Our 1975 Springbank International (London, Ontario) champions pose with their trophy. Kneeling: Lillian Warnes, Lisa Berry, Kelly Spatz. Standing: Sue Latter, Nathalie Hughes, Deb Pozega, Sue Richardson, Mary Ann Opalewski, coach Eric Zemper (Lillian Hunter collection).
MSU earned a surprise 3rd-place finish in the 1995 Big Ten meet sparked an "improbable run to NCAAs and #16 national ranking." From left: Neil Murphy, Brantley Lutz, Chris Lett, Dean Rugh, Mark Goodfellow, Ryan Kennedy, Chris Wehrman, Jim Marcero, Pat Hoard (Jim Marcero collection).
This may be the earliest extant action photo of Michigan Agricultural College cross country! Men at the starting line in front of the Bath House and Armory (current site of the MSU Music Building) on the College Drill Field (now Adams Field) in April 1909. The well-dressed man with his back to the camera is likely MAC's Director of Physical Culture, Chester L. Brewer. Fred Tillotson won the approximately 3-mile race in 15:59.8 (MSU Museum collection)
The 1975 MSU women's team at the National AAU meet near San Francisco, CA, the first year we competed in national cross country competition. Iowa State won the meet. Bottom row: Sue Parks, Karen McKeachie, Kay Richards, coach Mark Pittman, Robin Collins, Sue Koebnick, Anne Dyer. Top row: Erica D'Ellia, Lil Warnes, Diane Culp, Tracy Harris, Barbara Bronson, Deb Pozega, Jan Pielmeier (Lillian Warnes Jarecki collection)
Freshman David Madrigal leads two Buckeyes through a hairpin turn at the 2011 Big Ten Championship (Ron Berby collection)
Coach Walt Drenth urges on one of his Spartans during a recent State Intercollegiate meet (Ron Berby collection)
The adjacent photo of the first home meet in MSU women's cross country history was published in the State News in 1974. Our runners (identified by MSU in script on the upper left of their uniforms) include from left to right: Erica D'Ellia, Ann Forshee, Sheri Hohenstein, Jan McMillan, and Karen McKeachie. Diane Culp (#31) ran for Central Michigan that day, but later transferred to MSU where she was a major contributor for several years (personal collection of Ann Forshee Crane)
A few years back, Coach Drenth gave rare permission for the men's team to do an indoor run at the Daugherty Building's football field, but Wojick, Marlett, Bartlbaugh, Sherer, Egger, Sherman, and Marsh had other ideas -- they chose to run the "Applegate Loop" instead. This 7-8 mile base route starts at Jenison and follows the pre-1958 Michigan State cross country course along the south bank of the Red Cedar to Hagadorn, then north to Applegate, south on Harrison, and eventually (depending on variation) back to Jenison (personal collection of Justin Zanotti)
Women's team celebrating after the 2006 regionals -- From left: Price, McKaig, D. Hamilton, Bush, Adama, Rafferty, Kelly, and Elenbaas (personal collection of Justin Zanotti)
Women's team members lining up prior to the 2006 Spartan Invitational: Emilly Adama (partially obscured), Thereseann Zimmerman, Diane Hamilton, Sarah Price, Michelle Rafferty, Alissa McKaig (personal collection of Justin Zanotti)
Our 2006 teams at dinner prior to the 2006 NCAA meet.
Back row: Dustin Voss, Matt Bartlbaugh, David Bills, Steve Shay, Nick Katsafaras, Adam Sprangel, Justin Zanotti, Jim Pancoast, Coach Denth, Coach Arndt-Molis, Andy Marsh. Front row: Leah Elenbaas, Katie Kelly, Michelle Rafferty, Diane Hamilton, Nicole Bush, Sarah Price, Alissa McKaig, Emily Adama. For the record, the women finished 12th and the men finished 17th. McKaig and Rafferty won All-America honors (personal collection of Justin Zanotti)
All-out effort looks the same regardless of the era: Steve Shay and Adam Sprangel legging out the last few yards of the NCAA championships in Terre Haute, Indiana (personal collection of Justin Zanotti)
Josh McAlary, Joe Dimambro, Max Goldak and Isaaih VanDoornan at the half-way point of 2009 NCAA Regional Meet at Bloomington, IN where the Spartans finished 2nd overall (personal collection of Ron Berby)
Emily Langenberg and Tiffany Abrahamian duke it out with Michigan
and other runners in the 2009 Spartan Invitational, at Forest Akers East
(personal collection of Ron Berby)
Proud Spartans and Wells Hall roommates Ken Waite, Martin Warskow, and Robert Hills relaxing at Bob Hills' parents' home in Jackson during the 1935/1936 school year. Warskow was not a cross country runner. You may have noticed the cross country team photos at far left on the wall behind Ken Waite (personal collection of Jann Krupa, daughter of Robert Hills)
Vernon Hinz, Arthur Green, Harold Sparks, Robert Hills, James Wright, and Ken Waite pose in front of the old Wells Hall dorm in the mid-1930s. That's the MSU Museum (then Library) over Ken's left shoulder (personal collection of Jann Krupa)
Late 1930s steeplechase action from the Drake Relays in Des Moines, IA (personal collection of Jann Krupa)
The 1935 Spartan cross country team standing on the MSC football field. At this time home meets started and finished on the track which circled the field. From left - John Nelson Gardner, Eddie Bechtold, Ken Waite, James Wright, Harold Sparks, Arthur Green, Bob Hills, Vernon Hinz, and Gerard Boss (personal collection of Jann Krupa)
Well ahead of the main pack, Martin Schulist chasing down a Wolverine in the snow at the 1979 NCAA Regional meet, Forest Akers West
(Mark Havitz collection)
Coaches Gibbard (pacing) and Bibbs await Don Kopriva's tabulation of results after the 1980 MSU vs UM Men's dual meet (Mark Havitz collection)
Ted Unold chats post race with a UM friend and rival at
Forest Akers West in 1980 (Mark Havitz collection)
Tim Kerr (white sleeves) and Harold Rutila (seated) chat after the
1980 UM race at Forest Akers (Mark Havitz collection)
Lisa Berry bench pressing 1977 (Ken Fruit collection)
Lillian Warnes stretching 1977 (Ken Fruit collection)
Mary Ann Opalewski stretching 1977 (Ken Fruit collection)
Kelly Spatz lifting 1977 (Ken Fruit collection)
Women's team attacking Cardiac Hill on
Forest Akers Golf Course 1977 (Ken Fruit collection)
On the trails in Forest Akers 1977 (Ken Fruit collection)
Cindy Wright strikes a confident pose 1977 (Ken Fruit collection)
Deb Pozega leads a work out pack 1977 (Ken Fruit collection)
Ron Smeltzer (right) steeplechasing vs Notre Dame,
mid-1970s (Ron Smeltzer collection)
MSU's 2001 Big Ten Champions (Michelle Kinkela Urben collection)
Ed Houldsworth, John Logan, Dave Hoke and Ross Green
pause from a 1953 track workout (John Logan collection)
Ron Wheeler, Tony Smith, Jim McCue, an unidentified teammate ,
and Henry Kennedy horsing around at the track
during the late 1950s (Henry Kennedy collection)
Mid-1950s All-Americans Selwyn Jones and Henry Kennedy
run for the camera (Henry Kennedy collection)
Karl's Canucks -- Mid-1950s Canadian imports pose with coach Schlademan: Front -- Jim Armit and Crawford Kennedy. Back -- Henry Kennedy, Selwyn Jones, Karl Schlademan, Ted Tetzlaff, and Ken Dafoe (Henry Kennedy collection)
The 1977 men's team lining up against Eastern Michigan at Forest Akers. From left: Mark Havitz, Mike Demko, Kevin Watkins, Tim Kerr, Jim Featherstone, Jeff Pullen, Todd Moss, Steve Carlson, Ted Unold and the entire EMU team. Jim Gibbard watches with his back to the camera. (Mike Demko collection)
Lost in thought, the 1977 MSU men's team shares a quiet moment prior to its
season opening meet at Notre Dame (Mike Demko collection)
Action from the 2010 Wisconsin Invitational (Michigan State Athletics site)
Mike Kaines (100) and Ron Berby (97) in the 1963 NCAA championship meet at Forest Akers (Courtesy MSU Archives and Historic Collections)
Steve Charlebois contemplates a 1991 race (Kirk Ikens collection)
All-Americans Ian Smith and Anthony Hamm in 1991 (Kirk Ikens collection)
Five of the seven Spartans in the 1971 Big Ten Championship celebrate MSU's surprise victory on home turf at Forest Akers (Chuck Starkey collection)
Happy Spartans, including the top seven standing in front, celebrate Michigan State's second straight Big Ten title in 2011 (Ron Berby collection)
Spartan stars Rachele Schulist and Leah O'Connor run with the lead pack early in the 2014 NCAA race, alongside individual champion Kate Avery of Iona (white knee socks). Schulist finished 4th overall and first for MSU while O'Connor was 17th and third. (Ron Berby collection)
Sarah Kroll legs out a mid-race section of the 2014 NCAA championship. Her 63rd overall, 44th in team standings and fifth for MSU clinched Michigan State's first NCAA women's title. (Ron Berby collection)
Lindsay Clark and Julia Otwell sandwich a Washington Huskie en-route to 11th overall, 9th in the team standings and second for MSU (Clark); 21st overall, 16th in the team standings and fourth for MSU (Otwell). MSU's top four all earned 2014 All-American honors. (Ron Berby collection)
Schulist paces competitors representing Iowa State, Baylor and Arizona State at the 2014 NCAA championships. (Ron Berby collection)