Oregon Cross Country / Track & Field History
01/06/04 | Cross Country
Oregon Men's Cross Country History
The University of Oregon fielded its first track and field team in 1897. A decade later, Oregon's first great track and field head coach, Bill Hayward, began an amazing 44-year career with the Ducks from 1904-47, and assisted Olympic squads from 1908-32.
The Ducks featured three Olympic distance runners during that period—Americans Walter McClure (1912, 800m) and Ralph Hill (1932, 5,000m, 2nd) and Canadian Jack Hutchins (1948, 800m/1,500m; 1952, 800m). Hill, a native of Klamath Falls, Ore., broke the American mile record in 1930 (4:12.4), then added the American 5,000m record in 1932 (14:30.0).
The Ducks' exceptional distance tradition continued in the 1950s under the guidance of another legendary coach, Bill Bowerman who later served as the 1972 U.S. Olympic head coach.
Springfield, Ore., native Bill Dellinger won Oregon's first NCAA distance title in the mile in 1954, was the collegiate mile runner-up in '55, then added the 5,000 meters crown in '56. After college, he set six American records, two world records and made three Olympic appearances, earning the 1964 Olympic 5,000m bronze medal.
His teammate Jim Bailey was also an NCAA mile champion (1955) and Olympian (800m, 1956), and became the first miler to break the 4:00 minute mark on U.S. soil in L.A. in 1956 (3:58.6).
The mile and 1,500m continued to be an Oregon trademark thanks to four straight NCAA titles by Jim Grelle (1959) and Dyrol Burleson (1960-63). The latter Cottage Grove, Ore., native eventually claimed a pair of top-six Olympic finishes in the 1,500m (sixth, 1960; fifth, '64) and four American records during his collegiate career.
Oregon's first trips to the NCAA Cross Country Championships were rewarded with instant success. The Ducks scored runner-up NCAA finishes in '63 and '64 and were led by All-Americans Clayton Steinke and Ken Moore who placed 11th and 14th in 1963, respectively. A decade later, Moore placed fourth in the 1972 Olympic marathon after finishing 14th in '68.
That same 1972 Olympic team showcased another Duck great—Steve Prefontaine—who helped transform the sport under the guidance of Dellinger, who had rejoined the program as an assistant coach in 1968 and assumed the head post in 1972.
Prefontaine arrived as a confident, talented star from the blue collar, coastal town of Coos Bay, Ore., and immediately demonstrated how he had become the U.S. junior record holder in the 2-mile (8:41.5, 1969).
That fall, Prefontaine finished third as a freshman in the 1969 NCAA Cross Country Championships, then added three NCAA cross country individual titles, leading the Ducks to two NCAA cross country team victories (1971, '73) and second- and third-place finishes in 1969 and '70. Though Pre passed away tragically in a car crash in 1975, a host of other Oregon runners continued their pursuit for American records and Olympic berths.
"Dellinger's Army" added a third NCAA team title in 1974 thanks to a quartet of All-Americans who finished top-25—Paul Geis (fourth), Dave Taylor (fifth), Terry Williams (sixth) and Gary Barger (25th).
A new generation of Oregon excellence was introduced in 1976 with the arrival of freshmen Alberto Salazar and Rudy Chapa who combined for one NCAA title, four top-10 NCAA finishes and seven cross country All-America honors. The duo, along with All-Americans Don Clary, Bill McChesney Jr. and Matt Centrowitz, won the fourth NCAA cross country team championship for the Ducks in 1977. The team—considered to be among UO's greatest—combined for six Olympic and two World Championships invitations.
UO's success continued in the '80s and '90s as eventual World Championships qualifiers Jim Hill and Brad Hudson scored top-10 NCAA cross country finishes. Other Oregon top-five NCAA teams featured Olympians and World Championships qualifiers Karl Keska, Danny Lopez, Dan Nelson and Nick Rogers.
The three-time Olympian Dellinger also returned to the event as a U.S. assistant coach for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
Steve Fein helped usher Oregon into the new millennium when he took third in the NCAA Championships in 1999 as the top American finisher—less than a month after his Pac-10 and West Regional wins. Jason Hartmann followed with three All-America honors in 1999, 2000 and 2002 and became the third Duck ever to accomplish the feat. His last honor helped UO to its 18th top-five NCAA team finish in 2002.
In their 31 trips to the NCAA Championships, the "Men of Oregon" have claimed four NCAA titles, seven runner-up finishes and four more third-place efforts among their 26 top-10 finishes.
Oregon Women's Cross Country History
Oregon's women's team has been a leader in cross country and track and field throughout its history. Maryl Barker placed fourth in the 1974 AIAW Invitational. The AIAW held its first national championship in 1975. Oregon head coach Tom Heinonen and his Ducks finished fourth that year to start a string of 10, top-10 team finishes in the AIAW and NCAA Championships, winning the national championship in 1983.
Oregon's magical run in the '70s and '80s featured several of the NCAA's greatest runners, including a trio of top-five NCAA Championships finishers—Leann Warren (second, 1981), Kathy Hayes (third, 1983) and Annette Hand Peters (fifth, 1987).
Heinonen's tremendous success continued in the '80s and '90s, and he was rewarded with his second NCAA Coach of the Year honor when Oregon won again in 1987.
Oregon cross country had 10 more NCAA appearances in the 1990's that featured four more top-10 NCAA individual placers—Lisa Karnopp (third, 1991), Melody Fairchild (ninth, 1995) and Marie Davis (ninth, 1997, 1998). The 1995 squad was one of UO's best ever with six eventual All-Americans on its squad—Fairchild, Jenna Carlson, Milena Glusac, Marie Davis, Niamh Zwagerman and Kaarin Knudson.
By the end of Heinonen's 28th and final cross country season in the fall of 2002, UO had qualified for the national finale as a team 24 times and advanced individuals three of the other four years. In that span, Oregon celebrated 18 top-10 finishes, including six top-three finishes.
The Ducks' dominance in the Pac-10 and West Regional is equally impressive. In the West Regional, they have won 14 team titles—the most of any team—and their 28 top-five finishes the past 30 years includes five runner-up nods and three third-place efforts. UO's eight individual victories are the most of any school.
Since the inception of the Pac-10 women's finale in 1986, the Oregon women own a conference-best eight individual crowns, and their seven team titles ranks second among the 10 women's programs.
