters.

also: in those days, the "AAU" had the "national" meet on Saturday after Thanksgiving, just 5 days after NCAAs. In '73, it was in Orlando Fla. So all the collegians had a big 10K at 25 degrees in Pacific Northwest, then home for Thanksgiving, then to Orlando for another 10K at 85 degrees, 85% humidity. Almost none of us finished. I was ~5th or 6th at 1 mile-got my pic in T&F News by being next to big dogs-was in ~ 50th by 2 mile, and out of the race in a shaded pine tree corrider at 3 mile.

Virgin refused to drop out-and stumbled across the line looking like death warmed over about 15 minutes after the winner. many of us were really worried-he clearly recovered in time to win Worlds a few years later.

great memories-thanks for letting me join in.

I always thought the '73 AAU meet was held in Chicago's Washington Park. Could be wrong.

Hayeser Hoosier wrote:

also: in those days, the "AAU" had the "national" meet on Saturday after Thanksgiving, just 5 days after NCAAs. In '73, it was in Orlando Fla. So all the collegians had a big 10K at 25 degrees in Pacific Northwest, then home for Thanksgiving, then to Orlando for another 10K at 85 degrees, 85% humidity. Almost none of us finished. I was ~5th or 6th at 1 mile-got my pic in T&F News by being next to big dogs-was in ~ 50th by 2 mile, and out of the race in a shaded pine tree corrider at 3 mile.

Virgin refused to drop out-and stumbled across the line looking like death warmed over about 15 minutes after the winner. many of us were really worried-he clearly recovered in time to win Worlds a few years later.

great memories-thanks for letting me join in.

AAU meet was in Gainesville '73. Here's what TFN had to say: Participants seemed pleased w/the meet conditions, especially from an administrative angle. The warm, sunny, mid-80's temp may have caused the collapse of Illinois freshman CVirgin who fell 3 times in the final 300y before collapsing 200y from the finish. He had been in 6th.

10000m

1. FShorter 29:52

2. DBrown 29:55

3. JGalloway 30:03

4. Tony Brien 30:09

5. DBuerkle 30:13

6. BBrown 30:23

7. JBacheler 30:31

8. MLiquori 30:33

9. ELeddy 30:47

10. HMichael 30:52

13. TFleming 31:05

14. BDyce 31:08

16. SSink 31:14

21. MCentrowitz 31:28

23. TSmith 31:36

45. CMaguire 32:18

3 guys, D & BBrown and SSink were 1-3 all-time in US steeple at the time.

whoops: Gainesville, not Orlando.

They were in Chicago in '70 and I think '72 (I ran AAUs in '70, but not '71 or '72)

look at the list: other than Doug Brown, not many collegians up front.

you're right, I stand corrected!

I'm thinkin scotth ran AAU in 70 @ Chi-town. I can't personally remember anyone falling or being pushed / shoved / wrestled to the ground at the start - or even reading about it.

So, now I'm also thinkin the usual pusher suspects were too cold too plan for or execute something like that. I'm also thinkin that what was to transpire in the '73 NCAA was a long range plan.

I could be wrong on this though.

Hayeser - you run for team in AAU 70 mudfest?

Chitown AAU '70...now there's a race I'd like to forget. I stopped at about 4.5 miles, removed my mudcaked shoes, handed them to a spectator and continued to the end.

1. FShorter 30:05

2. JBacheler 30:44

3. DKardong 30:51

4. SStageburg 30:55

5. JMason 31:02

6. SBair 31:03

7. KColburn 31:04

8. DEllis (EMU) 31:06

9. KMisner 31:08

10. THoffman 31:10

13. MCovert 31:18

16. JJobski 31:20

17. GColehour 31:24

19. BBrown 31:29

21. JParker 31:31 (Once a Runner)

23. no one 31:34

29. JGalloway 31:44

34. THeinonen 31:51

35. ELeddy 31:52

36. SKelley 31:53

45. GMinty (EMU) 32:09

50. NCusack 32:13

There's some detail about the '73 race in Moore's Men of Oregon:

... he was eligible to race in the rall of 1973. But his sciatica had limited his training and his confidence was at an all time low. "I'd never seen Pre act like he did before the NCAA meet in Spokane," Dave Taylor would recall. "He'd injured his back and he was in a panic. He was just a regular person at that meet. He even locked himself in his room at eight that night."

His main rival would be Western Kentucky's Nick Rose, the world junior cross-country champion from Britain. "I'd been racing the way I do best," Rose would say, "just hammering for about four miles and then hanging on the last two." Rose, possessed of a high, rangy stride and great downhill relaxation, flew to a sixty-yard lead at halfway. Runners all over the course recall being astounded to see that gap.

Pre told Taylor later that he was really hurting, "so it was either do or die." He began to gain. Rose knew he was coming "and had this strange feeling I wasn't going to beat him." Pre came alongside with three-quarters of a mile to go and charged on to win his third NCAA cross-country crown. Oregon won Bill Dellinger's first national team title with 89 points to Texas-El Paso's 157.

did I ever tell you the story about the tfn cover w shorter, bacheler and misner pointing at 'something' exitedly?

ahhh - take too long