UT -MEN'S TRACK- No team National championshim

UT has produced 35 NCAA individual National champions. 

Coach Froggie Lovvern 1962-1963

TOP OF THE CHARTS

Coach Lovvern graduated from Stamford High school in Texas, attended Pepperdine where he won the national championship in the 1500 meter.

He was an  an assistant to Coach Littlefield for 15 years, before signing a 1 year contract to replace the retiring Littlefield.

1962-2 SCORES AT NATIONALS

 Baylus Bennett 5th in the pole vaul, he is also the first Longhorn to vault over 15 feet.

Ray Cunningham

Coach Littlefield told a reporter once that “if Ray Cunningham would ever work at it he could be as good as Jack Davis, one time world record holder for the 120 high hurdles” but Ray was a free spirit and he loved more than participating in sports. But run he did and set several Longhorn school records along the way. As a sophomore he was 5th in the high hurdles at the national meet.

Ray Cunningham won the triple crown in the hurdles by winning at Drake, Kansas, and Texas relays. Longhorns finished 2nd in the SWC meet.

Cunningham had the only Longhorn victory at the Texas Relays and the Horns finished second to ACC.

Ray Cunningham 6th in 110 hurdles

1963 Coach Lovvorn

This was the worse finish for the Longhorn track team since 1921.

Rex Wilson carried the team but injuries and academic losses hurt the team. Rex is the only Horn who wins at the Texas relays ending his career with first or second in 9 of 11 races.

Finished 5 in the SWC .  After 11 years as an assistant track coach under Coach Littlefield and two years as head coach, Coach Lovvorn finished his coaching career at Texas.

Coach Patterson

1964-1 SCORE AT NATIONALS Coach Patterson

 Texas becomes the first SWC team to integrate by offering two black track stars scholarships.

The winning formula was changing from sprinters to middle distance runners in 1964 including Loy Gunter, Chuck Frawley , Preston David , and Ricardo Romo. In fact, the 1964 team was the best since the Eddie Southern days establishing state and school records.

Captains Loy Gunter and James Cooper are between Price and Patterson. 

Jim Hudson and Ernie Koy join the track team after spring football training. Jim finish's as high as 4th in the Javelin at the track meets and Ernie Koy has one 2nd place finish in the shot put.  

Ricardo Romo’s Longhorn and Beyond story told in photos

Richard Romo recovers from injuries and sets SWC meet records in the mile and three mile runs. Before his career is done he will have competed against the best. was one of the greatest distance runners in the world

1965 Coach Patterson

Injuries, academics, and illness hurt this team. Patterson said it had “been one of those frustrating years- for everyone concerned. He said the team has a lot of talent “who just had a lot of misfortune …”

1966-2 SCORES AT NATIONALS-Coach Patterson SWC Champs

Preston Davis is 8th in the 800 meters

 Keene, Langham, O’Bryan and Davis win the sprint medley at the Texas relays.

Webb, O’Bryan, Romo and Davis win the two mile relay.

Win the first SWC since 1961. Romo has two meet records. Davis wins the 880, Sansom is a surprise winner in the 120 high hurdles. King wins the pole vault .

1967- Coach Patterson

The team struggles this year. The only success this is by Bill Elliot , Mark King, Brian Woolsey, and Toby Belt. The Horns win no events in the Texas relays but they are competitive in some other events. Texas has two winners in the SWC meet- King in the pole vault and Clifton in the broad jump.

Preston Davis is outstanding performer at the Texas relays.

1968-2 SCORES AT NATIONALS- Coach Patterson

TOP OF THE CHARTS

McDaniel, Matina, Canada, and Morton finish 4th in the mile relay

Woolsey sets a Texas relay record of 4:03.6 in the mile.

Stan McDaniel, David Matina, Eddie Canada, and Dave Morton set a mile relay record.

This was the first time in the history of Texas Track that a Longhorn relay team scored points at the Nationals.

Dave Morton

I know Dave Morton but have not seen him in 40 years. Both of us were at Texas on scholarship at the same time. If someone asked me today who I most respected as a Longhorn , it would be Dave Morton. Dave Morton did not win any National Championships, but he is one of the most talented Longhorns ever in the 440 and 880 in the SWC. Carlton Stowers says “He was a competitor of national quality, a team man who contributed to numerous moment of Longhorn glory, and a youngster who had fun while doing it.”

In the book Champions by Carlton Stowers and Wilbur Evans the authors state that at 17 he was a precocious runner. He was one of the most highly recruited track stars of all time finally choosing Texas over Stanford as his college of choice. In 1968 Dave became the fastest 440 yard dash man in the history of the state of Texas with a 45.5 time in the 440. Coach Patterson said of Dave “He’s got a great deal of confidence-not cocky but confident; there’s a difference. He loves a challenge and keeps his head no matter what the pressure might be.” He was the captain of the team his senior year and led the Horns to the SWC championship. Dave had a great philosophy in life that captures his inner thoughts when he says “no one becomes really great in track or anything else of he doesn’t enjoy what he’s doing ………”

Daves contributions to the team at the Texas Relays resulted in a win for Texas and a win for Dave as the most outstanding athlete.

In 1968 the Horns are the champions of the SWC- McDaniel, Matina, Canada, and Morton are named to the All American Team.

1969 - Coach Patterson SWC Champions

Texas Relays were a bust for the Longhorns!!

Three half-milers - Mike Mosley, David Matina, and John Robertson owned  the 880 in the conference with Matina setting the SWC mark in this event. 

Horn mile relay team was invited to New York  and Cleveland for national exposure.

Dave Matina finishes 4th at the NCAA meet . His time in the 880 was a Longhorn record. The mile relay team finished 5th. 

 Co-Captain Bill Elliott finishes second in the high jump at the SWC meet. The Longhorn shot putters finished 1-2-3-5 at the SWC meet.  Randy Nichols sets a Longhorn record in the shot put. 

1970 - Coach Patterson finished 2nd in the SWC

Fred Cooper is a Tri-Captain (need picture) Fred Cooper was a double winner at the SWC meet winning the mile and 3 mile events. Nichols won the shot put

This was one of the best Texas Relays ever.   100 teams including 11 women and 1300 athletes set many Relay records . The Aggies dominated the University division.

Horns did not win one event at the Texas relays.