Induction Year: 2012

All that can be said to the members of the 1999 McMurry women’s and men’s track and field teams is: “Now see what you started?” After a seven-year hiatus of track and field on campus, the 1999 teams – with then “rookie” McMurry coach Barbara Crousen - not only brought back the sport, but did so in a manner that started a landslide of success that has continued to the present day.

Since those 1999 teams both won their respective American Southwest Conference championships, the McMurry men won 14-consecutive ASC crowns! The McMurry women added nine more titles since 1999’s team got things going, for 10 total ASC titles!

The 1999 teams set the bar pretty high, too, no pun intended. The women got an All-American finish from the 4x100 relay team of Talitha Belcher, Kelly Brown, Jennifer Solis and Sabrina Griffin. Additionally, Belcher was an All-American in the 100 meters, as was Ann Rhiddlehoover in the discus. Rhiddlehoover and 400 meter hurdler Yvonne Silva both established school records.

On the men’s side of things, the team produced a two-time national champion in Brad Parris for the indoor and outdoor pole vault. Chris Rodgers ran his way to a pair of outdoor All-America awards in the 100 and 200 meter races. John Rhiddlehoover set the men’s discus record and Mitchell Wolowicz established the men’s 10,000 meter standard.

Coach Crousen also picked up the first of 14 men’s and 10 women’s “Coach of the Year” awards from the ASC.