Lindgren, Rono & Greene among trio of Washington collegians inducted into USTFCCCA Collegiate HOF...

NEW ORLEANS--Washington State University distance running legends Gerry Lindgren and Henry Rono, along with O'Dea High School graduate Charlie Greene were selected by the USTFCCCA as its initial members of its Collegiate Athlete Hall of Fame.

GERRY LINDGREN, WASHINGTON STATE

In just three years of varsity eligibility, Gerry Lindgren (photo courtesy WSU Athletics) amassed 11 NCAA titles – the only two athletes with more titles all enjoyed four years of such eligibility. He won all but one NCAA race he lined up for, and that loss was to another Hall of Famer, Jim Ryun.

Lindgren’s first chances at NCAA titles resulted in the first collegiate distance triple crown – titles in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track in the same academic year. He accomplished the feat in 1966-67. It was the beginning of three-straight titles in both the 3-mile/5000 meters and 6-mile/10,000 meters outdoors, the first to do so in either event. Lindgren was also the first 3-time winner of the NCAA cross country championships.

HENRY RONO, WASHINGTON STATE

In 1978 Henry Rono (photo courtesy WSU Athletics) broke four world records in four events, clocking times that even Jules Verne couldn’t have imagined.

Rono had earned two NCAA cross country titles, as well as an indoor 2-mile crown, before his glorious stretch of record breaking began in the spring of 1978 – shockingly setting his first WR of 13:08.4 in the 5000 in a collegiate triangular meet. A week later he set a CR in the steeplechase, which he demolished in mid-May with a WR of 8:05.4 at the Northwest Relays at Husky Stadium – still the CR to this day.

Rono didn’t set any WRs at the 1978 NCAA Championships, where he became the first – and still only – athlete to set multiple meet records in distance events on the same day (8:18.6 steeple and 13:21.8 in the 5000 – both in preliminary heats!). A sore foot caused him to scratch the 10k final and limited him to just one final total that year, taking the steeple in 8:12.39 – still the meet record.

Rono finished June 1978 with his final two WRs in Europe – 27:22.4 in the 10k, 7:32.1 in the 3k. The 10k mark lasted as an all-dates CR until 2010, while the 3000 time is still the all-dates best.

CHARLIE GREENE, O'DEA HS/NEBRASKA

O'Dea High School grad Charlie Greene (photo courtesy Nebraska Athletics) who passed away last month, had speed to burn, and when a sprint championship race lined up with him in it, a spectacle was about to unfold with records always in danger.

Greene claimed the first three 60-yard dash titles at the NCAA Indoor Championships, setting or tying the meet record each time. He followed in June each year (1965-67) with the NCAA Outdoor 100-yard crown – giving him a perfect record of six wins in six NCAA championship races. His final NCAA meet included a WR-tying time of 9.1 in the heats.

Greene was also known for running in dark glasses – even when competing at night or indoors. In the days when “warp speed” was gaining traction from Star Trek’s popularity, Greene became famous for his explanation: “they’re not sunglasses, they’re my re-entry shields.”

To this day, Greene holds Nebraska school records in the 50-yard dash, 60-yard dash and 100-meter dash. 

"This is an incredible honor for two extremely deserving men," said WSU Track and Field Head Coach, Wayne Phipps.  "Henry and Gerry are two of the most accomplished and iconic distance runners in the history of the NCAA.  Their success at the conference, national and world levels is amazing.  Henry's accomplishment of four world records in four different events over just 81 days is unlikely to ever be surpassed.  What a fantastic way to appreciate, honor and remember the amazing student-athletes and teams that Coach Chaplin led while at WSU," said Phipps.

Lindgren, Rono and Greene are part of an initial class of thirty men and women who were chosen  solely on their accomplishments while a collegiate athlete – displaying excellence in collegiate track & field and cross country at its very best. Combined they have compiled the following during their collegiate days:

- 205 national collegiate individual titles

- 99 world records

- 19 Olympic gold medals

The athletes selected to be in the first group inducted are Jenny Barringer, Ralph Boston, Ron Delany, Harrison Dillard, Suzy Favor, Charlie Greene, Carlette Guidry, DeHart Hubbard, Vicki Huber, Jackie Johnson, Jackie Joyner, Sally Kipyego, Carl Lewis, Gerry Lindgren, Randy Matson, Ralph Metcalfe, Rodney Milburn, Bobby Morrow, Suleiman Nyambui, Billy Olson, Merlene Ottey, Jesse Owens, Mel Patton, Steve Prefontaine, Meg Ritchie, Henry Rono, Wilma Rudolph, Jim Ryun, Erick Walder and John Woodruff.

Eligibility for induction this year was limited to men who had completed their collegiate eligibility prior to 2000 and women prior to 2010, with the difference being an effort to increase the number of women eligible, as the men’s side of the sport has a much longer history.

One notable omission from the initial class is Washington's Scott Neilson, who was the second man in NCAA history to win the same event (hammer throw) four consecutive years between 1976 and 1979 after Oregon's Steve Prefontaine did it in the 3 mile/5000m between 1970-1973.

In conjunction with the 100th edition of the NCAA Division I Track & Field Championships, the initial group of athletes will be inducted at a ceremony at the Hult Center for the Performing Arts in Eugene, Ore., at 7:30 p.m. PT on Monday, June 6.

The USTFCCCA release is available here, while the release from Washington State and Nebraska are available by clicking on the name of the school.

NOTE: The media relations offices of the University of Nebraska, Washington State University, and the USTFCCCA contributed to this report.

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