KU Relays Hall Of Fame Class to welcome track legends

The University has announced its inaugural Kansas Relays Hall of Fame class today, naming Glenn Cunningham, Bill Easton, Bob Timmons, Wes Santee, Al Oerter, Billy Mills and Jim Ryun, as its first entrants. The inductees will be formally inducted during a banquet at the conclusion of the 2004 Kansas Relays April 15-17.

"Since 1923 the Kansas Relays has given track and field fans some amazing stories, and this Hall of Fame is meant to give those stories and the athletes who made them a vehicle to be remembered for years to come," said Tim Weaver, meet director. "The all-star nature of this first class of inductees speaks to the depth and breadth of our tradition and history.

"This is a special group of individuals whose accomplishments in the context of the Kansas Relays are matched only by their successes outside of track and field. The fact that these five living legends will share the stage at the same time this April is unbelievable. These are heroes not just of the Kansas Relays, but of the sport."

The inaugural class was selected by the vote of alumni, the media, and the Kansas Relays'Greater Relays Committee. Each year, the Relays will induct five living members and two posthumous selections. Any athlete, coach, official, sponsor, or individual associated with the event is eligible for selection.

Glenn Cunningham, d'34
Cunningham dominated the mile in the 1930s, winning the Sullivan Award in 1933 to go along with his conference and NCAA titles, plus fourth- and second- place finishes in the 1932 and 1936 Olympic Games. Cunningham went entire seasons undefeated, winning the mile indoors and outdoors at the conference meet three years in a row. His career almost never happened when doctors wanted to amputate his legs after an explosion badly burned Cunningham when he was a child. The Men's Mile at the Kansas Relays is named in Cunningham's honor.

"Coming from a situation where Glenn was told he would never walk again, much less run, his accomplishments on the track are astonishing. His inspirational story continued as he dedicated his life to helping thousands of troubled youths by opening his home to wayward boys and wards of the state," said Weaver." From winning the first four 1500 meter or mile races held at the Kansas Relays, to his life of service to the state of Kansas, Glenn was always a champion."

Bill Easton
A legendary coach, Easton directed the Jayhawks from 1947 to 1965, making an incredible mark on the Kansas Relays during his tenure. He led KU to 39 conference titles, including eight consecutive sweeps of the conference cross country, indoor, and outdoor crowns. In addition, KU won three NCAA tiles under Easton. A former meet director of the Drake Relays, Easton also led the Bulldogs to three NCAA Cross Country titles. His Kansas Relays were highlighted by 22 KU All-Americans, ten Jayhawk NCAA champions, and eight Kansas Olympians. The Men's Four Mile Relay at the Kansas Relays is named in Easton's honor.

"Perhaps the greatest testament to Coach Easton comes in the successes his athletes enjoyed after their days at KU," Weaver said. "He instilled in his athletes a sense of dedication and excellence that served them well their entire lives. To this day, they speak about him in the most reverent of tones. With his abilities as a coach and meet director, Bill set the high standards that we reach for today."

Billy Mills, d'62
Responsible for one of the greatest moments in Olympic history, Mills is followed by packs of fans, young and old alike, each year when he returns for the Kansas Relays. An All-American and conference champion while at KU, Mills came to Kansas after an outstanding prep career at Haskell Institute. The film "Running Brave" chronicles Mills' battles with discrimination while at KU and his meteoric rise to become the 10,000 meter Olympic champion and world record holder. The Men's 10,000 Meter Run at the Kansas Relays is named in his honor.

"Billy is now one of the most successful sports/celebrity speakers in the nation," Weaver said. "But unlike his peers, who are often hired simply because of who they are, Billy's presentations are sought after time and time again because of what he has to say. KU great Cliff Cushman perhaps gave the best summation of Billy's achievement on the track: 'When I saw you race on television, I cried. Not because of what you accomplished, but because of where you had to begin.' That is true now more than ever."

Al Oerter, '58
Never the favorite entering four Olympic Games, Oerter left with the gold medal in 1956, 1960, 1964 and 1968. Oerter won an unprecedented three consecutive triple crowns as a Jayhawk, taking the discus title at the Texas, Kansas, and Drake Relays in 1956, 1957, and 1958 and was the first man to throw a discus 200 feet. An athlete who was at his best when the stakes were at their highest, Oerter embodies the big-meet mentality that is synonymous with the Kansas Relays. He is considered by many to be America's finest Olympian. The Men's Discus Throw at the Kansas Relays is named in Oerter's honor.

"Al is simply the greatest discus thrower the world has ever seen. His talent was timeless, winning his first Kansas Relays title in 1956 and his last in 1981. He didn't retire from throwing until 1988 at the age of 51," Weaver said. "Now a very successful public speaker and renowned abstract artist, Al's talent extends well beyond the discus ring. He set the standard for throwers at the Kansas Relays."

Wes Santee, d'54
A pioneer in the professionalism of the sport and the workhorse behind many championship teams, Santee set multiple world records and won many conference and NCAA titles. He took the top place in the Kansas Relays mile back-to-back in 1954 and 1955, his first effort turning in the second-fastest American time in history. He was named Most Outstanding Performer in 1952 for anchoring the four-mile relay and running a blazing three-lap leg of the Distance Medley Relay. A 1952 Olympian, Santee ran just a fraction of a second over the four-minute mark in the mile when no one had broken that historic barrier. The Men's 1500 Meter Run at the Kansas Relays is named in Santee's honor.

"Wes's battles with the AAU and Olympic committee paved the way for the early concepts of athlete's rights. Just as many miler's followed in his path, many of today's professional athletes travel on roads that Wes helped pave," Weaver said. "Wes is one of the greatest athletes to ever wear the Jayhawk uniform and is a favorite at the Kansas Relays every year."

Jim Ryun, j'70
Perhaps the most well-known track athlete of his generation, Ryun won the Sullivan Award as America's top amateur athlete and Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year award in addition to his five NCAA titles and six world records. He went on to represent the United States in three Olympic Games, capturing the silver medal in 1968. Ryun achieved fame in high school as the first prep athlete to break the four-minute mile, a record that stood for 32 years. He drew big crowds to the Kansas Relay in the '60s and '70s, winning the mile or metric equivalent in 1963, 1964, and 1965 as a high school star and 1966, 1967, 1968, 1971 and 1972 as a Kansas or post-collegiate runner. The Boys' 1600 Meter Run at the Kansas Relays is named in Ryun's honor.

"Few individuals have had a greater impact on the Kansas Relays than Jim. From his years as a dominant high school miler to the countless autographs he signs in Memorial Stadium forty years later, Jim is in many ways the face of the Kansas Relays for much of the nation," Weaver said. "Considering his athletic excellence and matching character, one would be hard pressed to pick a better ambassador."

Bob Timmons, d'50, g'50
The top two most attended Kansas Relays, 1972 and 1983, both came under Bob Timmons term as meet drector. The first featured the beginning of Jim Ryun's 1972 Olympic campaign. The second was the result of a visit from a Russian team during the height of the cold war with the Soviet Union. The head coach and meet director from 1965 to 1988, Timmons oversaw four NCAA team titles, 12 top five finishes, 10 consecutive conference titles and 11 NCAA champions. The Men's Two-Mile Relay at the Kansas Relays is named in Timmon's honor. In 2000, he received the Alumni Association's Fred Ellsworth Medallion for service to KU.

"Timmie has been the recipient of every major honor and award given by the University, he is without a doubt one of the most passionate Jayhawks the school has ever known," Weaver said. "He took the KU track and field and cross country teams and the Kansas Relays to unprecedented heights during his tenure at Kansas. For many years, the Kansas Relays thrived by just the sheer will of Bob Timmons."

For more information about the Kansas Relays or the Kansas Relays Hall of Fame, contact the Kansas Relays Office at 785-864-3486 or kansasrelays@kuathletics.com or visit the Kansas Relays link at www.kuathletics.com. (2/19/04)