Eastern Michigan Athletics
3/31/2021 2:21:00 PM | Men's XC, Men's Track & Field
EMU joins the Mid-American Conference, 1971-1973
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- Head Coach Bob Parks, having already garnered a deep lineup in both cross country and track & field, added another stud harrier in Tom Hollander, just in time for the 1971 cross country season.
In a dual meet with Western Ontario, the Green and Yellow ran in an uncommon setting in London, Ontario. The meet was supposed to be held on a local golf course, however, rainy weather moved the event elsewhere. Now, the teams started the race on the track of a football field, down the roads of London, finishing back in the stadium. Hollander and Jim Bilsborrow went 1-2 as EMU ran away with the meet.
The team finished third at the NCAA College Division (DII) title meet, as they totaled 109 points. Cal State Fullerton got its revenge on Parks' squad, beating North Dakota State 47-81. Terry Furst (13th) and Hollander (19th) earned All-American honors for their efforts.
Furst's finish qualified him for the Division I meet in Knoxville, Tenn. where he ultimately finished 136th out of 285 runners. However, that season, Furst became the first EMU runner to qualify for the NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, and NAIA National Championships.
Gordon Minty and Stan Vinson had a great showing during the indoor season, both qualifying for the NCAA meet at the Michigan Open. Minty clocked in at 8:43.37 in the two-mile run to set a new varsity, field house, and meet record. Meanwhile, Vinson, nicknamed "Stan the Man," won the 440-yard dash in 48.7. Both Minty and Vinson finished 7th, competing in the two-mile run and 600-yard run, respectively. In the mile relay, EMU placed fourth in a 3:17.5 time.
Eastern Michigan opened up the outdoor slate with a trip to Lexington, Ky. for the Kentucky relays. There, Minty won the 10,000m run in 29:10.1 while Ron DeVries earned 6925 points in the decathlon. At the Ohio State Relays, the Green and Yellow once again won a few wristwatches as the team won five-of-eight relays, while placing second in two and third in the final one. Weeks later, the distance medley relay team of Gary Collins, Stan Vinson, Fred LaPlante, Gordon Minty captured the event, clocking in at 9:43.4 to tie the Drake Relays and EMU varsity record.
In a dual meet against Kent State (later moved to Wayne State), EMU topped the Golden Flashes 103.5-59.5. In the contest, Eastern thrower Ron Duncan set a varsity record in the discus with a 157'-10" throw. As Coach Parks recalled, "He truly loved the event and the kids would make fun of him on trips because he slept with his discus under his pillow." Fred LaPlante and Gordon Minty went 1-2 in the mile, despite LaPlante accidentally stepping on Minty's heel, causing the Brit to lose his shoe. Minty finished the race with one shoe on the cinder track.
The College Division meet was held in Ashland, Ohio, where EMU collided with a number of future Olympians, including Steve Riddick (Norfolk State). Ron Devries earned big points for the Green and Yellow as he placed second in the decathlon with 6947 points. Minty controlled the 10,000m race from start to finish, clocking in at 29:29.6 for first place. The England native and Hollander were fantastic in the 5000m, with Minty winning in 14:23.5 and Hollander registering a 14:41.1 time for fourth.
The final event of the title meet was the mile relay. EMU's crew trailed Adelphi as the teams made its final handoff, but Eastern's Stan Vinson caught up to the Panthers, running a split-time of 45.6 seconds to tie. The Green and Yellow won the championship, 93-49 over Norfolk State, as EMU scored in 13-of-21 events. "The team did a victory lap and I ended up in the steeplechase water pit," said Parks. "I didn't mind it as it really was pretty warm."
Despite the stellar performances, Eastern Michigan only sent four men to the DI championships in Eugene, Ore. with Minty being the only member to place in an event.
That summer, EMU's Hasely Crawford represented Trinidad & Tobago in the 100m at the Olympic Games in Munich, West Germany. Unfortunately, in the final race, Crawford pulled his hamstring and was unable to finish. However, the skilled sprinter would make it back four years later.
Things would be different in the fall of 1972 as Eastern Michigan would now be competing in the Mid-American Conference. But with Gordon Minty, Tom Hollander, and Scott Hubbard leading the group, it looked like a good cross country season was in the works in Ypsilanti.
The Green and Yellow were tested early in the year as they went south for a dual meet against a tough Bowling Green State team. However, EMU dropped the nationally-ranked Falcons, with Eastern taking five out of the eight top spots.
Park's team then went on to defeat Central Michigan, Western Michigan, and Kent State in dual meets. At the Notre Dame Invitational race, EMU saw four harriers place in the top-25, resulting in a second-place finish with Bowling Green avenging its loss to Eastern from earlier in the season.
In Eastern Michigan's first MAC title race, the harriers in the Green and Yellow finished third overall, behind Miami (Ohio) (1st) and Bowling Green (2nd). However, Minty was the individual champion in the six-mile race, defeating the field by 10 seconds as he clocked in at 29:45.
At the regional qualifying meet, Eastern placed fourth as a team, punching their ticket to the NCAA meet. In Houston, Texas, EMU finished the championship race in 13th as a team, with Minty taking 24th with a time of 29:24.
During the indoor season, EMU runners had saw great success early on, dominating at the WMU Relays. Inside Read Field House, the team went 1-2 in the 3000m steeplechase, 1-3 in the two-mile run, and 1-2 in the 60-yard dash.
At this time, Coach Parks sponsored the first women's meet in school history, as several female tracksters approached the coach about starting a team. The women's track club competed in a quad meet where they easily defeated Central Michigan, Kent State-Stark Branch, and Michigan State, scoring 77 points. Competing in hurdles at the meet was future USA Olympian Deby Lansky.
There was no official MAC Indoor Championship for the 1973 season, however, many conference teams made their way to Ypsilanti for the EMU Track Classic. There, Stan Vinson set a new field house and meet record with a blazing 440-yard dash time of 47.4. Also on the track, Eastern Michigan saw the team champion both the shuttle hurdle relay, two-mile relay, and one-mile relay. In the field, the high jumpers went 1-2.
Later in the season, Coach Parks coordinated an invitational at EMU for the women's track club on the indoor track. Once again, the women's team faced off against university-sponsored programs, but prevailed with a 76-point victory over Central Michigan (32), Western Michigan (31), Michigan State (30), Michigan (24), and Bowling Green (16).
The men's team opened up the 1973 outdoor season in Lexington, Ky. for the Kentucky Relays. In the Bluegrass State, Minty and Hollander earned first and third in the six-mile run, respectively. Meanwhile, Vinson won the 660 in a 1:17.2 clip. Minty would set a school record later in the season, beating former Eagle Dave Ellis's two-mile run time by running an electric 8:42.5 at the EMU Open.
While the indoor season did not have a Mid-American Conference championship to contend for, the outdoor season did. At the meet, hosted by Bowling Green, Eastern had a solid first day. Stan Vinson had solid marks in the preliminary rounds of his track and field events. Meanwhile, Ron Duncan placed third in the shot put with a distance of 49-11.75". Minty and Hollander handled business in the six-mile run with Minty (28:54.68) taking the gold and Hollander (28:56.65) bronze. Elsewhere on the track, Tony Nelson set a MAC record in the high hurdles with a 13.95 clocking. When the day ended, EMU found themselves tied with Miami (Ohio) at 32 points.
On day No. 2, Minty was second in the mile with an EMU varsity record time of 4:03.56. Vinson captured the 440-yard race in 47.0, however, Kent State's sprinters dominated practically all the other short races. Minty won the three-mile race in 13:27.34, a MAC record, to keep the Green and Yellow in the hunt. Eastern Michigan ultimately finished runner-up to KSU, 111-138.
Be sure to follow along in the following weeks as we continue to take a deep dive into Bob Parks' legacy at Eastern Michigan University.
In a dual meet with Western Ontario, the Green and Yellow ran in an uncommon setting in London, Ontario. The meet was supposed to be held on a local golf course, however, rainy weather moved the event elsewhere. Now, the teams started the race on the track of a football field, down the roads of London, finishing back in the stadium. Hollander and Jim Bilsborrow went 1-2 as EMU ran away with the meet.
The team finished third at the NCAA College Division (DII) title meet, as they totaled 109 points. Cal State Fullerton got its revenge on Parks' squad, beating North Dakota State 47-81. Terry Furst (13th) and Hollander (19th) earned All-American honors for their efforts.
Furst's finish qualified him for the Division I meet in Knoxville, Tenn. where he ultimately finished 136th out of 285 runners. However, that season, Furst became the first EMU runner to qualify for the NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, and NAIA National Championships.
Gordon Minty and Stan Vinson had a great showing during the indoor season, both qualifying for the NCAA meet at the Michigan Open. Minty clocked in at 8:43.37 in the two-mile run to set a new varsity, field house, and meet record. Meanwhile, Vinson, nicknamed "Stan the Man," won the 440-yard dash in 48.7. Both Minty and Vinson finished 7th, competing in the two-mile run and 600-yard run, respectively. In the mile relay, EMU placed fourth in a 3:17.5 time.
Eastern Michigan opened up the outdoor slate with a trip to Lexington, Ky. for the Kentucky relays. There, Minty won the 10,000m run in 29:10.1 while Ron DeVries earned 6925 points in the decathlon. At the Ohio State Relays, the Green and Yellow once again won a few wristwatches as the team won five-of-eight relays, while placing second in two and third in the final one. Weeks later, the distance medley relay team of Gary Collins, Stan Vinson, Fred LaPlante, Gordon Minty captured the event, clocking in at 9:43.4 to tie the Drake Relays and EMU varsity record.
In a dual meet against Kent State (later moved to Wayne State), EMU topped the Golden Flashes 103.5-59.5. In the contest, Eastern thrower Ron Duncan set a varsity record in the discus with a 157'-10" throw. As Coach Parks recalled, "He truly loved the event and the kids would make fun of him on trips because he slept with his discus under his pillow." Fred LaPlante and Gordon Minty went 1-2 in the mile, despite LaPlante accidentally stepping on Minty's heel, causing the Brit to lose his shoe. Minty finished the race with one shoe on the cinder track.
The College Division meet was held in Ashland, Ohio, where EMU collided with a number of future Olympians, including Steve Riddick (Norfolk State). Ron Devries earned big points for the Green and Yellow as he placed second in the decathlon with 6947 points. Minty controlled the 10,000m race from start to finish, clocking in at 29:29.6 for first place. The England native and Hollander were fantastic in the 5000m, with Minty winning in 14:23.5 and Hollander registering a 14:41.1 time for fourth.
The final event of the title meet was the mile relay. EMU's crew trailed Adelphi as the teams made its final handoff, but Eastern's Stan Vinson caught up to the Panthers, running a split-time of 45.6 seconds to tie. The Green and Yellow won the championship, 93-49 over Norfolk State, as EMU scored in 13-of-21 events. "The team did a victory lap and I ended up in the steeplechase water pit," said Parks. "I didn't mind it as it really was pretty warm."
Despite the stellar performances, Eastern Michigan only sent four men to the DI championships in Eugene, Ore. with Minty being the only member to place in an event.
That summer, EMU's Hasely Crawford represented Trinidad & Tobago in the 100m at the Olympic Games in Munich, West Germany. Unfortunately, in the final race, Crawford pulled his hamstring and was unable to finish. However, the skilled sprinter would make it back four years later.
Things would be different in the fall of 1972 as Eastern Michigan would now be competing in the Mid-American Conference. But with Gordon Minty, Tom Hollander, and Scott Hubbard leading the group, it looked like a good cross country season was in the works in Ypsilanti.
The Green and Yellow were tested early in the year as they went south for a dual meet against a tough Bowling Green State team. However, EMU dropped the nationally-ranked Falcons, with Eastern taking five out of the eight top spots.
Park's team then went on to defeat Central Michigan, Western Michigan, and Kent State in dual meets. At the Notre Dame Invitational race, EMU saw four harriers place in the top-25, resulting in a second-place finish with Bowling Green avenging its loss to Eastern from earlier in the season.
In Eastern Michigan's first MAC title race, the harriers in the Green and Yellow finished third overall, behind Miami (Ohio) (1st) and Bowling Green (2nd). However, Minty was the individual champion in the six-mile race, defeating the field by 10 seconds as he clocked in at 29:45.
At the regional qualifying meet, Eastern placed fourth as a team, punching their ticket to the NCAA meet. In Houston, Texas, EMU finished the championship race in 13th as a team, with Minty taking 24th with a time of 29:24.
During the indoor season, EMU runners had saw great success early on, dominating at the WMU Relays. Inside Read Field House, the team went 1-2 in the 3000m steeplechase, 1-3 in the two-mile run, and 1-2 in the 60-yard dash.
At this time, Coach Parks sponsored the first women's meet in school history, as several female tracksters approached the coach about starting a team. The women's track club competed in a quad meet where they easily defeated Central Michigan, Kent State-Stark Branch, and Michigan State, scoring 77 points. Competing in hurdles at the meet was future USA Olympian Deby Lansky.
There was no official MAC Indoor Championship for the 1973 season, however, many conference teams made their way to Ypsilanti for the EMU Track Classic. There, Stan Vinson set a new field house and meet record with a blazing 440-yard dash time of 47.4. Also on the track, Eastern Michigan saw the team champion both the shuttle hurdle relay, two-mile relay, and one-mile relay. In the field, the high jumpers went 1-2.
Later in the season, Coach Parks coordinated an invitational at EMU for the women's track club on the indoor track. Once again, the women's team faced off against university-sponsored programs, but prevailed with a 76-point victory over Central Michigan (32), Western Michigan (31), Michigan State (30), Michigan (24), and Bowling Green (16).
The men's team opened up the 1973 outdoor season in Lexington, Ky. for the Kentucky Relays. In the Bluegrass State, Minty and Hollander earned first and third in the six-mile run, respectively. Meanwhile, Vinson won the 660 in a 1:17.2 clip. Minty would set a school record later in the season, beating former Eagle Dave Ellis's two-mile run time by running an electric 8:42.5 at the EMU Open.
While the indoor season did not have a Mid-American Conference championship to contend for, the outdoor season did. At the meet, hosted by Bowling Green, Eastern had a solid first day. Stan Vinson had solid marks in the preliminary rounds of his track and field events. Meanwhile, Ron Duncan placed third in the shot put with a distance of 49-11.75". Minty and Hollander handled business in the six-mile run with Minty (28:54.68) taking the gold and Hollander (28:56.65) bronze. Elsewhere on the track, Tony Nelson set a MAC record in the high hurdles with a 13.95 clocking. When the day ended, EMU found themselves tied with Miami (Ohio) at 32 points.
On day No. 2, Minty was second in the mile with an EMU varsity record time of 4:03.56. Vinson captured the 440-yard race in 47.0, however, Kent State's sprinters dominated practically all the other short races. Minty won the three-mile race in 13:27.34, a MAC record, to keep the Green and Yellow in the hunt. Eastern Michigan ultimately finished runner-up to KSU, 111-138.
Be sure to follow along in the following weeks as we continue to take a deep dive into Bob Parks' legacy at Eastern Michigan University.
Saturday, September 26
Saturday, September 26
Friday, September 25
Wednesday, June 17