HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Michigan Wolverines track and field teams are the intercollegiate track and field programs representing the
University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...
. The school competes in the
Big Ten Conference The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference, among others) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Fa ...
in Division I of the
National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...
(NCAA). Michigan men's and women's track and field athletes have won 63 NCAA/AIAW individual event championships (47 men's, 16 women's), 14 Olympic
gold medal A gold medal is a medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture. Since the eighteenth century, gold medals have b ...
s, 76
Big Ten Conference The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference, among others) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Fa ...
team championships (31 men's outdoor, 26 men's indoor, 9 women's outdoor, 10 women's indoor), and one NCAA team championship. The men's team has had 13 coaches in 122 years from 1901 to 2022. The teams are currently coached by head coach Kevin Sullivan.


Coaches


History


Fitzpatrick era (1901–10)

Michigan's first track coach was the famous trainer
Keene Fitzpatrick Dennis Keene Fitzpatrick (December 25, 1864 – May 22, 1944) was an American track and field, track coach, athletic trainer, professor of physical training and gymnasium director for 42 years at Yale University (1890–1891, 1896–1898), the ...
(1864–1944). Fitzpatrick was a track coach, athletic trainer, professor of physical training and gymnasium director for 42 years at
Yale Yale University is a private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, and one of the nine colonial colleges ch ...
(1890–1891, 1896–1898), Michigan (1894–1895, 1898–1910), and Princeton (1910–1932). He was considered "one of the pioneers of intercollegiate sport." Fitzpatrick was first hired by Michigan in 1894 as the trainer for the school's football team. He continued to be the trainer of Michigan's football teams through 1910, and was credited by many with the success of Fielding H. Yost's "Point-a-Minute" football teams of the early 1900s. Fitzpatrick became Michigan's first track coach in 1900 and continued to serve in that role through 1910. During those years, Fitzpatrick's teams compiled a 24–2–1 record in dual meets and won Western Conference track championships in 1900, 1901, 1902, 1903, 1904, and 1906. In 1907, Michigan sent its track team east to compete for their inaugural Inter-Collegiate Association of Amateur Athletics of America ("IC4A") meet, and Fitzpatrick's team came away with 29 points and a second-place finish. Fitzpatrick's athletes excelled in four Olympiads during his tenure as track coach, bringing home 7 gold medals out of 15. In 1900, funds were solicited from faculty, students, alumni and Ann Arbor businessmen to send Fitzpatrick and four Michigan track athletes to the 1900 Paris Summer Olympics. John McLean won a silver medal in the high hurdles. Michigan's champion pole-vaulter, Charles Dvorak and other Americans faced a quandary: finals of some events were scheduled on Sunday, including the pole vault. Several American university teams agreed they could not violate the Sabbath. Dvorak was reportedly told that the final had been rescheduled, but Dvorak and another American left. Several special competitions were conducted later to accommodate the Americans, when Dvorak win a silver medal. One of the highlights for Michigan athletics during the Fitzpatrick years came at the
1904 Summer Olympics The 1904 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the III Olympiad and also known as St. Louis 1904) were an international multi-sport event held in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, from 1 July to 23 November 1904. Many events were conducted ...
in
St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an Independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Miss ...
, which have sometimes been referred to as the "Michigan Olympics." Five University of Michigan track and field athletes won nine medals: six gold, two silver, and one bronze. The Michigan medal winners at the 1904 Olympics were: * Archie Hahn – gold medals in the 60 meters, 100 meters, and 200 meters; * Ralph Rose – gold medal in the shot put, silver medal in the discus, and bronze medal in the hammer throw; * Charles Dvorak – gold medal in the pole vault; *
Fred Schule Frederick William Schule (September 27, 1879 – September 14, 1962) was an American track and field athlete, American football, football player, athletic coach, teacher, bacteriologist, and engineer. He competed for the track and field team ...
– gold medal in the 110-meter hurdles; and * Wesley Coe – silver medal in the shot put. Archie Hahn became a major star, and Fitzpatrick was credited with developing his unusual running style. Shortly before the 1904 Olympics, a Wisconsin sports writer described the style this way:
"Hahn has a new style of running. Nobody at Michigan understands the style, except that Keene Fitzpatrick invented it, and that Hahn steps differently than ever before. Even to see Hahn's new stride is not to analyze how he manages to lift his feet so high in front. The new stride suggests that he is trying to climb a hill. The little man has toughened every muscle in his body and trained it to be a spring."
With three medals, Ralph Rose also became a star. In December 1904, the ''New York Evening Sun'' wrote that Rose was "the first perfect physique ever seen at the University of Michigan" as measured by Fitzpatrick's anthropometric charts. At 6 feet, 3 inches, 246 pounds, a 29.9-inch right thigh, and a 47.6-inch expanded chest, he was the school's first "perfect physique." At the 1906 Summer Olympics in Athens, Archie Hahn successfully defended his gold medal standing in the 100-meter, adding it to his three others. And at the
1908 Summer Olympics The 1908 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the IV Olympiad and also known as London 1908) were an international multi-sport event held in London, England, from 27 April to 31 October 1908. The 1908 Games were originally schedu ...
in London, Michigan athlete Ralph Rose repeated as the gold medalist in the shot put, and John Garrels won a silver medal in the 110-meter hurdles and a bronze in the shot put. Fitzpatrick also coached Ralph Craig. Following Fitzpatrick's departure from Michigan, Craig went on to win gold medals in the
100 metres The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at ...
and
200 metres The 200 metres, or 200-meter dash, is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400-metre racetrack, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques is needed to successfully run the race. A slight ...
at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm. In 1932, Fitzpatrick said that Craig was the best sprinter he ever turned out, though Johnny Garrels was the best all-around athlete he ever handled. Fitzpatrick's pupils, Hahn and Craig, were the only Olympic double sprint winners prior to another Michigan athlete, Eddie Tolan, accomplishing the feat at the
1932 Summer Olympics The 1932 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the X Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1932) were an international multi-sport event held from July 30 to August 14, 1932, in Los Angeles, California, United States. The Games were held du ...
.


Kraenzlein era (1911–12)

When Fitzpatrick left Michigan to become a trainer and coach at Princeton, Michigan hired Alvin Kraenzlein, one of the most accomplished athletes in the county, as his replacement. Kraenzlein won four gold medals for the United States at the
1900 Summer Olympics The 1900 Summer Olympics (), today officially known as the Games of the II Olympiad () and also known as Paris 1900, were an international multi-sport event that took place in Paris, France, from 14 May to 28 October 1900. No opening or closin ...
in Paris, winning the gold in the 60-meter sprint, the 110-meter hurdles, the 200-meter hurdles, and the long jump. In Kraenzlein's two years as coach, the team finished third at the IC4A meet both years.


Farrell era (1913–29)

Michigan's third track coach, Stephen Farrell (1863–1933) raced with hook and ladder teams in the 1880s and became known as "the greatest professional footracer this country has ever known." He was the first American to be a two-time winner of England's Sheffield Cup and competed in races from 100 yards to one mile. Seeking new challenges, he performed with the Barnum & Bailey Circus for several years racing against a
horse The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 mi ...
, and losing only a half dozen times. In September 1912, Farrell was hired as the athletic trainer at the
University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...
and noted at the time that the Ann Arbor institution "is the only western college that is thought much of down east." He served as the school's track coach until his retirement in 1930, and he was also the trainer to Fielding H. Yost's football teams from 1912 to 1919. In 1915, a series of newspaper articles touted Farrell as an innovator in track coaching, noting his innovations in the following areas: * In February 1915, ''The New York Times'' reported on Farrell's novel plan to instill "enthusiasm and vim" in his athletes by having them train to the accompaniment of music played by the Varsity band. Farrell noted that his athletes had been taking more interest in dancing competitions than athletic training. Farrell planned to have the musicians "render tunes a trifle faster than the natural stride" of Michigan's best performer in each event. "It is expected that the inspiration of the music and the natural efforts of the dancers to get in time should make the Michigan men exert themselves more willingly than they are at present doing." * In January 1915, Farrell introduced rope skipping as a training method for his long-distance runners. Farrell noted, "It is a great form of exercise to develop the body, especially making men long winded and strong in the legs. It also has a tendency in making them quick and alert on their toes." * Farrell instituted "the espionage system of discovering budding athletes" by stationing "a force of spies" in the college gymnasium watching for men of sufficient prowess to compete on the track team. The "new detective method of locating possible athletes" was begun after a freshman student was seen completing a high jump of six feet — six inches higher than any member of the track team. When Michigan rejoined the Big Ten Conference in 1918, Farrell's Michigan track teams promptly won the indoor and outdoor track championships in both 1918 and 1919. Between 1918 and 1930, Farrell's teams won ten Big Ten Conference championships. His teams had a 50–16–1 record in dual meets, and his athletes won 76 Big Ten individual event titles and 11 NCAA individual event titles. Michigan also won its only NCAA team track championship in 1923 under Farrell. During the Farrell era, Michigan's star athletes included: * Carl Johnson — the first athlete to win four events at a
Big Ten Conference The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference, among others) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Fa ...
meet; silver medalist in the long jump at the
1920 Summer Olympics The 1920 Summer Olympics (; ; ), officially known as the Games of the VII Olympiad (; ; ) and commonly known as Antwerp 1920 (; Dutch language, Dutch and German language, German: ''Antwerpen 1920''), were an international multi-sport event held i ...
held in Antwerp, Belgium. * DeHart Hubbard — the first
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
to win an Olympic gold medal in an individual event (the
long jump The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a takeoff point. Along with the triple jump, the two events that measure jumping for distance as a gr ...
at the
1924 Summer Olympics The 1924 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the VIII Olympiad () and officially branded as Paris 1924, were an international multi-sport event held in Paris, France. The opening ceremony was held on 5 July, but some competitions had al ...
in Paris); Hubbard also set world records in the long jump () and the 100-yard dash (9.6 seconds); and * Eddie Tolan, gold medalist in the 100 and 200-meter races at the
1932 Summer Olympics The 1932 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the X Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1932) were an international multi-sport event held from July 30 to August 14, 1932, in Los Angeles, California, United States. The Games were held du ...
. * Phil Northrup – a three-time
NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...
champion and four-time
All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...
, in the
javelin throw The javelin throw is a track and field event where the javelin, a spear about in length, is thrown as far as possible. The javelin thrower gains momentum by running within a predetermined area. Javelin throwing is an event of both the men's de ...
and
pole vault Pole vaulting, also known as pole jumping, is a track and field event in which an athlete uses a long and flexible pole, usually made from fiberglass or carbon fiber, as an aid to jump over a #bar, bar. Pole jumping was already practiced by the ...
, (1925–27). Northrup was inducted to the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007. Walter Eckersall later wrote that, beyond coaching stars, Farrell was "a stickler for balance and depended more upon the ability of athletes to win third, fourth and fifth places than those who were picked to win." He won many meets by focusing on team power and placing athletes where they could score points. When Farrell announced his retirement, the noted sports columnist
Grantland Rice Henry Grantland Rice (November 1, 1880 – July 13, 1954) was an American sportswriter and poet known as the "Dean of American Sports Writers". He coined the famous phrase that it was not important whether you “won or lost, but how you playe ...
paid tribute to Farrell's talent in training sprinters.
"As long as Farrell is active he will continue to turn out championship sprinters. The 'Steve start' is about the fastest thing uncovered. Michigan sprinters are in the lead at ten yards. They're out in front here, even when they're occasionally whipped. There is no finer influence on college athletes in America than that which Steve exerts at Michigan ..."


Hoyt era (1930–39)

Michigan's fourth track coach was Charles B. Hoyt, a native of Iowa won intercollegiate championships in both the 100-yard and 220-yard runs before turning to coaching. Hoyt was hired by the University of Michigan in 1923 as the assistant to Stephen Farrell and trainer of the football team. In 1930, he took over the head coaching post when Farrell retired. In Hoyt's ten years as Michigan's head coach, Michigan track teams won 14 of a possible 20 Big Ten Conference indoor and outdoor titles, including six straight indoor championships from 1934 to 1939. With Hoyt as head coach, Michigan was 40-6-0 in dual meets. His Michigan athletes also won five individual NCAA championships and 63 individual Big Ten championships (27 indoor and 33 outdoor). The athletes Hoyt coached at Michigan include: * Sam Stoller – one of two Jews on the American track team at the 1936 Berlin Olympics; a controversy was sparked when he was pulled from the 4 x 100 meter relay event. * William Watson – won 12 individual Big Ten Conference championships, including three consecutive championships (1937–1939) in the long jump, discus and shot put; first African-American to win the AAU decathlon championship in 1940 *
Elmer Gedeon Elmer John Gedeon (April 15, 1917 – April 20, 1944) was an American professional baseball player, appearing in several games for the Washington Senators (1901–60), Washington Senators in . Gedeon and Harry O'Neill (catcher), Harry O'Neill wer ...
– tied a world record in the high hurdles in 1938; shot down and killed while piloting a B-26 bomber on a mission over France in April 1944. * Willis Ward – collegiate champion in the high jump, long jump, 100-yard dash, and 400-yard dash; finished second in voting for AP Big Ten Athlete of the Year in 1933; second African-American to letter in football at Michigan. * Bob Osgood – set a world record in the 120-yard high hurdles in May 1937; won Big Ten Conference championship in the event in both 1936 and 1937.


Doherty era (1940–48)

Michigan's fifth track coach,
Ken Doherty Kenneth Joseph Doherty (born 17 September 1969) is an Irish professional snooker player who also works as a commentator and pundit on televised snooker broadcasts. From Ranelagh in Dublin, he is the sport's only World Snooker Championship, wor ...
(1905–1996), was an American decathlon champion before he turned to coaching. He won the American decathlon championship in 1928 and 1929 while a student at the
University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...
; he also won the bronze medal in the event at the
1928 Summer Olympics The 1928 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the IX Olympiad (), was an international multi-sport event that was celebrated from 28 July to 12 August 1928 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The city of Amsterdam had previously bid for ...
in
Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...
. Doherty, described as "a lean, quiet Scot," was hired as an assistant track coach at Michigan in 1930, by the
University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...
as its assistant track coach serving under the Wolverines' new head coach, Charles B. Hoyt. He remained Hoyt's assistant for nine years and took over as Michigan's head track coach in 1939 when Hoyt accepted a job at Yale. Doherty served nine years as Michigan's head coach, leading Michigan to seven
Big Ten Conference The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference, among others) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Fa ...
championships (four indoor and three outdoor). In his nine years as head coach at Michigan, he coached some of the schools all-time great athletes, including the following: * William Watson – won 12 individual Big Ten Conference championships, including three consecutive championships (1937–1939) in the long jump, discus and shot put; first African-American to win the AAU decathlon championship in 1940 * Robert H. Hume and H. Ross Hume – the "dead heat twins" who were champions in the mile and regularly finished their races holding hands in dead heat victories. * Bob Ufer – set the world indoor record in the 440 yards and later the radio voice of Michigan football * Don Canham
All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...
who won the 1940 NCAA title in the
high jump The high jump is a track and field event in which competitors must jump unaided over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without dislodging it. In its modern, most-practiced format, a bar is placed between two standards with a crash mat f ...
and was both the indoor and outdoor
Big Ten Conference The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference, among others) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Fa ...
champion in both 1940 and 1941; succeeded Doherty as Michigan's track coach and became a school legend as its athletic director from 1968 to 1988 * Charlie Fonville – NCAA shot put champion in 1947 and 1948; set world record in 1948


Canham era (1950–68)

Don Canham took over as Michigan's track and field coach in 1950. He remained the head coach from 1950 to 1968. Canham was a Michigan graduate who won the NCAA high jump championship in 1940. During Canham's 19 years as Michigan's head coach, the track and field team compiled a record of 52–13–2 in dual meets and won seven Big Ten team championships—four indoor and three outdoor. Outstanding individual performers during the Canham era include the following: * Charlie Fonville – won three Big Ten championships in the shot put and set a new world record in the event * Don McEwen – won six Big Ten individual titles and two NCAA individual titles in the two-mile race * Roland Nilsson – won six Big Ten championships in the shot put and finished 5th in the event at the
1952 Summer Olympics The 1952 Summer Olympics (, ), officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad (, ) and commonly known as Helsinki 1952, were an international multi-sport event held from 19 July to 3 August 1952 in Helsinki, Finland. After Japan declared in ...
* Milt Mead – won the 1953 NCAA championship in the high jump *Dave Owen – won nine individual Big Ten titles and one NCAA individual title in the shot put * Eeles Landström – won two Big Ten championships in the pole vault and a bronze medal at the
1960 Summer Olympics The 1960 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad () and commonly known as Rome 1960 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 25 August to 11 September 1960 in Rome, Italy. Rome had previously been awar ...
* Tom Robinson – represented the Bahamas as a sprinter in four Summer Olympics from 1956 to 1968; gold medalist in the 100-meter race at the 1962 Central American and Caribbean Games * Ergas Lep – won nine Big Ten individual championships in middle-distance events; competed for Canada on the 1960 and 1964 Olympic teams * Kent Bernard – won five individual Big Ten titles in sprint events and competed in the
1964 Summer Olympics The , officially the and commonly known as Tokyo 1964 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 10 to 24 October 1964 in Tokyo, Japan. Tokyo had been awarded the organization of the 1940 Summer Olympics, but this honor was subseq ...
* Ron Kutschinski – Big Ten champion and All-American distance runner who competed for the United States in the
1968 Summer Olympics The 1968 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad () and officially branded as Mexico 1968 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 12 to 27 October 1968, in Mexico City, Mexico. These were the first Ol ...


Martin era (1969–71)

Dave Martin was Michigan's head coach from 1969 to 1971. Martin began with the Michigan track team as an All-American runner and Big Ten steeplechase champion. After graduating from Michigan in 1961, he became an assistant coach under Don Canham. Martin took over as head coach in 1969, and coached six All-Americans in his three years with Michigan. Martin's 1969 team finished 11th in the NCAA indoor championships.


Farmer era (1972–74)

Dixon Farmer was Michigan's head coach from 1972 to 1974. Farmer was an NCAA champion in the 440-yard hurdles before becoming a coach. In three years at Michigan, he coached six All-Americans including Jamaican hurdler Godfrey Murray and Kim Rowe. Farmer's 1973 team finished eighth at the NCAA Indoor Championships.


Harvey era (1975–99)

Jack Harvey served as head coach of the Michigan track team for 25 years from 1975 to 1999—longer than any other head coach in the history of the program. Harvey was a University of Michigan track team member in the 1960s, an All-American and Big Ten shot put champion. He served as an assistant coach at the school before taking over as head coach in 1975. Harvey coached 93 All-Americans and six Olympians in his 25 years as head coach. His track teams placed in the top ten at the NCAA championships on five occasions and won 10 Big Ten championships—four indoor and six outdoor. Outstanding individual performers during the Harvey era include the following: * Greg Meyer – was a Big Ten champion distance runner and an All-American in the steeplechase while competing for Michigan from 1974 to 1977; won the
Boston Marathon The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon race hosted by eight cities and towns in greater Boston in eastern Massachusetts, United States. It is traditionally held on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897, the event was ins ...
in 1983 *Mike Lattany – won three Big Ten individual championships in the high jump while competing for Michigan from 1979 to 1982 * Andrew Bruce – won eight Big Ten individual championships as a sprinter for Michigan from 1979 to 1982; competed in the
1980 Summer Olympics The 1980 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad () and officially branded as Moscow 1980 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 19 July to 3 August 1980 in Moscow, Soviet Union, in present-day Russ ...
* Brian Diemer – competed for Michigan in the steeplechase from 1980 to 1983; won NCAA 3000m steeplechase in 1983; and participated in three Olympiads (1984–1992), winning his inaugural Olympic bronze medal in 1984 * Thomas Wilcher – won an NCAA individual championship as a hurdler while competing for Michigan in the mid-1980s; was a three-time All-American *John Scherer – won three NCAA individual championships and four Big Ten individual championships as a distance runner for Michigan from 1986 to 1989


Warhurst era (2000–08)

Ron Warhurst was Michigan's head track coach for nine years from 2000 to 2008. Warhurst had been a member of the cross country teams at Western Michigan that won consecutive NCAA championships in 1964 and 1965. From 1968 to 1970, Warhurst served in the U.S. Marine Corps and was awarded two Purple Hearts and a Navy Commendation Medal for service in
Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...
. He became the University of Michigan's cross country coach in 1974, a position he has held for more than 35 years. He served as assistant coach of the men's track and field team for 26 years. In 2000, Warhurst took over as head coach of the track team. Warhurst has coached 44 All-Americans and 12 Olympians at Michigan. His 2004 team finished fifth at the NCAA indoor championship. In 2008, Warhurst's team won the school's first Big Ten outdoor championship since 1983. Michigan won six individual Big Ten event championships in 2008, and Warhurst was named Big Ten Coach of the Year and Great Lakes Regional Coach of the Year. During the Warhurst era, Michigan's middle-distance runners excelled. In 2003, Canadian runner Nate Brannen won the NCAA indoor championship in the 800-meter run. In 2005, New Zealand middle-distance runner Nick Willis won the NCAA indoor championship in the mile run. A third middle-distance runner, Andrew Ellerton won the NCAA outdoor championship in the 800-meter run in 2007. Michigan also dominated the distance medley event in the mid-2000s, winning the NCAA indoor championship in 2004 (with a team of DarNell Talbert, Ellerton, Willis, and Brannen) and again in 2005 (with a team of Rondell Ruff, Stan Waithe, Ellerton, and Brannen). Nicholas 'Nick' Willis is one of Ron Warhurst's biggest coaching success stories. He is a 4-time Olympiad and 2-time Olympics medallist. His inaugural Olympiad was the 2004 Athens Summer Olympic, competing for New Zealand in the 1500 meters. Three Michigan middle-distance runners all qualified for the 1500 meters race at the
2008 Summer Olympics The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and officially branded as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes fro ...
in
Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...
—Nick Willis for
New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
, and Kevin Sullivan and fellow Canadian Nate Brannen for Canada. Willis won his inaugural Olympic medal (silver) at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics in the 1500 meters. He also competed in the 2012 London Summer Olympics, and again in the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 winning his second Olympic medal, Bronze in the 1500 meters. Willis also won the gold medal in the 1500 meters race at the
2006 Commonwealth Games The 2006 Commonwealth Games, officially the XVIII Commonwealth Games and commonly known as Melbourne 2006, were an International sport, international multi-sport event for members of the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth held in Melbourne ...
and bronze medals in the 2010 and 2014 Commonwealth Games 1500 meters. Warhurst remained as head coach up until 2008, and in 2009 he then became an associate head coach for the track and field team under current head coach Fred LaPlante. He has coached Nick Willis since he entered the University of Michigan as a freshman collegiate runner on the MU Track and Field team in 2003, and ever since then as Willis has pursued a successful professional running career. They have one of the most successful coach/athlete partnerships in the history of Wolverine track and field to date, spanning 14 years, with Warhurst having guided Willis through 4 Olympiads and 3 Commonwealth Games culminating in a total of 5 medals in Willis's specialty the 1500M. In 2015 Ron Warhurst, Nick Willis, and former team-mate Nate Brannen were inducted into the Michigan Track and Field Hall of Fame. Michigan's sprinters and hurdlers also excelled in the late 2000s. In 2007, Jeff Porter won the NCAA indoor championship in the 60-meter hurdles. Sprinter Adam Harris was named the 2008 Big Ten Track Athlete of the Year after winning Big Ten event championships in the 60 meters (indoors), 200 meters and 4×100 meter relay. Harris ran a personal best 20.68 seconds in the 200-meter race at the NCAA Mideast Regional and qualified to compete for
Guyana Guyana, officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern coast of South America, part of the historic British West Indies. entry "Guyana" Georgetown, Guyana, Georgetown is the capital of Guyana and is also the co ...
in that event at the 2008 Olympics.


LaPlante era (2009–13)

Fred LaPlante took over as the head coach of Michigan's track and field team in 2009. LaPlante is a native of
Toledo, Ohio Toledo ( ) is a city in Lucas County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is located at the western end of Lake Erie along the Maumee River. Toledo is the List of cities in Ohio, fourth-most populous city in Ohio and List of United Sta ...
and a graduate of
Eastern Michigan University Eastern Michigan University (EMU, EMich, Eastern Michigan or simply Eastern) is a public university, public research university in Ypsilanti, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1849 as the Michigan State Normal School, it was the fourth normal ...
where he was an NCAA champion in the 1,500 meters race. He has been a track coach since the 1970s, including women's head track and field coach at San Diego State from 1979 to 1983 followed by head coach of the
University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in ...
women's track and field team for several years in the 1980s. LaPlante was later head coach of the Lehigh University Mountainhawks track and cross country teams in the mid-1990s, where he succeeded nationally renowned coach John Covert. He was the assistant coach at Michigan from 1997 to 2008 and was named the 2008 NCAA Great Lakes Regional Assistant Coach of the Year in 2008. That year, the Wolverines won six Big Ten sprint titles and had All-Americans in the 60-meters (Adam Harris) and the 4×400-meter relay (Andre Barnes, Andrew Wechter, Dan Harmsen and Stann Waithe). In LaPlante's first season as head coach, sprinter Adam Harris was named the 2009 Big Ten track athlete of the year (indoor). In 2009, Harris set University of Michigan records in the 60-meter dash (6.60) and the 100-meter dash (10.09). He was also named a 2009 All-American in the 60-meter and 100-meter dashes. Harris won eight Big Ten championships at Michigan—four in 2008 and two in 2009. After graduating in 2009, Harris became a volunteer assistant coach with the Michigan track and field team. Junior hurdler Carl Buchanon, sophomore distance runner Craig Forys, and junior multi-event performer Frank Shotwell have been named co-captains of the Michigan track and field team for the 2010 season.


Clayton era (2014–2021)

Jerry Clayton was hired from Auburn to begin what would be the 2014 season. During his first four seasons at Michigan coach the men's indoor and outdoor teams in track and field. Starting with 2018 season the coaching staffs of the men's and women's teams were combined, with Clayton and James Henry serving as coaches of both teams. Michigan's best national finish under him was in 2016, where they finished 13th in the NCAA Men's Outdoor Championships. It is only the Wolverines second top-15 finish since 1961 and first since 1997.


Sullivan era (2022–present)

Prior to the 2022 season, it was announced that current Michigan cross country coach and assistant track coach Kevin Sullivan would be promoted to also run the track and field program.


University of Michigan Track & Field Hall of Fame

In 2006, the University of Michigan track and field staff established the University of Michigan Track and Field Hall of Fame. Eleven individuals have been inducted into the men's Hall of Fame each year since 2006.


Men


Women


NCAA individual event champions

Michigan track and field athletes have won 63 NCAA individual event championships. (All championships are outdoor unless otherwise noted.)


Men

* 1922: Howard Hoffman – javelin *1922: John Landowski – pole vault *
1923 In Greece, this year contained only 352 days as 13 days was skipped to achieve the calendrical switch from Julian to Gregorian Calendar. It happened there that Wednesday, 15 February ''(Julian Calendar)'' was followed by Thursday, 1 March ' ...
: James Brooker – pole vault *1923: DeHart Hubbard – long jump *
1925 Events January * January 1 – The Syrian Federation is officially dissolved, the State of Aleppo and the State of Damascus having been replaced by the State of Syria (1925–1930), State of Syria. * January 3 – Benito Mussolini m ...
: Philip Northrup – javelin *1925: Philip Northrup – pole vault *1925: DeHart Hubbard – long jump *1925: DeHart Hubbard – 100 m Dash *1926: Harry Hawkins – hammer throw *1926: Phillip Northrup – javelin *1928: Wilford Ketz – hammer throw *1930: Holly Campbell – hammer throw *1931: Eddie Tolan – 200-meter dash *1933: Roderick Cox – hammer throw *1936: Bob Osgood – 400-meter intermediate hurdles *1937: Sam Stoller – 100-meter dash *1940: Don Canham – high jump *1944: H. Ross Hume – 1500-meter run *1944: Robert H. Hume – 1500-meter run *1945: H. Ross Hume – 1500-meter run *1947: Charlie Fonville – shot put *
1948 Events January * January 1 ** The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is inaugurated. ** The current Constitutions of Constitution of Italy, Italy and of Constitution of New Jersey, New Jersey (both later subject to amendment) ...
: Charlie Fonville – shot put *1950: Don McEwen – two-mile run *1951: Don McEwen – two-mile run *1953: Milt Mead – high jump *1957: Dave Owen – shot put *1983: Brian Diemer – 3000-meter steeplechase *1986: Thomas Wilcher – 55-meter hurdles *1988: John Scherer – 10,000-meter run *1989: John Scherer – 5,000-meter run *1989: John Scherer – 10,000-meter run *1995: Kevin Sullivan – mile run (indoor) *1995: Kevin Sullivan – 1500-meter run *1995: Kevin Sullivan, Trinity Townsend, Nick Karfonta, Ian Forsyth – distance medley relay (indoor) *1996: Neil Gardner – 400-meter intermediate hurdles *1996: Neil Gardner – 55-meter hurdles (indoor) *1998: Kevin Sullivan – mile run (indoor) *2003: Nate Brannen – 800-meter run (indoor) *2004: DarNell Talbert, Andrew Ellerton, Nick Willis, Nate Brannen – Distance Medley Relay (indoor) *2005: Nick Wills – mile run (indoor) *2005: Rondell Ruff, Stan Waithe, Andrew Ellerton, Nate Brannen – Distance Medley Relay (indoor) *2007: Jeff Porter – 60-meter hurdles (indoor) *2007: Andrew Ellerton – 800-meter run *2016: Mason Ferlic – 3000-meter steeplechase *2018: Ben Flanagan – 10,000-meter run


Women

*
1982 Events January * January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00). * January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street Bridge in Washington, D.C. ...
: Penny Neer – discus throw (AIAW) *
1994 The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations. In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...
: Courtney Babcock, Molly McClimon, Richelle Webb, Kristine Westerby – distance medley relay (indoor) *
1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...
: Lisa Oullet, Sarah Hamilton, Adrienne Hunter, Katie McGregor – distance medley relay (indoor) *
1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...
: Katie McGregor – 3000 meters (indoor) *
2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...
: Nicole Edwards, Sierra Hauser-Price, Theresa Feldkamp, Lindsey Gallo – distance medley relay (indoor) *
2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
: Tiffany Ofili – 100 meters hurdles *
2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
: Anna Willard – 3000 meters steeplechase *
2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
: Tiffany Ofili – 60 meters hurdles (indoor) *
2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
: Tiffany Ofili – 100 meters hurdles *
2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
: Geena Gall – 800 meters *
2009 2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
: Tiffany Ofili – 60 meters hurdles (indoor) *
2009 2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
: Tiffany Ofili – 100 meters hurdles *
2009 2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
: Geena Gall – 800 meters *
2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
: Cindy Ofili – 60 meters hurdles (indoor) *
2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...
: Jamie Phelan – 1500 meters *
2023 Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...
: Savannah Sutherland – 400 meters hurdles


Michigan's Olympic medalists

The following Michigan track and field athletes have won Olympic medals, including 14
gold medal A gold medal is a medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture. Since the eighteenth century, gold medals have b ...
s.


1900 Olympics

* John McLean – silver medal, 110-meter high hurdles *John McLean – silver medal in the long jump (handicap event – not recognized as an official medal) * Charles Dvorak – silver medal, pole vault (special event – not recognized as an official medal) * Howard Hayes – silver medal, 800-meter race (handicap event – not recognized as an official medal)


1904 Olympics

* Archie Hahn – gold medal, 60-meter race * Archie Hahn – gold medal, 100-meter race * Archie Hahn – gold medal, 200-meter race * Charles Dvorak – gold medal,
pole vault Pole vaulting, also known as pole jumping, is a track and field event in which an athlete uses a long and flexible pole, usually made from fiberglass or carbon fiber, as an aid to jump over a #bar, bar. Pole jumping was already practiced by the ...
* Ralph Rose – gold medal,
shot put The shot put is a track-and-field event involving "putting" (throwing) a heavy spherical Ball (sports), ball—the ''shot''—as far as possible. For men, the sport has been a part of the Olympic Games, modern Olympics since their 1896 Summer Olym ...
* Ralph Rose – silver medal, discus (tied for first with 128 feet, 10-1/2 inches, lost in throw-off) * Ralph Rose – bronze medal,
hammer throw The hammer throw (HT for short) is one of the four throwing events in regular outdoor track-and-field competitions, along with the discus throw, shot put and Javelin throw, javelin. The hammer used in this sport is not like any of the tools a ...
*
Fred Schule Frederick William Schule (September 27, 1879 – September 14, 1962) was an American track and field athlete, American football, football player, athletic coach, teacher, bacteriologist, and engineer. He competed for the track and field team ...
– gold medal, 110-meter high hurdles * Wesley Coe – silver medal, shot put


1906 Olympics

* Archie Hahn, gold medal, 100-meter race


1908 Olympics

* Ralph Rose – gold medal,
shot put The shot put is a track-and-field event involving "putting" (throwing) a heavy spherical Ball (sports), ball—the ''shot''—as far as possible. For men, the sport has been a part of the Olympic Games, modern Olympics since their 1896 Summer Olym ...
* John Garrels – silver medal, 110-meter high hurdles * John Garrells – bronze medal, shot put * Gayle Dull – U.S. silver medal, 3-mile team (Dull placed 10th overall and did not contribute to U.S. team score)


1912 Olympics

* Ralph Craig – gold medal, 100-meter race * Ralph Craig – gold medal, 200-meter race * Ralph Rose – silver medal,
shot put The shot put is a track-and-field event involving "putting" (throwing) a heavy spherical Ball (sports), ball—the ''shot''—as far as possible. For men, the sport has been a part of the Olympic Games, modern Olympics since their 1896 Summer Olym ...
* Ralph Rose – gold medal, two-handed shot put


1920 Olympics

* Carl Johnson – silver medal,
long jump The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a takeoff point. Along with the triple jump, the two events that measure jumping for distance as a gr ...


1924 Olympics

* DeHart Hubbard – gold medal,
long jump The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a takeoff point. Along with the triple jump, the two events that measure jumping for distance as a gr ...
(first African-American to win an individual gold medal in the Olympics) * James Brooker – bronze medal,
pole vault Pole vaulting, also known as pole jumping, is a track and field event in which an athlete uses a long and flexible pole, usually made from fiberglass or carbon fiber, as an aid to jump over a #bar, bar. Pole jumping was already practiced by the ...


1928 Olympics

*
Ken Doherty Kenneth Joseph Doherty (born 17 September 1969) is an Irish professional snooker player who also works as a commentator and pundit on televised snooker broadcasts. From Ranelagh in Dublin, he is the sport's only World Snooker Championship, wor ...
– bronze medal,
decathlon The decathlon is a combined event in athletics consisting of 10 track and field events. The word "decathlon" was formed, in analogy to the word "pentathlon", from Greek δέκα (''déka'', meaning "ten") and ἄθλος (''áthlos'', or ἄ ...


1932 Olympics

* Eddie Tolan – gold medal, 100-meter race * Eddie Tolan – gold medal, 200-meter race


1936 Olympics

* Sam Stoller – pulled from the gold medal-winning 4x100 meter relay team; controversy ensued over allegations that Stoller, who was Jewish, was pulled to appease the Olympic hosts


1960 Summer Olympics

* Eeles Landström – bronze medal,
pole vault Pole vaulting, also known as pole jumping, is a track and field event in which an athlete uses a long and flexible pole, usually made from fiberglass or carbon fiber, as an aid to jump over a #bar, bar. Pole jumping was already practiced by the ...
(competing for
Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...
)


1964 Summer Olympics

* Kent Bernard – bronze medal, 4x400 meter relay (competing for
Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago, officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean, comprising the main islands of Trinidad and Tobago, along with several List of islands of Trinidad and Tobago, smaller i ...
)


1984 Summer Olympics

* Brian Diemer – bronze medal, 3000-meter steeplechase


2008 Summer Olympics

* Nick Willis - silver medal, 1500-meter race (competing for New Zealand)


2016 Summer Olympics

* Nick Willis - bronze medal, 1500-meter race (competing for New Zealand)


References


External links


University of Michigan Men's Track and FieldUniversity of Michigan Women's Track and Field
{{University of Michigan, athletics Men's Wolverines College track and field teams in the United States Big Ten Conference track and field