Track and Field are not complicated sports. Track athletes don’t need to learn complex plays; study films to determine team tendencies or change offensive and defensive techniques every week to exploit the competitor’s weakness. Instead, track participant’s primary goal is to convert innate talents, firm discipline, and hard work into maximum performance.

Track forces the participants to confront personal character flaws, demons, personal weaknesses, and insecurities. Jesse Owens Says about mental toughness “The Battles That Count Aren’t the Ones For Gold Medals. The Struggles Within Yourself – The Invisible, Inevitable Battles Inside All Of Us – That’s Where It Is At.” Patti Sue Plumer agrees, saying “Racing teaches us to challenge ourselves. It teaches us to push beyond where we thought we could go. It helps us to find out what we are made of. This is what we do. This is what it’s all about.”

The quote “Sports do not build character- It reveals it” defines track and field participants. Track and Field is one of the only sports that athletes reveal their character as the event unfolds.

1971-1985  Coach Cleburne Price  

• Coach Price was inducted into the HOH in 1991

• Led UT to eight SWC outdoor titles and two SWC indoor titles

• Served six years on the NCAA Track and Field Games Committee

• Coached five NCAA event champions

• While he was head coach, the  athletes earned 10 indoor and 65 outdoor All-American honors

• Coached 46 SWC individual outdoor champions and 21 SWC indoor champions

• Led UT to two SWC cross country team titles

1971- Pending Cleburne Price- The author is Seeking content and individual and team photos. Send to williamdale@msn.com

A longhorn track and field booster club is formed.

 Morton anchored a sprint medley that set a new school record. Injuries hurt this team as Baggett suffered thru sore legs and the team had to scratch at the Drake Relays.   Texas finished Third at the SWC meet.   

At the SWC championship Ricky Yarbough wins the mile, Morton the half mile, Tom Gardner wins the 3 mile.

Byrd Baggett comments about Coach Patterson 

I was fortunate to earn a full scholarship to participate in track and field at the University of Texas in Austin. During my career, I was a four-year letterman, was on two Southwest Conference Championship teams, was elected captain my junior and senior years, and was an All American. Even though I am proud of these accomplishments, what I am most grateful for is the leadership lesson that I learned from my head coach, Jack Patterson.

Coach Patterson recruited me and was the head coach during my freshman year at UT. Even though it was many years ago – 1968 to be exact – I can distinctly remember the day Coach Pat visited my home in Pasadena, Texas to offer me a scholarship. My parents were not home at the time but my grandmother, who was living with us, was present during Coach’s visit. After he left, my grandmother, a tough and wise lady from East Texas, turned to me and stated, “Bubba, that’s a good man and you better sign that scholarship offer!”

Coach Price and Coach Patterson

If you talk to any athlete who was fortunate to have been on one of his teams at Merkel High School, San Angelo High School, the University of Houston, Baylor, and Texas, I’m confident that the majority, if not all, would say that he was a man of integrity who never compromised his core principles. He was a true man of God and, without proselytizing, lived his life accordingly. When Coach was recruiting athletes, the integrity of character always came before talent.

After my freshman year, Coach Patterson went back to Baylor, where he served as the Director of Athletics from 1971 until his retirement in 1980. In his first year, he hired Grant Teaff, another man of impeccable integrity, as head football coach and, three years later, Baylor won its first SWC football title in 50 years. For his many accomplishments as a coach and administrator, Coach Pat was elected to the Texas Sports Hall of Fame, the Drake Relays Hall of Fame, and the Baylor University and Rice University Athletics Halls of Fame. In my opinion, his greatest accomplishment was that he never placed winning above integrity and would be so saddened at what a wholesale lack of integrity has done to the reputation of his beloved Baylor University.

I’m confident that none of this would have happened if Coach Pat was at the helm, as he would NEVER allow his staff, coaches, and athletes to place winning above integrity – his conscience would not have allowed such. The following words, from one of the world’s most admired leaders, speak to Jack Patterson’s legacy: “When you lose your wealth, you lose nothing. When you lose your health, you lose something. When you lose your character, you lose everything.” – Billy Graham

1972-3 Scores at Nationals- Cleburne Price- SWC Champions

At the SWC meet – Bill  Smalley wins the pole vault and, during the year, sets a new school record; Olympic qualifier William Oats wins the high jump; Randy Yarbrough is victorious in the mile, and Gordon Hodges wins the high hurdles”. Jack Colovin breaks the school record in 2 miles.

No victories for the Horns at the Texas relays.

In the SWC meet William Oates breaks the SWC record in the high jump , Rick Yarbrough wins the mile, Hodges the 120 highs, Bill Smalley wins the pole vault , and the mile relay team of Leifeste, Baggett, Brooks and Wright win first place.

William Oates is the first Longhorn to win the high jump in the SWC since 1955.

At the national meet Randy Lighfoot is 6th In The 110 Hurdles

Leifeste, Primeaux, Brooks, Wright 7th In The 1600 Relay

Greg Hackney 8th In The Decathlon

July 2017- Billy Dale rented a house on Mustang Island for his family.  In the guest book was the history of the owner of the house written by his niece. ” Below is part of her comments, and I have shared a couple of pictures of his life as a Longhorn track star. 

1973-5 Scores At Nationals- Cleburne Price -Running events rule- 8th at nationals

This was the last year that Texas could depend on quantity instead of quality to win the SWC. A rule was passed limiting the number of people any one school may have run in each event. This year records fell in the two-mile relay composed of John and Paul Craig, Reed Fischer, and Bill Goldapp. On the relay circuit this year, the Longhorns won 8 relays, while no other school one more than two. Texas was the outstanding team at the Texas relays.

Rey Moreno says” Texas wins the SWC with quality and quantity racking up 164 points to A & M’s 77.5 points.”  “1973 NCAA Track championship- last place for life lesson. Starting the year Texas has many candidates for the mile relay. Coach Price goes with Ed Wright, Billy Jackson, John Lee, and Don Sturgal. Texas dominates the central USA, taking Texas, Kansas, Drake Relays, and the SWC championship. On the west coast, UCLA dominates. Ricky Yarbrough sets a conference record in the 3-mile run. 

Both Texas and UCLA qualify for finals, but Texas Ed Wright sprained his ankle on the inside rail and the trainers suggested he not run the event. Ed Wright puts ice on his ankle but the day of the race the ankle is still swollen.

Coach Price thinks it over and tells Ed to get ready but Price also tells Robert Primeaux to warm up.

Ed runs and both teams run stride for stride, but with 20 yards to go, UCLA takes a stride lead and finishes first.

The Horns win the Texas Relays by winning the mile with Jackson, Wright, Lee, and Sturgal, the Two-mile of Griffin, Goldapp, John Craig, and Paul Craig, and the sprint medley with Jackson, Sturgal, Wright, and John Craig. Oates wins the high jump. Mile relay makes for a triple crown winner.

  In the SWC the Longhorns win convincingly. William Oats wins the high jump. Rudolph Griffith wins the 880, Sturgal wins the 440, John Craig wins the mile, Rick Yarbrough wins the three-mile, and Oates the high jump.

Reed Fisher ran the first Longhorn sub-4-minute mile.

 In the national meet

Wright, Jackson, Lee, Sturgal are 2nd In The Mile Relay. All are designated as All Americans.

Bishop Dolegiewica is 6th In The Shot Put at nationals.

Bishop helped recruit Paul and John Craig. (Both would win SWC running titles). His biggest catch would be 2 throwers from UTEP who were ready to move on. Dana Leduc and Jim McGoldrick moved over to Texas. In the weight room, they would change the entire lifting program.

The stadium would “ thunder” and shake due to weights hitting the concrete. Lift of 300 -400 pounds waas common, some even 500 #.

After graduation, Dana would become the first full-time weight coach for any athletic program in the nation.

Lee Jackson, Mckee, Stugal are 7th In The 400 Relay at nationals 

1974- 9 Scores At Nationals- Cleburne Price- Field events rule SWC champions

Texas host the NCAA championships and the U.S.-Russia Junior meet.

Rey Moreno says that 1974 was the first year for Baylor Invitational and the presenter was Mickey Mantle. This watch was awarded to Tim Patton for winning the 3-mile race.

Dana LeDuc is the only Longhorn to win at the Texas relays.

Robert Primeaus suffers a severe ankle sprain and never recovers to his National championship form.

Field events carried this team in 1974. With all but two field events setting new school records. 

• David Shepherd sets the school record in the pole vault of 16’ and 8”.

• John Berry sets a school record in the broad jump of 25’ and 6 1/4”.

• Dana LeDuc, Bishop Dolegiewicz, McGoldrick, and Greg Hackney all set school field records. , 

Paul Craig wins the mile at the SWC championship, Griffith the 880, Tim Patton the 3 miles, and Goss, Wright, Jackson, and Sturgal won the mile relay.

At the National meet, Texas scored 15 points.

Dana LeDuc 2nd In The Shot Put

Bishop Dolegiewicz 4th In The Shot Put

Goss, Wright,Brooks, Sturgal 5th In The Mile Relay

Rudloph Griffith 6th In The 880

Don Sturgal 7th In The 400 Meter

Greg Hackney 7th In The Decathlon

Jim McGoldrick 7th In The Discus

Nate Robinson 8th In The 110 Hurdles

Texas hosted the NCAA championship.

1975- Cleburne Price a Injury PLAGUED year SWC champs

Jim McGoldrick Is The 1975 Outdoor National Champion In The Discus. He Is The 13th Longhorn In Texas History To Win An Individual National Championship.

Nash, Spence, Jackson, Lee Set A School Mark Of 39.78 in the 440 at The Texas Relays.

LeDuc and McGoldrick also win at the Texas relays

LeDuc is a triple crown winner – Texas, Kansas, and Drake relays.

Goss,  Spence, Lee, Jackson 7th in the mile relay at nationals.

In the SWC meet McGoldrick, Leduc, Petermann( Javelin), John Craig (mile), Shepherd (pole vault) also won at the SWC meet. Price said, “ I can’t remember having ever been more proud of a group of athletes.”

1976- 1 Score At Nationals- Coach Cleburne Price- Team is Injury-prone

5th straight outdoor SWC championship – Jim McGoldrick is the team captain. David Shepherd sets a Kansas pole vault record. 17′ and 5″.

This is an injury-plagued year. At one point, 15 athletes are hurt, and six members are dropped from the team. Yet, Dana LeDuc sets a school record in the shot put.

Track and Field rank Texas as #5 in the country.

McGoldrick is the only Longhorn winner at the Texas relays.

 Dana LeDuc Is The 1976 Outdoor National Champion In The Shot Put and receives All American honors.

There are more extensive comments about Dana on this site . Just use the search engine and search for “Dana”

On the relay circuit at Texas, Drake, and Kansas the Horns win 8 events.   No other school won more than 2.     John, Paul Craig, Reed Fischer and Bill Goldapp lead the way in the relays. 

4  new school records are set by Le Duc, McGoldrick, Shephard. and Andy Jackson (steeplechase).

Jackson leaves the team , and it hurts the SWC outcome in the 800 relay comprised of Jackson,Jarnigan, Clayborn, Spence. With Jackson gone David McKee was added ,but he could not attend the SWC meet because of a Achilles tendon injury.

All American football player Raymond Clayborn is a major reason this team remains competitive in 1976, 

1977-2 Scores At Nationals- Cleburne Price-Author is Seeking content and photos

Electronic timing begins but fails Johnny Lam Jones.

When a world record is not a world record.

Sometime after 1976- to be recognized as a world record the time would have to be done electronically. Manual times were no longer acceptable.

Coach Price invests in the Accutrack camera. ( Accutrack was a fancy Polaroid with time stamp)

As operators, He selects three individuals. 1976 goes as planned with no problems.

1977 is highly anticipated because Olympic Gold winner Johnny Jones is running the 100-yard dash.

At the start of the race, Rooster Andrews clerk of the course calls all to their lane. Starters John Drolla and Glenn Smith call runners to their mark. Johnny gets a great start and finishes fast. “Backup” manual timers (all three) show a world record.

I was working infield and before the race, Coach Price ask that I get the film from Accutrack and bring it directly to him. Glen, Randy, and I watch the film come out of the camera, but the picture is blank. We all look at each other and think xxxx. I volunteer to tell Price. As I hand him the blank photo, all he said is “ I’ll tell Johnny”.

Later in the locker room, I see Johnny and say how sorry I am.

He then tells me “It’s just your name in a book, it will wait for another time”. If he was disappointed, he never showed it. Johnny was named as the Relay’s outstanding performer.

Rey Moreno

At the national meet Johnny Lam Jones is 2nd In The 100 Meters, And Is 7th In The 200 Meters

At the Texas Relays Lam Jones wins the 1oo, Paul Craig wins the mile. Lam is outstanding athlete at the Texas Relays. Texas wins the 2-mile relay.

Coach Price is so upset that older foreign players are participating in Collegiate events he boycotts the Dallas Invitational the next year.

SWC meet – Longhorns win the 440 relay. Lam wins in the 100, 220, and is high-point man with 29 points. – Terry Davenport wins the high jump, Frank Lyons wins the javelin.

As good as the Horns were this year, they were shut-out a the national meet. For the first time in 3 years, Texas did not win one event. The Horns were disqualified in the 400 relay ruining their best chance for gold.

1978 Scores At Nationals- Cleburne Price

Lam Jones pulls a hamstring in the Cotton Bowl and he never returns to his 1977 world record performance.  The team is last in a 7 team meet in Baton Rouge. 

1979 4 Scores At Nationals- Cleburne Price

Lam Jones drops out of school for a semester.   Horns place first  in the  SWC because of Oskar Jackobsson who is winner of the javelin and discus, and Frank Lyons wins the the Javelin.

National finishes:

Seale, Omodiale,Paul, Faggett are 2nd in the 1600 relay at the national meet;

Owen Hamilton is 6th in the 800 meters;

Spooner, Faggett, Omodiale, Paul are 6th in the 400 relay; and

Charles Taliaferro is 8th in the 800 meters;

1980-7 Scores At Nationals- 

Herkie Walls has the 4th fastest time in the world in the 60-yard dash.

National finishes:

Oskar Jakobsson 2nd in the shot put and 3rd in the discus in nationals;

Desmond Morris 4th in the High jump;

Watson, Omodiale, Stepleton, Fagget 5th in the 1600 relay;

Denes Pajtas 7th in the Javelin; and

Robbie Robinson is 7th in the shot put

1981-3 Scores At Nationals

Coach Price says, “we are too long and lanky to run the boards in an indoor meet. 

National finishes: Kelly Brooks 6th In The Shot Put; Desmond Morris 7th In The High Jump; Owen Hamilton 8th In The 800

1982-7 Scores At Nationals- Cleburne Price-

Horns finish 3rd at the SWC meet but  send 14 to the National meet. 

National finishes:

Robrson, Smith, Sigurdsson, Stapleton are 3rd in the 1600 relay

Oskar Jakobsson is 4th in the shot put and 6th in the discuss

Einar Villhjalmsson is 5th in the javelin

Kelly Brooks is 7th in the shot put 

Karl Smith is 8th in the 110 hurdles

1983-5 Scores At Nationals- Cleburne Price

Einar Villhjalmsson is 1st in the javelin

Oskar Jakobsson is 3rd in the Discus 4th in the Shot put.

1983 – 4 x 400 set the school record (Oddur Sigurdsson, Gary Roberson, Karl Smith, and Ian Stapleton.

Karl Smith is 8th in the 400 hurdles

1984-5 Scores At Nationals- Cleburne Price-

Team finished Nationals in 12th place .  The Javelin and the high jump were the Horns strongest events .

TOPPING THE CHARTS 

 National finishes:

Einar Vihjalmsson is the Outdoor National champion in the Javelin in 1983, ’84.

 Peter Borglund 6th in the Javelin

1985- 4 Scores At Nationals- Cleburne Price-

National finishes:

Marty Davenport 2nd in the Discus

Dag Wennlund 3rd in the javelin