1971 Postal<<< >>>1973 (>>>1977)
If you have ever been a part of a state championship team you know the feeling of accomplishment accompanied with victory. Each year there come very special programs across the country that step beyond simply winning and into a realm of total domination. It is in these moments of triumph that the questions of team's "greatness" are raised. Extraordinary accomplishments that warrant recognition and validation to set in stone once and for all, their XC Legacy.
(Recap) In 2004 Nike changed the face of prep cross country with the implementation of Nike Team Nationals. After decades the hopes and dreams of avid cross fans were finally realized. Hosted by Nike, NTN allowed the top XC programs in the nation to compete in one true national championship race at Portland Meadows. Many state associations do not allow prep teams to travel so teams register as clubs in order to compete in this post season event.
The pinnacle event for the prep cross country team is earning a berth to Nike Cross Nationals. The goal of every prep team is to hoist the NXN National Championship Trophy, proclaiming the true national
champions. The honor and prestige of traversing the Portland Meadows course as team victor welcomes the winning team into an elite fraternity of champions that stretches back three decades.
Nike Cross Nationals and all that the event represents to the sport of cross country undeniably traces its roots, inception, and excitement to one moment and one man over three decades ago. In 1973 New York Times free-lance reporter Marc Bloom looked across the nation and saw a lack in comprehensive coverage for prep cross country and came up with a revolutionary idea. An idea that would pump new life and energy into high school cross country. The single most profound event since to the emergence of Nike Cross Nationals three decades later, The Harrier Magazine!
In 1974 Marc Bloom released comprehensive coverage for the national cross country scene for the first time ever. Releasing detailed summaries of every state the network for prep cross country on a national scale was implemented and developed. The culminating event for The Harrier magazine was the release of the Harrier Top-50 High School All-Americans.
The winds of change came in 1976 when Harrier released the first national team rankings in US history. A new buzz and excitement spread throughout the nation as top programs sought fervently to be crowned National Champions by The Harrier magazine. Team rankings were again released in 1977, following the 1977 season The Harrier was discontinued until being resurrected by Bloom in 1989. XC Legacy has sought to bridge the gap from that final 1977 season until the 1989 season.
The significance of those four seasons from 74’-77’ in the scope of prep cross country cannot be understated. Without the efforts of Marc Bloom to network and harness the energy that is prep cross country there would have not been a platform for Nike Cross Nationals.
The Harrier 1989 rankings came at the perfect moment and for a decade teams from the four corners of the nation sought the coveted Harrier National Championship. It was this energy, and this excitement that inspired the creation of the Nike Cross Nationals…the nation’s true prep team championship.
Perhaps now a spotlight can rest on those teams who deserve recognition for superior national performances.
XCLegacy BIG-15 National Rankings
by Aron & David Taylor
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Team/State |
Season Accomplishment |
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1. Lompoc, California (Coach Dick Johnson) |
Undefeated National Champions |
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2. South Eugene, Oregon (Coach Harry Johnson) |
Undefeated State Champions | |
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3. Haddon Township, New Jersey |
Eastern States Champions |
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4. Merced, California |
CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Champions |
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5. York, Illinois (Coach Joe Newton) |
State Champions |
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6. Northwestern, Maryland (Russ Sellers) |
Eastern State Runner-up |
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7. Winter Park, Florida (Robert Marr) |
4A State Champions |
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8. CBA, New York |
3rd @ Eastern States |
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9. CBA, New Jersey |
4th @Eastern States |
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10. Middletown, New Jersey |
Group IV Champions (tie) |
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11. Arch Bishop Molloy, New York (Tony Perrone) |
CHSAA State Champions |
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12. Parsippany Hills, New Jersey |
Group IV Champions (tie) |
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13. Terry Haute North, Indiana (Coach Bill Welch) |
Indiana State Champions |
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14. Duvall, Maryland (Robert Budd) |
State AA Champions |
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15. Parkdale, Maryland |
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Preface on Greatness: The Standard of Excellence
On rare occasions throughout the history of prep cross country a moment in time occurs that culminates in greatness. The convergence of individual talent and ability, coaching and timing meet for one moment of perfection that lasts a lifetime, a perfect storm.
The question has risen time and again, who is the greatest, who was the best…who are the standard of excellence for boys prep cross country teams? For the modern prep cross country team who dreams of reaching the pinnacle of prep cross country, Nike Cross Nationals Champions, it is vital to know the history, the legacy, and how you stack up.
In the modern era Joe Newton’s 1999 York team, which decimated the Illinois State Championships with 24 points must be in consideration for best all-time. Newton’s top five runners all placed in the top ten at the championships with a 14:31 3-mile average. Touted by prognosticators following the state championships as possibly the best ever, a team that coach Joe Newton proclaimed his best ever and which was reported by former Milesplit National Editor Scott Bush in his piece “On the Track with the Dukes of York”, “They want to be the best; they want to be the new team to be compared to.…which is considered the best ever in Illinois history and was the number one team in the nation according to The Harrier that year.” But were they the best in Illinois state or US history? Scott Bush 99’ York Story
In 1993 a team out of the Greater Spokane League threw their names in the hat for greatest ever. The Pat Tyson coached Mead Panthers dominated historically significant championship courses enroute to a Harrier National Championship. A team which still holds the Woodward Park course record for team time when they traversed the course in 76:22, or roughly 15:28 average over 5000 meters. Possibly the most significant course in US history, Woodward Park stands as the standard of excellence for 5000 meters on the west coast. In a Special to the Daily News, Sean Martin quoted Dyestatcal Editor Rich Gonzales as stating, ``It is the best measuring stick…It's a much more consistent course (over the years), and all the top teams run there in top shape.” Mead would then go on to decimate the Washington State Championships with 31 team points while claiming the top three individual places and four in the top eight. An off day by #5 Sky Detray who finished 19th in team scoring kept the Panther’s from possibly scoring under 20 points. Were the Panther’s the best ever? Pat Tyson Story
In 1980 and 1981 Indiana produced two teams that will be regarded as possibly the best ever. Out of Bloomington North comes the Charlie Warthan coached national champions of 1980. A team who stormed through Indiana in epic fashion culminating in a state championship in which they would average 15:13 for 5000 meters with a 34 second 1-5 spread. Then out of Carmel comes the 1981 Chuck Koeppen coached Greyhounds who produced a seven second 1-5 spread while dominating the Indiana State Championships with a 15:16 5k (14:44.48 3-mile) average. Two programs covering consecutive seasons the likes of which Indiana has never witnessed who were near identical and the way in which they won, packed, have placed a spotlight on them as possibly the best, but were they? (80’ Bloomington North Story) (81’ Carmel Story)
In 1977 Len Kisellus produced a squad as remarkable as one could ever imagine. A team whose fifth man was a 9:16 two-miler and featured the dynamic duo of twins Mark and Todd McCallister who were 9:07 and 9:10 two-milers, future Olympian Tom Stevens who boasted a 9:12 two-mile best and the legendary Illinois standout Keith Hampton who rested at 9:05.1 for two-miles. They ran undefeated through the season winning their division championships with a 14:19 1-5 team average for 3-miles. Marc Bloom’s Harrier Magazine declared Deerfield 1976/1977 back-to-back Harrier National Champions. Leading Tom Stevens to comment, “Once again we were named National Champion and I feel we were one of the best if not the best team in high school cross country history. I know there are other great teams out there that will argue this point….but not many." The Deerfield Story
Exceptional programs, coaches, and athletes with stellar legacies that have stood as benchmarks in history as an epitaph carved into granite. It is undeniable that in the list of top ten programs in US history, of the greatest, the best of all-time… that argument must be made and must irrevocably include the 74’ South Eugene OR, 77’ Deerfield IL, 80’ Bloomington North IN, 81’ Carmel IN, 93’ Mead and 99’ York programs. But who was the best?
Honoring a Legend: Doug Speck
Recently, the running community lost an icon in Doug Speck. Largely one of the most well respected and noticeably passionate figures for the sport of prep cross country. The father of California prep track & field and cross country coverage. The Gift of Doug Speck
In 2008 Doug Speck wrote a compelling article on the great Lompoc squad of 1972. Arguably the first super-prep team in America. Never before had a prep cross country squad so deep and talented arisen in one program in the United States. Comparable to a collegiate team the Lompoc team rose out of a small town in California.
In 1972, my uncle Ronald Taylor attended Lompoc High School with the legendary Terry Williams. Being an All-Conference football player alongside his twin brother Raymond Taylor they would see the Lompoc squad running all over the small community. My grandfather Delbert Taylor who still resides in Lompoc used to watch Terry Williams run along the highway as he travelled to work each morning. The Lompoc story is known all too well in the Taylor household. But the story is not mine to tell.
Doug Speck released an article entitled Lompoc HS – Best Ever Distance Crew? In that article he prefaced the utter greatness and dominance of the nation’s first program legitimately capable of claiming they were the best ever. With humility we release the story in its entirety honoring both the 1972 Lompoc Braves as US National Champions as told by legendary editor Doug Speck. This is what he wrote.
1. Lompoc, California: National Champions
Lompoc HS - Best Ever Distance Crew?
Early 1970's and the Lompoc HS Magic – By Doug Speck
When one looks to super successful programs in the distances over the decades those of us who have been at it a while have to bring up the Lompoc High School Boys’ squads of the period around 1970, with the Braves an amazing series of successes during those years that left observers in awe. The quality of efforts, domination over good competition, and a ruthless, competitive style that took no prisoners along the way during a very competitive era of prep distance running in California certainly marks them as among the best in the state and the nation’s history. Some of their measurable efforts on the course and around the track are still standing as records nearly forty years later as proof of their rock solid stature. A road trip this week will give Rich Gonzalez and myself a chance to talk to one or two athletes who were involved with those Lompoc squads, and we thought we would lead into the trip and subsequent interviews with some background.
Lompoc sits about forty-five minutes north of Santa Barbara with a turn off Highway 101 as it heads towards San Luis Obispo and a jaunt to the west taking you to the pleasant town of just over 40,000 that dates from the days of the Spanish Missions. Ten miles from the ocean provides Lompoc with some ideal running and training weather, with the Vandenberg Air Force base and its involvement with the space and defense program over the decades placing the community in the news occasionally. The school has a fine overall sports tradition, with area rival Cabrillo adding to distance successes through the decades, with the Lompoc Brave distance program in track and cross-country from the period around 1970 certainly deserving a prominent place in local sports lore.
The school first appeared with high placings in the Southern Section Cross-Country title meets in the late 1960's, with a 1968 fourth place finish Division II (there were three divisions at that time, so DII was medium sized schools) before the program under Coach Frank Hiatt (1969-1970) and Dick Johnson (1971 and 1972) took off to four straight Section titles runs in Cross-Country. The last two championships were at the Large School level, as the Section had grown into four divisions in the sport and the Lompoc squad moved up to face the best competition they could find. The 26 points scored by the Braves in the 1972 Section 4A Cross-Country win is the lowest ever at that Large Schools level with all schools combined in one scoring race. Larry Hildebrand helped lead the 1969 and 1970 squad, but the eventual individual driving force behind the program out on the course and around the track was Terry Williams, who followed Hildebrand’s second in the 1969 CIF AA Cross-Country title race with a fifth as just a frosh athlete that fall. The next 1970 Championship harrier season Williams was the Section AAA Cross Country Champ on the course run at Long Beach State with a 9:39.5 two mile clocking, the #3 overall mark of the day there as just a tenth grader. Hildebrand was fifth for the team that year as a senior. Williams’ fine improvement continued into the spring of his soph track season in 1971, as he was the nation’s #2 tenth grade two miler at 9:01.2, with Hildebrand a fine 9:12.0, giving the squad a pretty tough 1-2 punch. It was the Fall of 1971 that the Lompoc legend really started to grow, as they moved up to the Large School contests everywhere, in the Mt SAC Invitational Sweeps race taking four of the top thirteen places, led by Terry Williams’ Course Record 9:36.5 run, with Roger Hansen (6th - 10:08), Tony Nunez (9th - 10:12), and Jim Schankel (13th - 10:19) helping lead the group to a team time Course Record of 50:47.5 to take down Upland’s 1969 standard of 50:52. The Lompoc squad won the Southern Section 4A (Large Schools) title that 1971 Fall, with 52 points over area rival Dos Pueblos (Goleta) 71 and Orange County power Costa Mesa 122. Marc Genet (Santa Ana) 9:29.6 won the contest over Curtis Beck (Santa Monica) 9:30, with the duo a hot combo, Marc 8:53.4 for two miles later in the spring, and the smooth-striding Beck 4:04.2 for a mile and 8:48.8 for two miles later that school year’s track season. Roger Hansen (9:42) led the Lompoc charge in the CC Championship competition, with Terry Williams 12th (9:48), Tony Nunez 13th (9:53), Alvin Gilmore 15th (10:04), and Jim Schankel 18th. Williams came back strong later that spring season of his junior year, racing 8:55.0 for two miles, 13:59.2 for three miles, and an impressive 11 miles 1277 yard in a one hour run around the track, which essentially meant he was one lap short of five minute miles for 12 miles or one hour. Improving mightily that 1972 spring track season was Alvin Gilmore, with the African-American runner emerging with a 4:12.4 mile, with teammate Roger Hansen a 9:11.0 for two miles as a best and a national ranking. The squad clocked a 10:15.6 in the Distance Medley relay, making them the #7 team in the nation for the season at that distance.
The 1972 Fall Cross-Country season on the course and actually around the track is where Lompoc would make their mark as perhaps the best team ever in California and one of the best in National history. The group marched from Invitational to Invitational in 1972 stomping the competition in amazing manner. Meets such as the Palos Verdes Invitational, where runners on the varsity race against their counterparts on other groups (#1's against each other, next race #2's against each other, etc.) Lompoc simply won every varsity race right down the line, with Roger Fabing, who won the JV run for the Braves recording the #4 overall time for the day. On top, Terry Williams took down St. Bernard star Chris Hoffman’s CR of 10:59 with a 10:43 clocking on the very challenging Palos Verdes hills, with the team winning a team time battle by over three minutes! At the “by-grade” Dos Pueblos Invitational Lompoc was 1-2-4-6 at the Senior level, and 1-2-4 on the Junior level, quite a scoring seven! At the Mt. SAC Invitational in the Sweeps race, the squad sat in the rear for most of the first mile before exploding to six of the top eleven places in a dominating win behind Terry Williams’ 9:52.3 victory.
Around the measurable track is where the Braves had a couple of efforts that really chiseled their quality in history. In the early November Westminster Postal two mile, a race around the dirt track run in flats, the Lompoc squad had Terry Williams (8:58.4), Alvin Gilmore (9:15), Jim Schankel (9:17), Jim Warrick (9:20), and Tony Nunez (9:29) blaze 46:20.9 for a team time clocking, destroying the old National Record of 47:11.0 by Maine East HS of Parkridge, Illinois. Steve Galbraith ran #6 for Lompoc that day at 9:37.
In 1972 the Southern Section moved its Cross-Country Championships from the flat and grassy Long Beach State venue to Mt. SAC with a bit more of the hill and trail action. I remember watching the Lompoc crew with a casual start to their Section Prelims contest that fall before charging through the pack to 1-3-5-7-8 placings and 24 points in their Heat. The finals marked a glorious day for the Lompoc Braves, with five of the top ten placings in the 4A Large School level, with Terry Williams (1st-9:48.0), Jim Schankel (5th-10:22), Jim Warrick (6th-10:23), Alvin Gilmore (8th-10:29), and Roger Fabing (10th-10:33) broken up by Curtis Beck (2nd - 4:04 miler-8:48 2 miler in track), soph Ralph Serna (3rd - he ran 4:13.2 mile later that spring), Barrie Williams (4th - 4:09.8 miler), David Hernandez (7th), and Gary Blume (9th - 9:03.6 2 Miler that year as a junior). Essentially you had to be a sub-4:15 miler or sub 9:05 two miler to break up Lompoc’s top five!
Shortly after the regular season the Lompoc crowd hit the track for an All-Comers three-mile on December 9th, with Terry Williams (13:53.8) leading Jim Schankel (14:27.8), Jim Warrick (14:54.8), Roger Fabing (14:58.8), and Steve Galbraith (15:09.8), with the group setting a National Record of 73:25 for the combined times.
The strong running continued into the spring of that 1972-1973 school year, with the late March Buena Ventura Relays featuring a good effort by the team at the Distance Medley Relay, with Terry Jackson (52.1), Tim Costa (2:00.1), Alvin Gilmore (3:02.2), and Terry Williams (4:08.6) racing 10:03.0 to break the National Record of 10:05.6 set by Essex Catholic with Marin Liquori on the anchor at the Penn Relays in 1966. Williams came back in forty minutes to run 4:14.6 in the mile in winning over Gilmore 4:16.5, with Jim Schankel 4:27.4, and Tony Nunez 4:28.2 totalling a pretty good four mile relay when their efforts in that event were added up. Schankel was 9:20.4 there in the two mile a bit later, with Roger Fabing 9:23.2, and Jim Warrick 9:41.2 in that same meet. I was in attendance there, with the competition kind of interesting me in announcing some of this stuff, as the only comment mentioned over the public address system during Lompoc’s National Record run by the well-intentioned local guy was, “Let’s bring in Lompoc High School with a fine effort.” They won by 43 seconds with an overall domination of the competition during the day rarely ever seen. A week later on April 5th, Terry Williams had the famed 8:59.2 two mile in a meet against Arroyo Grande HS, believed to be US prep history’s only sub 9 minute 3200/two mile in a dual setting. At Mt. SAC the group went after the Four Mile Record, falling just short of the National All-Time best, with Schankel (4:23.7), Fabing (4:25.6), Gilmore (4:14.2), and Williams (4:09.7) totalling 17:13.2, the #2 time in Prep History behind Essex Catholic and Liquori’s 17:12.2 from 1966. The distance crew could score some points also, with the team ending up second in the CIF Southern Section 3A Team Championships with 23 points to Monrovia’s sprint-powered 25 total. Tim Costa was third in the 880 (1:55.9), with Terry Jackson also a finalist off a 1:56.6 the previous week. Terry Williams broke the All-Time Section Mile best of 4:08.5 by famed Carl Trentadue from Westminster in 1965 in that 3A meet with his 4:08.4 win ahead of Bob O’Brien (Bellflower) 4:08.8, with Alvin Gilmore third for Lompoc at 4:09.4. Williams returned to take the Two Mile at 9:15.9, with Roger Fabing fourth (9:21.6) and Jim Schankel 9:27.4 there. At the Section State Meet qualifier Williams focused on the two mile and handled rival Curtis Beck (Santa Monica), who had run 8:48.8 the year previous 8:55.2-9:02.0. Alvin Gilmore was second in the mile there at 4:11.3. At State Williams dominated the two mile, with that event held on Friday in those days, winning at 8:54.8 over Merced’s Dave Taylor 9:00.2. Alvin Gilmore was third in his Friday mile heat at 4:14.8, then returned with a strong third lap to make it a big Lompoc distance double win in his 4:11.9 Saturday final run victory.
Williams went on that 1973 summer to win the US Junior 6 mile at 28:45.2, then recorded fine 14:08.4 5000 meter and 29:55.8 10,000 meter efforts in summer competition against the Polish and Russian Junior National squads in competitions in Europe. The 5k 14:08.4 was the #5 US Prep time recorded in history behind distance legends Gerry Lindgren, Steve Prefontaine, Craig Virgin, and Rick Riley. Terry’s six mile and 10,000 best on the track were #2 ever behind famed Gerry Lindgren on those lists in prep history.” ~Doug Speck