Cross Country and distance

TLSN builds bridges to the past to remind all Longhorns that heritage shapes the present and inspires the future. There is no better vista for storytelling than through the eyes of those who were part of memorable moments in Longhorn sports history. 

I admit it, as a young man, one of my motivations to play football was the attention received from fans and girls and the roar of the crowd on game day, but such shallow reasons do not motivate all athletes. A Cross Country athlete's motivations are pure and personal. These athletes remain motivated in a sport that receives little recognition, few fans, little press, and lots of bad weather, and for choosing this sport, this is what waits for them at the finish line. WebMaster- Billy Dale   

"Your body will argue that there is no justifiable reason to continue. Your only recourse is to call on your spirit, which fortunately functions independently of logic." Tim Noakes

WHEN TO CELEBRATE A LOSS.

Track, Field, and Cross Country are not complicated sports. These athletes don't need to learn complicated plays, study films to determine team tendencies or change offensive and defensive techniques every week to exploit the weakness of their next competitor. Track participant’s main goal is to convert innate talents, strong discipline, and hard work into maximum performance. Track forces participants to confront personal character flaws, demons, personal weaknesses, and insecurities. Jesse Owens says about mental toughness "The Battles That Count Aren't the Ones For Gold Medals. The struggles within yourself - The Invisible, Inevitable battles Inside all of Us - That's Where It Is At." Patti Sue Plumer agrees, saying, "Racing teaches us to challenge ourselves. It teaches us to push beyond where we thought we could go. It helps us to find out what we are made of. This is what we do. This is what it's all about." Augie Garrido, the Longhorn head baseball coach until 2016, says winning should never determine your self-worth. Coach Weis, the Longhorn women's Golf coach from 1969-1993, agrees. She says, "As long as you feel you've given your best, that you've given 100 percent effort on every shot, no one can complain. There can only be one winner!" My respect for track and field athletes is deeply rooted in my past. I have experienced the invisible struggles that exposed my flaws and insecurities. In my senior year in high school, I set my personal best time in the 100 but finished last in my heat. As a 17-year-old boy, I was surprised that I was happy finishing last, but this epiphany help me re-calibrate my definition of success for my life journey. There will always be someone better, but that does not mean I am a failure. Track taught me to celebrate finishing last in some "life events".

Meb Keflezigihi said it best. “I also realize that winning doesn’t always mean getting first place; it means getting the best out of yourself.”

 I Hope With Time This Site Can Add Some Historical Insight And Tell The Full And Compelling Story Of The Texas Cross Country Tradition. 

Overview-

• Texas has been a top 10 finisher at the NCAA Cross Country Championship 7 times (1956, 1986, 1990, 1991, 2005, 2006, and 2012)

Cross Country is a sport of man against nature, and while Cross Country depends on individual performance, teamwork is needed to reach the final goal of winning. Each member of the team must share the responsibility to maximize their talents by maintaining a discipline work-out that requires running 70 to 100 miles a week. Coach Cleburne Price said it best when you run as well as you can. You’ve got to be happy with the outcome.

1900-1905 Coach F.H Curtis

1906-1909 Coach J.P. Howser 

1910 C.S. Snyder

1911 J. Burton Rix 1911

Women and cross country competition started in the early 1900's with women walking instead of running to victory.

1912-1914 Coach Carl C. Taylor - Pending

1915-1916 Coach W.E. Metzenithin- pending

1918- 1920 Coach W.J. Juneau- pending

Conference Champion

 1921

Captain Johnny Trout wins the conference run. Photo below

1922

Unfortunately, in 1922 John Trout was inflicted with dengue fever that hurt his performance all season and Texas A & M won the conference championship.

Jeff Neely - Conference Champion Cross Country

1923 -  1924 Coach McLean-Conference Champion

Captain Jim Reese was declared ineligible, but the team still won the Conference title.  This was the first year the team received national recognition by winning the medley relay in Kansas.

1925- 1926- 1927 Coach McLean

Jim Reese Is Texas First National Champion Winning The Outdoor Mile Run. 

1928 Coach Mclean

In 1927 Texas had no letterman on the team , Blanton was the shining star for the team this year. McLean also works with the football staff plotting the charts . His cross country teams won two Cross Country SWC championships

1929- Coach Roy McLean

Finished  2nd in conference to the Aggies. 

1930 Conference Champions-Coach Roy McLean

1931 Conference Champions-Coach Roy McLean

Adolph Schiller  - Conference Champion Cross Country

1932 Conference Champions-Coach Roy McLean- Pending More Info

Lane ??? - Conference Champion Cross Country

1933 Conference Champions Coach Roy McLean

McLean was the coach of the wrestling and cross-country teams in the Department of Physical training. McLean also plotted charts for all football games.

George Wilson - Conference Champion Cross Country in 1933 and 1934

1934 Conference Champions- Coach Littlefield

1935 Conference Champions-Coach Littlefield

Earl Johnson - Conference Champion Cross Country

1936 Conference Champions-Coach Littlefield

???? Thomas - Conference Champion Cross Country

For the 5th consecutive year, UT wins the SWC.  Earl Johnson, Remus Thomas, and Captain Buren Edwards took the first three places at the SWC meet.  The Cactus called Johnson the "midget sophomore".

1937 Conference Champions-SWC Champs- Coach Littlefield

The team lost some great runners in 1936, but this team surprisingly beat the Rice Owls for the SWC.

1938 Coach Littlefield

After a 7 year run, Rice finally beat the Longhorns and won the SWC.  Injuries and ineligibilities hurt the team this year. 

1939 Conference Champions-SWC Champs-Coach Littlefield

1939 meeting was held at A & M .  A "T" winged letter was presented to 7 athletes who finished in the first 10 of the SWC meet.   They were Joe Garret, James Edminister, Bardwell Odum, Tommie Lostak, Forest Hill, Jesse Thompson, and Thomas McSpadden.

Harry Hafernick - Conference Champion Cross Country

1940 Conference Champions-Coach Littlefield

1941 Conference Champions-Coach Littlefield  

 1942 Conference Champions-Coach Littlefield

1943 Conference Champions-Coach Littlefield

Jerry Thompson finishes first and Bob Umstattd finishes 2nd in the SWC championship 

1944 Conference Champions-Coach Littlefield

Bob Umstattd - Conference Champion Cross Country

Team wins first 6 places in the SWC Cross Country championship

1945 Conference Champions-Coach Littlefield

Mule Wilson is 6th in the two mile run

Don Fox - Conference Champion Cross Country

1946 Conference Champions-Coach Littlefield

1947 Conference Champions-Coach Lovvorn

The team wins their 17th consecutive SWC championship.  This is one of the best Cross Country teams in Longhorn history.  Jerry Thompson his first year set a record for the 2.7-mile course.

Jerry finished 3rd at Nationals in the 4-mile course.

Jerry Thompson is National Champion in the two mile run. He is also Conference Champion in the Cross Country in 1942, 1943, 1946, 1947.

Don Sparks is 6th in the mile

1949 -Pending More Info

Team finished 3rd in SWC.  Longhorn Tom Rogers was only beaten for the SWC championship by  1/10 of a second.

1950 -Coach Lovvorn

Team finished 3rd behind Texas A & M and Arkansas

1951 -Coach Lovvorn

Team finished 3rd in SWC. Longhorns only place one athlete in the top 10 finishes.

1952 -Pending More Info

3rd place finish again 

1953 -Coach Lovvorn

Team finished in 2nd place in the SWC championship by two points.  Inocenio Cantu was second in the championship run. 

1954- Conference Champion Coach Lovvorn

 Texas wins the Conference championship for the first time since 1947.  In six meets, the Horns were first four times and second 2 times. Cantu sets two-course records 

1954 Inocenio Cantu put the Horns on the Cross Country map earning  All-American honors with a 11th place.

1955 Conference Champions- Coach Lovvorn

#1 song in 1955

Walter McNew led the team. In eight scheduled events, the Horns came out first only two times, but one was the SWC championship.

1956 -Pending Coach Lovvorn

 1956 – The Horns finished 3rd in Cross Country. Walter McNew wins the NCAA championship.

Texas highest finish (3rd) at the National Cross Country.  

In 1956, he was Conference Champion in the Cross Country.

1957 -Coach Lovvorn

Ranked 11th nationally

Joe Villareal was 4th nationally in the mile in 1957 and 7th in the 5000 Meters nationally in 1958. 

Walter McNew is An All American In The Cross Country In 1956 And 1957. He Is The Only Texas Cross Country Runner To Win A National Championship.

1958- Coach Lovvorn

1959- Coach Lovvorn 

Second at the SWC meet.  The Horns lost more than they won this year

1960- Conference Champion Coach Lovvorn

The slide show is below.

Ranked 12th nationally in Men's Cross Country.

1961- -Coach Lovvorn

Finished 3rd in the SWC.  Steve Strickland had a 9th place finish at the SWC championship.

1962- Coach Price 

 1963- Coach Cleburn Price SWC Champs

Preston Davis is Conference Champion in the Cross Country in 1963 and 1965

1964-Conference Champions Coach Price Pending More Info

Ricardo Romo is Conference Champion in the Cross Country

Romo recovers from injuries and sets SWC meet records in the mile and three mile runs.  He is 7th nationally in The Mile In 1962 And 3rd In 1966.

HOH inductee in 1987 for CROSS COUNTRY (1963-65) and
TRACK (1964-66)

• First UT runner to break 4:00 min mile (3:58.8)

• Third in 1966 NCAA mile run

• 1964 NCAA cross country title

• 1966 All-American

• SWC mile champ from 1964-66 won three-mile run in 1966

• Member of 1966 U.S. national track team

• Served as UT vice provost for undergraduate education and a member of Men's Athletics Council

• Named president of the University of Texas at San Antonio in May 1999

At UT Austin, He Was The First Texan To Run The Mile In Less Than Four Minutes, A Record That Lasted 41 Years.

Ricardo Romo Is The Fifth President Of The University Of Texas At San Antonio, Which Was Named By The Texas Legislature As An Emerging Tier One Research University And A Leader In Providing Access To Excellence In Teaching, Research And Community Outreach.

Under His Leadership, Student Enrollment grew 68 Percent. The University  Added Numerous Programs And Facilities To Enhance Student Life And Expand Its Research Capacity. With Total Research Expenditures Of $56.8 Million And Total Expenditures Of $79.4 Million For Fiscal Year 2011, It Represents A Six-Fold Increase In Expenditures During Romo’s Tenure.

1967 Conference Champions-SWC Champs- Coach Price

Brian Woolsey leads the team. 5 team members place in the top 20 at the SWC meet.

Brian Woolsey  is Conference Champion in the Cross Country in 1967 and 1968.

1968 - Coach Price

1969 Conference Champions-Coach Daniels

Team finishes 2nd to SMU.  For the first time all SWC teams attend the Cross Country event. 

Fred Cooper is Conference Champion in the Cross Country.

1970-Pending Coach Jack Daniels

Longhorns finish 2nd again in the SWC meet.  Tom Gardner wins  the SWC individual championship  but SMU is the SWC team champion.

Horns are ranked 30th nationally in Men's Cross Country

1971 Conference Champions- Coach Daniels

Jack Daniels team finishes 2nd at the NCAA district 6 meet. 

Ricky Yarbrough places 3rd in the SWC Championships

1972 Conference Champions Coach Price

In 1972 when traveling between Austin and College Station the cross country team the two drivers - Price and James Blackwood stop by the side of road. Paul Craig John Craig , and Lloyd Stephenson get out of the car and start walking in an old cotton field. They proceeded to pick cotton bulbs from remaining stems. John told me they had never seen cotton outside a blue box , so they asked Coach Price to stop . All us Texas boys have a big laugh over that .            Rey   Moreno                                

1973-Coach Blackwood

1974- Coach Blackwood Pending More Info

1974- NCAA - Paul Craig 7th In The Mile

1974 Reed Fischer is the first Longhorn to run a sub-four minute mile. 

(Romo also ran a sub 4 mile but it was after he graduated from Texas.)

Tim Patton wins the 3 miles Conference title.

1975- Coach Blackwood Pending More Info

Front ; Klonower, Subrt, Patton, back- Fisher, Maldonado, Moreland, Coach Blackwood

Finished 2nd to Arkansas in the SWC.  Coach Price said we finished 2nd but "When you run as well as you can you've got to be proud, and that is what we did.  Paul Craig leads the team with a 4th place finish at the SWC meet.

(Romo also ran a sub 4 mile but it was after he graduated from Texas.)

Tim Patton wins the 3 miles Conference title.

1976-Coach Price

Finished 2nd to Arkansas in the SWC.  Coach Price said we finished 2nd but the guys ran the best they could. "When you run as well as you can you've got to be proud, and that is what we did. 

The women’s team finished 12 at the AIAW national championship meet.

1977- For the first time Women cross Country is featured in the Cactus Annual.

The women’s team suffered many injuries this year and finished 16th at the national meet.

Cross Country runners 

1978- Coach James Blackwood

Women’s

Women's Cross country starts in a big way. First in 4 of seven meets. Horns win the TAIAW championship, and the tower is orange.  Runners were 16th at the national meet. 

Women win the regional meet and the tower is lit up. The team was 16th at the National meet.

Men’s

Men placed 4th at district 6 Cross Country Championship,  but 7th in the SWC championship

Men placed 4th at district 6 Cross Country Championship,  but 7th in the SWC championship.

1979- Coach Phil Delavan

Coach Delevan receives kudos for his kind and philosophical approach choosing not to show anger. He stressed dedication, perseverance, and academics. His friendly attitude toward his team creates a strong feeling of camaraderie.

Women

1980-  Coach James Blackwood & Coach Delavan   

Teri Anderson was hired as the first full-time assistant coach for Phil Delavan.

Finished 2nd in the SWC but only Sitonik placed at the National meet and received an All American status.

Ranked 26th nationally

1981-Coach Delavan women placed 12th at nationals

Men's team 1981 finishes 16th at Nationals and second in the SWC and the District 6th meet. Sitonic, Koech and Rivero lead the way. 

1982- Coach Delavan

women 1982

Cross Country Women finish # 12 . The highest team finish in Longhorn history thru 1982. 

Men 1982

Sam Sitonik is 7th nationally in the steeplechase in 1980 and 6th in 1982. This was the first time in the history of Texas track that a Longhorn placed in the steeplechase.

Sam Sitonik is Conference Champion in the Cross Country

Womens coach Terry Crawford 1983-1991 

1983- Coach Blackwood Ranked 21st nationally

MEN

Sitonik, Chelelgo, Sang, and Trickett won All conference honors.