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Track Hall of Fame to Induct 3 Stars
Three standout athletes representing three decades of Tiger triumphs will be inducted into the Occidental College Track & Field Hall of Fame on Saturday, Jan. 29 at the 55th annual Tiger Track Alumni Banquet on the Occidental campus.
Prior to the 6 p.m. banquet, which will be held in the Johnson Student Center, legendary Occidental and Stanford track coach Peyton Jordan will be on hand to sign copies of his recently published biography, Champions For Life.
The 2005 Track & Field Hall of Fame inductees are:
- Mike Johnson ’64: A world-ranked pole vaulter, Johnson broke Bob Gutowski's old world record of 15’9 ¾” and set a new College mark with a vault of 15’10”. Johnson’s prowess made him in the winner in dual meets against such track powers as USC, UCLA and Stanford.
- Jerri Baker ’85. An All-American in two sports – as a distance runner in the fall and as a hurdler in the spring – Baker was Occidental’s top performer at the 1981 Division III championships, finishing 24th overall and helping the women’s cross country team to a fifth place finish.
- Ben White ’90: A three-time All-American in the long jump and two-time SCIAC champ in the long and triple jumps, White’s 1990 mark of 25’ 2” in the long jump remains the school record.
During his 10 years at Occidental (1947-1956), Jordan produced one of track and field’s greatest dynasties, competing against the country’s top teams to win 10 consecutive conference championships, a NAIA national title in 1956, and two top-five finishes in the NCAA championships in 1951 and 1952. His athletes set a world record in the distance medley relay, won four individual NCAA championships, and competed in the 1952 and 1956 Olympics, winning two silvers and one bronze.
Reservations are necessary. For more information, contact Troy Engle at (323) 259-2715 or at tengle@oxy.edu.