Eastern Michigan Athletics
Men's Cross Country Names Alum Fred LaPlante Eastern Man at Awards Ceremony
1/9/2009 1:43:40 PM | Men's XC
LaPlante is the current head coach at the University of Michigan
YPSILANTI, Mich.—The Eastern Michigan University men's cross country team will hold its annual awards banquet Friday evening, Jan. 9, at the EMU Student Center Grand Ballroom. The banquet will honor the accomplishments of the 2008 squad as well as track and cross country alumnus Fred LaPlante, who will be honored with the Eastern Award, which is given annually at the men's cross country team banquet to honor an alum who has made a significant contribution to EMU and or the running community as an athlete, coach, official or supporter.
LaPlante, a 1972 graduate of EMU, is the current men's track and field head coach at the University of Michigan. He was elevated to the position of head coach in the fall of 2008 after Michigan's head cross country and track coach decided to hand the reins of the program to LaPlante, while Ron Warhurst, who remained the cross country coach, became the associate head coach.
LaPlante, the 2008 NCAA Great Lakes Regional Assistant Track Coach of the Year, oversaw the Wolverine sprinters. Last year, his group won six Big Ten sprint titles and earned All-America in the 60-meter (Adam Harris) and the 4x400 relay (Andre Barnes, Andrew Wechter, Dan Harmsen and Stann Waithe).
After graduation, LaPlante stayed at Eastern Michigan as a graduate assistant from 1972-73 before heading to Columnia University as an assistant during the 1977-season. He was then named the head women's track coach at San Diego State University and coached from 1979-83 before being named the head women's track coach at Southern California and staying on until 1988. He returned to Eastern Michigan as an assistant in sprints before leaving to be the head men's and women's coach at Lehigh University. In 1996 he was named the associate head coach at Michigan before being named the head coach in the fall of 2008.
While at Eastern he coached Tiberia Patterson to All-American status in the indoor 60-meter hurdles and Patterson broke the varsity record outdoors with a time of 13.69. He also coached Chuck Wilson to a third-place finish in the 400 meters, both indoors and outdoors with a best time of 45.57, still second on the EMU all-time outdoor list. Additionally, LaPlante coached EMU's Deby Lansky to a berth on the USA 1976 Olympic Team, where she became the first American woman to break 13 seconds in the 100-meter hurdles, making the semi-finals in Montreal.
A strong middle distance runner for the Green and White, LaPlante earned All-American honors after finishing second at the 1972 NCAA Division II 1,500 meters, running 3:50.14, helping lead the Eagles to the NCAA College Division National Title. In 1971 he ran the second leg of the NAIA National Championships 4x800-meter relay team, with Marvin Lynch, Floyd Wells and Wayne Seiler as the other relay legs. That 4x800 meter relay team had the best time in the country that season, running 7:29.24. Outdoors that same year LaPlante teamed up with Bob Sampson, Wells and Seiler to run a 7:28.04 for the 4x800-meter relay.
LaPlante's collegiate career bests still appear in the top-35 all-time in EMU history. He ran 1:51.34 for the 800, 3:50.14 for the 1,500 and 14:41.34 for the 5,000 meters.
LaPlante, a 1972 graduate of EMU, is the current men's track and field head coach at the University of Michigan. He was elevated to the position of head coach in the fall of 2008 after Michigan's head cross country and track coach decided to hand the reins of the program to LaPlante, while Ron Warhurst, who remained the cross country coach, became the associate head coach.
LaPlante, the 2008 NCAA Great Lakes Regional Assistant Track Coach of the Year, oversaw the Wolverine sprinters. Last year, his group won six Big Ten sprint titles and earned All-America in the 60-meter (Adam Harris) and the 4x400 relay (Andre Barnes, Andrew Wechter, Dan Harmsen and Stann Waithe).
After graduation, LaPlante stayed at Eastern Michigan as a graduate assistant from 1972-73 before heading to Columnia University as an assistant during the 1977-season. He was then named the head women's track coach at San Diego State University and coached from 1979-83 before being named the head women's track coach at Southern California and staying on until 1988. He returned to Eastern Michigan as an assistant in sprints before leaving to be the head men's and women's coach at Lehigh University. In 1996 he was named the associate head coach at Michigan before being named the head coach in the fall of 2008.
While at Eastern he coached Tiberia Patterson to All-American status in the indoor 60-meter hurdles and Patterson broke the varsity record outdoors with a time of 13.69. He also coached Chuck Wilson to a third-place finish in the 400 meters, both indoors and outdoors with a best time of 45.57, still second on the EMU all-time outdoor list. Additionally, LaPlante coached EMU's Deby Lansky to a berth on the USA 1976 Olympic Team, where she became the first American woman to break 13 seconds in the 100-meter hurdles, making the semi-finals in Montreal.
A strong middle distance runner for the Green and White, LaPlante earned All-American honors after finishing second at the 1972 NCAA Division II 1,500 meters, running 3:50.14, helping lead the Eagles to the NCAA College Division National Title. In 1971 he ran the second leg of the NAIA National Championships 4x800-meter relay team, with Marvin Lynch, Floyd Wells and Wayne Seiler as the other relay legs. That 4x800 meter relay team had the best time in the country that season, running 7:29.24. Outdoors that same year LaPlante teamed up with Bob Sampson, Wells and Seiler to run a 7:28.04 for the 4x800-meter relay.
LaPlante's collegiate career bests still appear in the top-35 all-time in EMU history. He ran 1:51.34 for the 800, 3:50.14 for the 1,500 and 14:41.34 for the 5,000 meters.
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