Collegiate Athlete Hall of Fame: Track greats inducted in star-studded ceremony at Hult Center
Thirty of track and field's greatest athletes earned one more medal Monday night in Eugene during the inaugural induction ceremony for the newly formed Collegiate Athlete Hall of Fame.
Presented by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association and hosted by ESPN’s John Anderson and former Oregon standout Jordan Kent, the night at the Hult Center celebrated the accomplishments of 20 men and 10 women whose greatness spanned nearly 100 years.
All together, the 30 inductees accounted for 205 individual titles, 99 world records, and 19 Olympic gold medals during their time as college athletes.
That included Michigan long jumper DeHart Hubbard who as sophomore in 1923 became the first Black athlete in any sport to win an NCAA title and as a junior in 1924 became the first Black athlete to win an individual Olympic gold medal, as well as 35-year-old Jenny (Barringer) Simpson, the former Colorado steeplechase and distance star, whose professional career is still in progress.
Simpson was one of 12 inductees who were in attendance, along with Ralph Boston (Tennessee State, 1958-61); Suzy (Favor) Hamilton (Wisconsin, 1986-90); Carlette Guidry (Texas, 1988-91); Vicki (Huber) Rudowski (Villanova, 1985-89); Jackie (Johnson) Powell (Arizona State, 2004, 2006-08); Jackie Joyner-Kersee (UCLA, 1981-83, 85); Carl Lewis (Houston, 1980-81); Suleiman Nyambui (UTEP, 1978-82); Billy Olson (Abilene Christian, 1978-82); Jim Ryun (Kansas, 1966-69); and Erick Walder (Arkansas, 1991-94).
This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Collegiate Athlete Hall of Fame celebrates inaugural class
