SAN FRANCISCO -- Washington State distance phenom Henry Rono has been selected the Pac-12 Men's Track & Field Athlete of the Century as announced Monday night, May 30, during the Pac-12 Networks' “Pac-12 Sports Report.”
Rono (WSU 1976-81), from Kiptaragon, Kenya, established four World, Collegiate, Pac-10 and WSU records in 81 days in 1978. He ran the 5000m in a time of 13 minutes, 8.4 seconds (April 8), the 3000m steeplechase in a time of 8:05.4 (May 13), the 10,000m in a time of 27:22.47 (June 11), and the 3000m in a time of 7:32.1 (June 27). His steeplechase and 5000m times are still the best in collegiate records through 2016 season. He won four Pac-10 titles - steeplechase in 1977, 5k and 10k in 1978, and 5k in 1979. Rono won six NCAA titles, including the 1978 and 1979 steeplechase. In 1978, he was named Track and Field News' World Track & Field Athlete of the Year, Sport Magazine Track Athlete-of-the-Year, AP European Sportswriters Sportsman of the Year and was the North America winner of Helms Athletic Foundation World Trophy. A member of Kenya's 1980 Olympic team, he dropped his 5000m time to 13:06.2 (1981) but did not compete due to a political boycott.
Rono, who was selected for the 5000m, 10,000m and steeplechase events, was joined on the 52-member team by six additional Cougars: Bernard Lagat (1996-99) 1500m; Gerry Lindgren (1964-68) 10,000m; Jeshua Anderson (2007-11) 400m hurdles; Julius Korir (1982-86) steeplechase; Joseph Taiwo (1981-84) triple jump; and John van Reenen (1967-70) discus throw. Rono and Lindgren were also among the dozen men named to the 2015 Pac-12 Networks All-Century Cross Country team.
The Pac-12 Men's Track & Field Team of the Century was voted on by a panel of 35 consisting of coaches, former athletes, administrators and members of the media. The top two vote getters in each of the 19 events automatically qualified for the squad. The remaining 12 spots, in addition to ties, were selected from a wildcard ballot consisting of the third, fourth and fifth place vote getters in each event. Athletes with two or more events next to their name finished in the top two in each of those events.
USC's Dean Cromwell earned Pac-12 Men's Track & Field Coach of the Century honors. Current WSU assistant track and field coach, Brad Walker, was on the Team of the Century as a pole vaulter at the University of Washington.
Out of 285 nominees, USC leads all Pac-12 schools with 14 selections, followed by UCLA (13), Oregon (8), Washington State (7), California (3), Stanford (3), Washington (2), Arizona State (1) and Oregon State (1). Forty-two of the 52 members of the team are Olympians, and represent 10 different decades and nine different countries.
