Men's Track and Field team, 1896-1897

The lengthy history of Men's Track and Field at Oshkosh started in 1896. During this year Baron Pierre de Coubertin revived the modern Olympic Games. The Quiver stated that the first track competition against another school occurred in 1896. Stevens Point Normal challenged Oshkosh Normal in a "Field Day Contest". The team members rode a train to their first contest and our eight Oshkosh men came back winners. Oshkosh Normal started competing against different teams such as Ripon, Lawrence, and local high schools. The facilities and events were different in 1896. The men ran around a track that was not surfaced and competitive events at the time included: bicycle races, shot put, hammer throw, jumps (e.g., broad jump, hop step jump), half-mile walk, mile walk, pole vault and sprints. Events like the discus, javelin, specific sprints, high jump, and long distances were all added after WWI. In 1896, a 100x55 foot gym at Oshkosh Normal was all the athletes had to train in until the weather turned warm. In 1898, an athletic hall was built with a 21 lap per mile track.
The first coach of the men's track and field team at Oshkosh Normal was W. F. Coolidge in 1902. The interest in track and field started to decline when a lack of funds threatened to stop the program. Coach Coolidge reversed the lack of interest by getting the community involved.

W.F.Coolidge
He received money from local businesses to award the winners of the inter-class meets. Winners of each event received 70 dollars. He coached the team for four years. Track interest tapered off and led to a four-year hiatus when the track team ceased to exist. Although there were inter-class meets every year, competition between other schools was dropped from 1908 until 1921. No one was assigned head coach again until 1921 when H. J. Hancock accepted the job.

Track and field at Oshkosh Normal was brought back into the spotlight after WWI. With the help of Coach Hancock, new equipment was purchased for the addition of new events and for the safety of the athletes. As stated in Noyes's book Here to Serve the new purchases proved to be worth the money spent because the 1921 track team won a state championship for the first time in the school's history. This was no small accomplishment when one considers the fact that the Oshkosh Normal campus lacked a cinder track; this led to a constant disadvantage of meeting their opponents on foreign soil. Furthermore, facilities for track had always been a problem at Oshkosh Normal. Due to the size of the facilities, proper workouts had to wait until the weather cooperated. Track work in spring could never start until the basketball teams were finished with their season. The Teachers College Advance indicated that when the weather agreed, the team was forced to either practice at the fairgrounds or at the high school athletic field. Oshkosh's governing body realized the lack of facilities and proposed a plan for a quarter mile track covered with cinders from the school heating plant to be constructed in 1939. During this time, WWII was in full effect so the new track did not go into regular use until 1946.

Prior to WWII, after attending Oshkosh Normal, Robert Kolf became the next head coach of the men's track and field team. Although Coach Kolf did not win any conference championships, he kept track and field as a prominent sport during the years of the Depression and WWII. His coaching reign lasted from 1931-1959, the longest time span of a track coach at Oshkosh. Like many other sports at Oshkosh, track was put on hold for four years during WWII. Coach Kolf stepped down in 1959, three years after Albee Hall was built. Russ Young, Ed Brown, Bob White, James Flood, and present coach, Bruce Coleman, succeeded Robert Kolf.

Oshkosh Normal School student, Lester Morrill winning the 100 yard dash, in 1903 at the Interstate Normal Track meet held at the Northern Illinois State Normal School, DeKalb IL,.

Oshkosh has won many accolades in track and field. For example, Oshkosh won the Outdoor Conference Championship in 1925, 1927, 1966, 1968, 1971, and 1990. The Indoor Conference Championship was won in 1971, the same year the Robert M. Kolf Physical Education and Sports Center was completed, as well as in 1973, 1989 and 1999. Oshkosh earned the distinct honor of national runner-up status in the 1990 outdoor season and the 1999 indoor season, each under the coaching of Bruce Coleman.

Throughout Oshkosh's existence, the track and field team was without proper indoor facilities; however, 1971 marked a year that would change this fact. The Robert M. Kolf Physical Education and Sports Center was built with an eighth of a mile all-weather track on the second floor. Two years prior to the construction of Kolf Sports Center, the WIAC Conference considered indoor track to be an addition to the list of spring sports. Kolf Sports Center was considered a state of the art facility. It was held in such high regard that the Indoor National Championship meet was held here in 1994 and 1997. It is also on the list of prospective facilities to hold the Indoor National Championship meet again in 2001.

In conclusion, track and field has gone through many changes since 1896; changes in facilities, events, equipment, teams, athletes, and coaches. Track and field in Oshkosh has also survived many obstacles such as lack of facilities, absence of enthusiasm, shortage of money, two world wars, and an economic depression. The rich history of the track and field program at Oshkosh speaks for itself. It would be a travesty to hear if track and field was ever dropped from the list of spring sports because it has built such a strong base and has surpassed so many obstacles.

  • The Oshkosh Normal School hosted the first annual Fox River Valley Indoor Track and Floor High School meet on January 12, 1912. At this meet, Arlie Mucks, an Oshkosh high school athlete, set a world record by putting the 12lb shot 55 feet and 9 inches.
  • Hurdles were made of wood but are now made of fiberglass or plastic.
  • The high jump pole was an actual bamboo stick but is now made of fiberglass.

Timeline of Coaches of Track and Field

  • 1902-1906 W.F. Coolidge
  • 1921-1931 H.J. Hancock
  • 1932-1959 Robert Kolf
  • 1960-1963 Russ Young
  • 1964 Ed Brown
  • 1965 Bob White
  • 1966-1983 James Flood
  • 1984-1985 Ron Akin
  • 1986-present Bruce Coleman

 

References

Noyes, E. and Herzing, "Here to Serve"; The First 100 Years of the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh.

The Quiver (1896-1972).

The Advance (1900-1985).

Summer Report "A Century for Service"; Collector's edition. (1971). Vol.7 No.7.