Wolverines to Induct 10-Man Class Into Hall of Fame
5/7/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track & Field
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan men's track and field program will induct a 10-man class into the Michigan Track and Field Hall of Fame on Saturday (May 9), coinciding with the Wolverines hosting the Len Paddock Invitational this weekend (Fri-Sat., May 8-9) at Ferry Field. The selections consist of one outstanding athlete from each decade and a coach of the century selection. This is the fourth year of inductions, following the 2006 inaugural class. This season's selection of entries include: John Garrels, George Hester, Sam Stoller, Bob Ufer, Eeles Landstrom, Ron Kutschinski, Greg Meyer, Thomas Wilcher, Brad Darr and head coach Stephen Farrell.
Following the competition on Saturday will be the Track and Field Recognition Banquet in the Junge Champions Center, which is located between Crisler Arena and Michigan Stadium. The banquet is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.
THE INDUCTEES
JOHN GARRELLS (1908)
Hurdler, Thrower
1908 USA Olympian
Silver Medal (110m HH) / Bronze Medal (Shot Put)
Six-time Big Ten champion
Three-time Penn Relays champion
Team captain
"Johnny" Garrels, a native of Bay City, Mich., reached Olympic Fame at the 1908 Games in London a year after graduation from the University of Michigan. Completing an unusual double, Garrells earned the silver in the 110m high hurdles and the bronze in the shot put. He remains the only man in Olympic history to medal in those two events at the same Games. He also competed in the discus at those Games.
At 6'1" and 196 pounds in his prime, John was the star halfback on the 1905 and 1906 Wolverine football squads. During his collegiate career in track and field, he won six Big Ten titles, including U-M's first conference championship ever in the high hurdles. He also won multiple titles in the 220m low hurdles and discus. He was a three-time Penn Relays discus champion. John passed away at 70 in 1956.
GEORGE "BUCK" HESTER (1928)
Sprinter
Two-time Canadian Olympian (1924, 1928)
Two-time All-American (100y)
Two-time Big Ten champion (50 y, 100y)
Two-time Penn Relays champion (100y)
"Buck" Hester became U-M's first Canadian Olympian when he wore the Maple Leaf at the 1924 Games in Paris, running the 100m and the 200m while only a freshman.
Two years later, he won the Penn Relays 100m and finished second at the National Championships in the same event. He won his lone 100m Big Ten championship in 1927 after he defended his Penn Relays title. In 1928, Buck earned a fourth-place finish at the National Championships in the 100m prior to being named to his second Olympic team.
He encountered misfortune in Amsterdam, finishing second in his 100m semifinal but just missed the final. He also finished second in his 200m semifinal but was disqualified for a lane violation. Then, in the 4x100 relay final his team was running for a medal, but a teammate dropped the baton on the final exchange.
SAM STOLLER (1937)
Sprinter
USA Olympian (1936)
NCAA champion (100m)
Two-time All-American (100)
Big Ten champion (100m)
USOC General MacArthur Medal
International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame
A native Cincinnati, Ohio, Sam Stoller, unfortunately is probably best known for being snubbed as a member of USA's 1936 4x100 relay team. He was one of the top sprinters in the world yet could not get to the finish line first in his high school state meet, the U-M-OSU dual, the Big Ten meet, or NCAA Championships for most of his career because Jesse Owens was the same age, from the same state and later competed for Ohio State. The two became respected rivals and in 1936 were both involved in one of the dark chapters in Olympic history.
Stoller, who was Jewish, had a earned a spot on the 1936 USA Olympic 4x100m relay along with Marty Glickman, who was also Jewish. However, on the day of the final in Berlin, both Stoller and Glickman were told they were not running, in favor of Owens and Ralph Metcaff. Owens, who had already won three gold medals, protested on their behalf, reportedly stating that they had deserved the spots (and they had over other members Draper and Robinson), but U.S. officials would not budge, seemingly buckling to political pressure from Hitler's Nazi politics. Owens and his relay teammates won the gold medal. Sixty-two years later in 1996, Stoller was awarded the General MacArthur medal posthumously by the USOC, which finally officially recognized this injustice.
In 1937, Owens turned pro, and, not surprisingly in his senior year at Michigan, Stoller won the Big Ten and NCAA 100y titles. He later appeared in several Hollywood motion pictures as a singer and actor. Sam died in 1985 at age 69.
BOB UFER (1944)
Sprinter
World indoor record (440y)
Three-time Big Ten champion (440y)
Born in Mt. Lebanon, Pa., Bob Ufer, certainly will forever be remembered as "Meechigan's" greatest football announcers in a career that spanned 37 years, beginning in 1944 right after he graduated from his beloved alma mater.
However, he came to Michigan as budding track star and set eight freshman records the year he arrived at the Ann Arbor campus. Bob won three consecutive Big Ten indoor 440 yard titles (1942-44). In 1942, he ran a world-best time of 48.2 indoors at 440 yards. The "war years" suspended Olympic competition in 1940 and 1944 and may have cost Bob further glory on the cinders.
After graduation, besides his football announcing, Bob established his own insurance company, Ufer & Co, which is still a family-run business. A foundation in his name helps local youth and honors Michigan student-athletes.
Bob Ufer lived for 60 glorious years and passed away in 1981.
EELES LANDSTROM (1959)
Pole Vault, Decathlete
Three-time Finnish Olympian (1952, 1956, 1960)
Bronze Medal (Pole Vault, 1960)
All-American (Pole Vault)
Two-time Big Ten champion (Pole Vault)
Eeles Landstrom arrived at Michigan as a young Olympic decathlete from Finland. The Big Ten did not contest the decathlon in their championships during this period, so Landstrom concentrated on his best event, the pole vault. He made the Finnish Olympic team in 1956, having won the Big Ten Vault title as a freshman. He won that event again in his senior year. After graduation, he won the Olympic bronze medal in Melbourne, Australia.
RON KUTSCHINSKI (1969)
800 meters
USA Olympian (1968)
All-American
Big Ten champion
Team captain
Hailing from Grand Rapids, Mich, Ron Kutschinski, arrived at Michigan as the three-time undefeated state 880yd-run champion.
Competing in an era of great half-mile talent in the Big Ten, Ron hit his stride toward the end of his college career, winning the Big Ten outdoor 880yd title as a junior in 1968. He then won his preliminary at the NCAA Championships, but due to an injury did not compete in the final. He recovered to earn a spot on the Mexico City Olympic team and reached the semifinals. As team captain in 1969, he battled injuries his senior year but managed to anchor the U-M 4x880-yard relay team to a third-place finish at the 1969 NCAA Indoor Championships. He left U-M with a personal-best time of 1:47.34 in the 880-yard run and still holds the school 1000-yard run record at 2:20.13.
Though Ron graduated with a degree in industrial engineering, he has been a lifelong entrepreneur, working as a real estate broker, restaurant owner, construction builder, and auto sales dealer. He resides in Vero Beach, Fla., and is an avid and outstanding golfer.
GREG MEYER (1977)
Distance Runner
World Record Holder
Boston Marathon Winner
All-American (steeple)
Big Ten champion (10,000m)
Road Runners Club of America Hall of Fame
Team captain
Born and raised in Grand Rapids, Mich., Greg Meyer had an outstanding career at Michigan, winning the Big Ten 10,000m title in 1977 after earning All-America honors in the steeplechase with a fifth-place finish at the NCAA Championships in 1976. However, it was after graduation that Meyer's running career really took off.
He won the crown at the USA National Cross Country Championships and then broke 4:00 in the mile before he turned to road racing and became one the circuit's brightest stars and leaders for changing the amateur policies in running. During a three-year span, Meyer broke two world (15k and 10 mile) and 10 American (8k, 10k, 15k, 25k, and Ten Mile) Road Racing Records. Most notably, he won the 1983 Boston Marathon in 2:09.00 and has the current distinction of being the last American to do so. He was named USA Male Distance Runner of Year that year and later was inducted into the following Hall of Fames: ESPN Road Racing, Road Runners Club of America and Grand Rapids Sports.
As one of the founding members of ARRA, he helped fight for the right to earn prize money, breaking a century old IOC imposed standard that disallowed athletes who had received money from sport from competing in Olympic or nationally-sanctioned competition.
Today, Greg is the Vice President for institutional advancement at Aquinas College. He also served as the high school coach of current U-M team members Bobby Aprill, Tony Nalli and Lex Williams.
THOMAS WILCHER (1987)
Hurdler
National champion
Four-time All-American
Big Ten champion
Penn Relays champion
One of Detroit's greatest high school stars, hailing from Detroit Central High School, Thomas Wilcher rewrote the state high school record books and was ranked the No. 1 prep high hurdler in the country. He was also an outstanding football player.
Recruited to Michigan by Bo Schembechler, the demands of football did not slow down Wilcher on the track come national championship time. Highlighted by winning the 1986 NCAA indoor title, he also earned outdoor All-America honors three years in a row (1985-87). Other major victories included winning the 1986 Penn Relays and 1987 Big Ten Outdoor 110m high hurdles. He still holds the school record at 13.52, which he set in 1985.
After college, Wilcher took over the reigns as the head football and track coach at Detroit's Cass Tech High School. He has been named Detroit Free Press Coach of the Year in football and his track teams have won three state titles to date. Among his individual champions is current Wolverine Nick McCampbell.
BRAD DARR (1992)
Pole Vault
Three-time All-American
Big Ten champion
Penn Relays champion
Brad Darr graduated in 1992 as U-M's first (and currently only) man to clear 18 feet (18-1/2) in the pole vault.
A native of Hudson, Mich., Brad won the Big Ten Outdoor title in his senior year and earned two indoor and one outdoor All-America distinction during his collegiate career. As a sophomore, he won the Penn Relays with a then record-breaking performance of 17-10.25. His indoor (17-10.25) and outdoor (18-1/2) school records still stand today.
Darr assisted with the men's vaulters at Michigan for several years before moving to Grand Rapids, Mich., where he works today as the North/South America Sales Manager for Micron USA.
STEPHEN FARRELL
Head Coach (1918-29)
Coached 1923 national championship team
Coached nine Big Ten champion teams
Coached six Olympians
Coached three Olympic champions
Coached 11 national champions
Certainly, one of the more interesting individuals to lead the Wolverines in any sport, Stephen Farrell had a phenomenal record as U-M's track & field coach from 1918-1929.
Born in Rockville, Conn., in 1863, he came into prominence as a professional "foot-racer" in the 1880s and 1890s, competing in distances between a 100 yards to mile and was christened by one sports writer as "the greatest pro foot-racer this country has ever known". He took his act to Barnum and Bailey and, for several years, performed in the circus racing against horses. Interestingly, he also held the world record in the standing backward jump at 11 feet. His running career ended when he broke a leg trying to avoid a stray dog that at wandered onto the track.
After brief coaching stints at Yale, Maine and Ohio State, Farrell came to Ann Arbor in 1912 as (football coach) Fielding Yost's athletic trainer. In 1919, he took over the track program and led U-M to its only national championship, in 1923. During Farrell's career, Michigan won nine Big Ten team titles and he developed six Olympians (three gold medalists), 11 national champions, and 32 All-Americans. Farrell was an innovator who developed the "Steve Start", and had the school band play fast music during practice.
Farrell died at age 69 in 1933 while on the first tee of the U-M Golf Course.
Contact: Joe Arancio (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
