Eastern Michigan Athletics
Photo by: EMU Athletics/Randy Mascharka
Men's Cross Country Celebrates Historical Milestone
10/6/2011 10:30:00 AM | Men's XC
The 2011 season represents 100 years since the program's first year of competition
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — After researching through old stacks in the Halle Library and archives in the depths of the Convocation Center, records have revealed an interesting fact in the men's cross country team history—the 2011 team is competing exactly 100 years since the institution's first ever-cross country squad began.
Records indicate that cross country running was engaged in sporadically as early as 1911, when coach F.G. Beyerman led a Michigan State Normal School roster that included a prominent name in the program's history. Oscar Brundage, Hugh German, James Jameson, and Lloyd Olds each donned the green and white singlets, that season, with Olds eventually stepping into a coaching role several years later.
It was Olds who eventually revived and consistently promoted cross country running to help elevate it into a major sport in 1921. Its story from that time is one of outstanding performances, not only within the conference that Normal was a member of that time, but also in national competition.
The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association championship was won in 1924 and the National AAU title was added in 1929. In 1931, Olds coached a Normal team that was second in the National Junior AAU run which was held in Ypsilanti, Mich. In 1940, EMU's first two-time All-American athlete in any sport, Tom Quinn, helped his squad to a second place finish behind Indiana in the NCAA National Championships. They took first in the 15th Annual Central Collegiate Conference run and later tied Bowling Green for second place in the National Junior AAU Meet in 1942.
George Marshall succeeded Olds in 1945 and maintained the outstanding record that he inherited, including a National AAU Championship in the 1954 season. By 1956, Marshall's squads had won the Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championship for seven consecutive years. In 1958, Normal took second in the National AAU Junior Meet. In 1965, EMU would go on to take second in the NCAA College Division National Championships and would take third as a team the following season.
The then-Hurons were consistently competing at the NCAA College Division National Championship level in the 60s when EMU alumnus Bob Parks took over the reigns as head coach in 1967.
During his career, Parks led the EMU cross country team to a dual-meet record of 132-24-1 for a .843 winning percentage. EMU was 75-16 (.824) in Mid-American Conference action and has won nine MAC titles. The Eagles went undefeated 11 in dual meet action during his tenure. In his first five years, Parks led Eastern to the NAIA and/or NCAA Division II Championship meet every year and won the 1967 and 1970 NAIA National Championship and the 1970 NCAA Division II National title.
After joining the MAC and moving up to NCAA Division I status in 1972, EMU won two district championships and qualified for the NCAA Championship meet seven times with the best finish coming in 1974 with a sixth place finish. Parks' teams qualified for a national championship meet (NAIA, NCAA I, II) nine times in his first 10 years. Eastern also won seven Central Collegiate Conference crowns and nine Michigan Intercollegiate Championships. Parks was named MAC Coach of the Year seven times, was five-time CCC Coach of the Year and twice honored as NCAA District Coach of the Year (1973, 1974).
Current Head Coach John Goodridge stepped in during the 2000 season and has continued to bring successful teams to EMU. Since arriving in Ypsilanti, the 2010 MAC Coach of the year has coached two NCAA National Championship top-three individuals including 2001 National Champion Boaz Cheboiywo, six cross country All-Americans, four NCAA Great Lakes Regional Individual Champions, seven Mid-American Conference Individual Champions and 38 All-MAC harriers.
The men's cross country team has experienced a great deal of success since the first team competed in 1911, winning a total of 40 conference championships in the 80 years it was a member of any conference (Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association, Michigan Collegiate Conference, Presidents Athletic Conference, Central Collegiate Conference, Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and the Mid-American Conference). With multiple appearances on the national stage, the program has secured and maintained a reputation as being on of the best in the mid-west.
Records indicate that cross country running was engaged in sporadically as early as 1911, when coach F.G. Beyerman led a Michigan State Normal School roster that included a prominent name in the program's history. Oscar Brundage, Hugh German, James Jameson, and Lloyd Olds each donned the green and white singlets, that season, with Olds eventually stepping into a coaching role several years later.
It was Olds who eventually revived and consistently promoted cross country running to help elevate it into a major sport in 1921. Its story from that time is one of outstanding performances, not only within the conference that Normal was a member of that time, but also in national competition.
The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association championship was won in 1924 and the National AAU title was added in 1929. In 1931, Olds coached a Normal team that was second in the National Junior AAU run which was held in Ypsilanti, Mich. In 1940, EMU's first two-time All-American athlete in any sport, Tom Quinn, helped his squad to a second place finish behind Indiana in the NCAA National Championships. They took first in the 15th Annual Central Collegiate Conference run and later tied Bowling Green for second place in the National Junior AAU Meet in 1942.
George Marshall succeeded Olds in 1945 and maintained the outstanding record that he inherited, including a National AAU Championship in the 1954 season. By 1956, Marshall's squads had won the Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championship for seven consecutive years. In 1958, Normal took second in the National AAU Junior Meet. In 1965, EMU would go on to take second in the NCAA College Division National Championships and would take third as a team the following season.
The then-Hurons were consistently competing at the NCAA College Division National Championship level in the 60s when EMU alumnus Bob Parks took over the reigns as head coach in 1967.
During his career, Parks led the EMU cross country team to a dual-meet record of 132-24-1 for a .843 winning percentage. EMU was 75-16 (.824) in Mid-American Conference action and has won nine MAC titles. The Eagles went undefeated 11 in dual meet action during his tenure. In his first five years, Parks led Eastern to the NAIA and/or NCAA Division II Championship meet every year and won the 1967 and 1970 NAIA National Championship and the 1970 NCAA Division II National title.
After joining the MAC and moving up to NCAA Division I status in 1972, EMU won two district championships and qualified for the NCAA Championship meet seven times with the best finish coming in 1974 with a sixth place finish. Parks' teams qualified for a national championship meet (NAIA, NCAA I, II) nine times in his first 10 years. Eastern also won seven Central Collegiate Conference crowns and nine Michigan Intercollegiate Championships. Parks was named MAC Coach of the Year seven times, was five-time CCC Coach of the Year and twice honored as NCAA District Coach of the Year (1973, 1974).
Current Head Coach John Goodridge stepped in during the 2000 season and has continued to bring successful teams to EMU. Since arriving in Ypsilanti, the 2010 MAC Coach of the year has coached two NCAA National Championship top-three individuals including 2001 National Champion Boaz Cheboiywo, six cross country All-Americans, four NCAA Great Lakes Regional Individual Champions, seven Mid-American Conference Individual Champions and 38 All-MAC harriers.
The men's cross country team has experienced a great deal of success since the first team competed in 1911, winning a total of 40 conference championships in the 80 years it was a member of any conference (Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association, Michigan Collegiate Conference, Presidents Athletic Conference, Central Collegiate Conference, Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and the Mid-American Conference). With multiple appearances on the national stage, the program has secured and maintained a reputation as being on of the best in the mid-west.
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