1963 Cross Country

Head Coach: Chuck Rohe
Regular Season:  7 Wins, 0 Losses
Callaway Gardens Invitational: Champions
SEC: Champions
USTFF: 5th

Members of Tennessee’s 1963 varsity cross country team included Captain Tom Scott, John Ellington, Andy Heiskell, Melvin Maxwell, Don Pinkston, Bob Redington, Rocky Soderberg, Mickey Shelton, and David Storey.

​The Volunteers went undefeated during the regular cross country season with wins over Tennessee Tech (twice), Alabama, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, and Milligan, and 10 teams at the Callaway Gardens Invitational. They also finished fifth in the National USTFF Meet, and won the Southeastern Conference Cross Country Meet (Coach Rohe’s first SEC Championship).

​Tennessee’s first seven finishers in the 1963 SEC Cross Country Championships over the 4.4 mile course in Atlanta, Georgia, were as follows:

​Head Coach: Chuck Rohe
Regular Season: 9 Wins, 0 Losses, 1 Tie
Callaway Gardens Invitational:  Champions
SEC:  Did Not Compete
USTFF: Champions
NCAA:  11th

​Members of Tennessee’s 1964 varsity cross country team included Captain Bob Redington, Bob Barber, John Ellington, Roy Hall, Don Pinkston, Mickey Shelton, Rocky Soderberg, David Storey, Mike Tomasello, Coppley Vickers, Carl Williams, and Norm Witek.

​Tennessee’s 1964 Vols were undefeated during the regular cross country season defeating Bowling Green, Kentucky, Mississippi State, Virginia Tech, Alabama, Ohio, Georgia Tech, Western Kentucky, and 11 teams at the Callaway Gardens Invitational, and tying Miami (Ohio). Tennessee also won the National USTFF Championships and finished eleventh in the NCAA Championships. Due to a conflict in scheduling between the SEC and NCAA meets, Coach Rohe decided to send his team to the NCAA Championships.

​The NCAA cross country meet was held in East Lansing, Michigan, on November 23, 1964.
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Bob Barber remembers it as follows:
We had about 8″ (or more) of snow on the ground. There was a path about 5 or 6 feet wide, that was cleared on the golf course. It was very difficult to pass a runner if you were bunched within a group, without going out into the deep snow. It was also very cold and very slippery. We had a great team that year. At worst we were probably third or fourth best in the country in normal conditions. I think we beat Ohio University handily in ’64 when Stan Huntsman brought his team down to Knoxville to run us on the AG campus. Most of our team was from the South (I was the exceptional Northerner) and had not experienced a race in those terrible weather conditions. It was very unfortunate timing. Under normal conditions Vick would have been All-American (in the top 15) which he proved the next week at the US Track & Field Federation (USTFF) Cross Country Championships in Chicago, where conditions were better (cold but no snow on the course).

Schools finishing in the Top-25 in the NCAA meet were considered to have the best programs in the country and Tennessee finished eleventh.

The Vols ended the 1964 cross country season on a high note by winning the National USTFF Track & Field Championships, which were held in Chicago.  Tennessee scored 41 points, followed by Southern Illinois in second with 76 points and Minnesota in third place with 90 points.  The Knoxville Track Club team finished seventh.  The USTFF meet was not as big a meet as the NCAA but it was a national championship and pitted the Vols against some very good runners. The first six UT finishers in the race were as follows:

Head Coach: Chuck Rohe
Regular Season: 7 Wins, 0 Losses
SEC: Champions
NCAA District 3: Champions
NCAA: 3rd

Members of Coach Rohe’s 1965 cross country team were Steve Allison, Bob Barber, Steve Deaton, Gerry Eddleman, John Ellington, Roy Hall, Tim Henderlight, Paul Ladniak, Melvin Maxwell, Don Pinkston, Jim Ray, Bob Redington, Henry Rose, Andy Russell, Mickey Shelton, Rocky Soderberg, David Storey, Mike Tomasello, and Norm Witek.

Tennessee’s 1965 cross country team defeated East Tennessee State, Ohio University, William and Mary, Virginia Tech, Alabama, Georgia Tech, and Mississippi State; were NCAA District Three Champions; were SEC Champions; and finished third in the NCAA Meet.

The 1965 SEC Cross Country Championships were held in Pine Mountain, Georgia, on a 4.0 mile course. The Vols took the first six places and won the SEC Championship with a perfect score. Tennessee’s top finishers were as follows:
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The 1965 NCAA Cross Country Championships were held at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas, on November 23, 1965. When the 164 runners lined up for the 6.0 mile race the weather was clear with a temperature of 57 degrees, a 10-15 mph wind, and a light covering of snow at some places on the ground. Tennessee runners represented their school exceedingly well and finished the meet in third place, which meant they had the third best Division I team in the country. This was quite an accomplishment. Tennessee’s top finishers were as follows:

4Bob Redington30:02.0

​Bob Redington was the SEC Individual Champion and attained All-American status by finishing fourth in the NCAA Championships. Tennessee was to have many other outstanding cross country runners during the Rohe era, but by finishing third this was to be the best they ever performed in an NCAA cross country meet. In addition, Bob Redington and David Storey were the only Vols to finish in the NCAA Top-25 during the Rohe era.

Head Coach: Chuck Rohe
Regular Season:  5 Wins, 2 Losses
NCAA Region Three: 2nd
SEC: Champions
NCAA: 24th

Bob Barber was Captain of the 1966 cross country team. Other members of the team were Steve Allison, Stan Barbato, Steve Deaton, Gerry Eddlemon, John Ellington, Roy Hall, Tim Henderlight, Larry Kelly, Jim Ray, Henry Rose, Andy Russell, Butch Stewart, Mike Tomasello, and Norm Witek.

The 1966 cross country team defeated Cincinnati, Kentucky, East Tennessee State, and Alabama, and lost to Ohio and Georgetown during the regular season. In the big meets the Vols finished second in the NCAA Region Three Meet, won the SEC Cross Country Championships, and finished twenty-fourth in the National NCAA Cross Country Championships.

Tennessee won the 1966 SEC Cross Country Championships in Birmingham, Alabama. Volunteer finishers on the 4.065 mile course were as follows:
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Captain Bob Barber remembers a story of outstanding leadership, friendship, and courage from the 1966 SEC Cross Country Meet.
Our UT cross-country team was very strong in 1965 placing 3rd at the NCAA Championships, with almost all members being seniors. Our 1966 team was not real strong and if ever there was a chance for another SEC team to beat us out, it was 1966. Larry Kelly was a great half-miler and quarter miler. He and the other 880 runners ran XC for conditioning. Coach Rohe may dispute this, but Larry probably could have gotten out of running in the SEC XC meet—heavens, he was our anchor on the mile relay, a 47 flat quarter miler! A week before the meet I begged Larry to run, stressing the importance of our fifth man in the scoring. I told Larry I didn’t want to be the first UT captain to lose an SEC meet for Rohe. All week I reinforced his importance as our fifth man. So at the finish of the race, I’m in the chute at fourth place (not a good start to the scoring), and I immediately look back and see Tomasello at about tenth place. I holler back to Mike, do you see Larry coming toward the finish? Again, figuring he would be our fifth guy and his finish would be so important. Just then, I hear this very faint voice gasp: “I’m right here Bobby”. I turn around and here’s Kelly, our anchor on the mile-relay, right behind me in the chute in sixth place in the SEC XC meet!! Talk about “having your back”, it was unbelievable. Spectators say Larry passed about 6-8 runners in the last quarter mile of the race. We won that 1966 SEC Championship to keep the streak alive, and Larry, Mike and I will be friends till we’re in our graves.

Tennessee fielded another outstanding freshman team in 1966. Ken Rowlett, who was elected captain, describes them as follows:
Our freshman team was a group of six state champion milers, two- milers, and XC champs. We won the SEC XC meet going away. I ran the 3.1 mile course in 14:01 (I think that is correct) which broke the old record by a wide margin. 1966 was the last year of freshman division, so my record stands 48 years later. We became a close-knit team from the beginning.

In the 1966 NCAA Cross Country Championships Tennessee finished in 24th place. The meet was held on a 6.0 mile course on November 21, 1966, in Lawrence, Kansas. Tennessee finishers and their times were as follows:

Head Coach: Chuck Rohe
Assistant Coach: Jeff Clark
Regular Season: 6 Wins, 1 Loss
NCAA Region Three: 2nd
SEC: Champions
NCAA: 12th

Sophomore Ken Rowlett was Captain of the 1967 cross country team. Other members of the team were Harris Atkinson, Earl Beatty, Steve Deaton, Gerry Eddlemon, Alan Fletcher, Larry Kelly, Dickie Kleier, Tony Masi, Steve Nelson, Henry Rose, Sam Rutherford, David Scire, Chester Shoemaker, Butch Stewart, and Gordon Wilson.

During the regular season the 1967 Volunteers defeated Ohio, Ohio State, Alabama, Western Kentucky, Tennessee Tech, and Virginia Tech, and lost to Georgetown. In the post season Tennessee finished second in the NCAA Region Three meet; won the SEC Cross Country Championships; and finished 12th in the NCAA Cross Country Championships.

The 1967 SEC cross country meet was held in Birmingham, Alabama, on a 4.065 mile course. Tennessee finishers were as follows:
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Florida’s Frank Lagotic was the 1967 SEC cross country champion. His time of 18:47 broke Bob Redington’s course record of 19:15 by 28 seconds. Ken Rowlett finished close behind with an 18:59 time that was faster than the old course record by 16 seconds.

The NCAA Cross Country Championships were next for the Vols. Ken Rowlett remembers the trip to Wyoming for the meet:
We left a few days early to acclimate to high altitude and stayed at Coach Rohe’s mother’s home in Chicago for Thanksgiving. Then, we went on to the Wild West and took a drive up to Medicine Bow. Seven guys in a rental car and as captain, they chose me, a Florida native, to drive on ice and snow. I caught on quickly, swerving and sliding the entire way. I had a blast, but they never let me drive after that. We woke up the morning of the NCAA meet in Laramie (6800′ elevation) to a windy 0 degrees F. By race time it had warmed up to 25 degrees and was calm. The ground was frozen solid, and I remember the trail was totally littered with gloves and colorful stocking caps. My lungs burned like nothing I ever felt before. It was a disheartening finish for everyone.

Consequently, Tennessee finished twelfth in the NCAA Cross Country Championships in Laramie, Wyoming. Volunteer runners finished the 6.0 mile race as follows:

Head Coach: Chuck Rohe
Assistant Coach: Thad Talley
Regular Season:  6 Wins, 0 Losses
Callaway Gardens Invitational: Champions
NCAA Region Three: Champions
SEC: Champions
NCAA:  17th

Members of the Tennessee’s 1968 cross country team were Captain Ken Rowlett, David Calvert, James Craig, Dick Fairbanks, Allen Fletcher, Bob Halliburton, Audry Hardy, Gary Hiscock, Larry Kelly, Dickie Kleier, Fred Marjenhoff, Tony Masi, Steve Nelson, Sam Rutherford, Owen Self, Jim Smeltzer, Butch Stewart, Bill Villeneuve, and Gordon Wilson.

During the regular season the 1968 Volunteers defeated Ohio, Ohio State, Air Force Academy, Alabama, East Tennessee State, and the Quantico Marines. In major meets Tennessee won the Callaway Gardens Invitational, the NCAA Region Three Meet, and the SEC Cross Country Championships.

Ken Rowlett remembers the NCAA Region Three Meet as follows:
The NCAA East Regional was a most memorable trip. We all ran together in tight groups of 2 or 3, and we strategized as we ran. I coached the guys along and we picked off runners along the way to victory. Our talking during the race gave us advantage and psyched out other teams. 

The Vols also won the 1968 SEC cross country meet, which was held in Birmingham, Alabama, on a 4.065 mile course. Tennessee finishers were as follows:
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Tennessee competed in the 1968 NCAA Cross Country Championships on a windy November day in the Bronx, New York City, New York, and finished in 17th place. Places and times for Vol finishers were as follows:

Head Coach: Chuck Rohe
Assistant Coach: Connie Smith
Regular Season: 5 Wins, 2 Losses
Callaway Gardens Invitational: Second
NCAA Region Three: Third
SEC: Champions
NCAA:  Eighteenth

At some point during the year Coach Bear Bryant of the University of Alabama tried to lure Coach Rohe away from Tennessee. Finally, after discussing the matter with Athletic Director Bob Woodruff and Head Football Coach Doug Dickey, Coach Rohe decided to stay at Tennessee. He did get some additional help for the track program, though, and was able to hire two assistant coaches – Russ Polhemus to help with strength and conditioning training and Connie Smith to help with the distance runners. Consequently, Coach Rohe turned the cross country team over to Connie Smith in 1969 and 1970 for day-to-day coaching purposes and allowed him to take credit for the results, including an SEC Championship.

Ken Rowlett was Captain of the 1969 cross country team for the third year in a row, actually the fourth year in a row because he was also Captain of the 1966 freshman team. Other members of the 1969 cross country team were David Calvert, Dickie Kleier, Pete Matthews, Steve Nelson, Norman Pelletier, Sam Rutherford, Owen Self, David Scire, Bill Villeneuve, Gordon Wilson, and Danny Zoeller.

During the regular season Tennessee defeated Eastern Kentucky, Cincinnati, Virginia Tech, East Tennessee State, and Tennessee Tech but lost to Ohio State and the Air Force Academy. In the larger meets, the Vols finished second at the Callaway Gardens Invitational; third in the NCAA Region Three Meet, first in the SEC Cross Country Championships, and 18th in the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships.

The 1969 SEC cross country meet was held in Birmingham, Alabama, on a 4.065 mile course.
Tennessee’s top finishers were as follows:

The 1969 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships were held in the Bronx in New York City. Tennessee’s runners finished the 6.0 mile race in 18th place and finished as follows:

Head Coach: Chuck Rohe
Assistant Coach: Connie Smith
Regular Season: 9 Wins, 1 Loss
SEC:  3rd
NCAA:  Did Not CompeteMembers of Tennessee’s 1970 cross country team were Captains Owen Self and Danny Zoeller, Doug Brown, Denis Flood, Bill Herron, David Houchin, Guy Kirton, Mark McDevitt, Dan O’Connor, and Norman Pelletier. As in 1969, Coach Rohe turned the cross country team over to Connie Smith for day-to-day coaching purposes and allowed him to take credit for the results.

The Vols defeated Western Kentucky, Southeast Missouri, Fisk and Vanderbilt in the Old Hickory Invitational. They also defeated Western Carolina, Furman, Virginia Tech, East Tennessee State, and Tennessee Tech during the regular season, but lost a dual meet to Kentucky. They finished third in the SEC cross country meet and chose not to compete in the NCAA meets.

The 1970 SEC cross country meet was held in Birmingham, Alabama, on a 4.065 mile course. Tennessee runners finished third.  It was the first time since 1962 that they had not been SEC champions. Top finishers for Tennessee were:

Tennessee did not compete as a team in the 1970 NCAA Cross Country Championships. Even so, three UT runners went to Williamsburg, Virginia, to compete against Oregon’s Steve Prefontaine, Villanova’s Marty Liquori, and other top runners. Their finishes and times were as follows:

Chuck Rohe was no longer Head Coach in 1971. Nonetheless, with Stan Huntsman at the helm, the Vols won the SEC Championship. Also, due to Coach Rohe’s persistence, the 1971 NCAA Championships were held on the Tom Black Track in Knoxville. Unfortunately, Tennessee finished in 21st Place. This was very disappointing but things were about to change under Stan Huntsman’s leadership.

Under Stan Huntsman’s leadership, the Tennessee Cross Country team won the SEC Championship and for the first time ever, they won the NCAA Championship in Houston, Texas.  The Vols were led by Doug Brown (a Chuck Rohe recruit) who finished second in the race with a time over the six-mile course of 28.44. This fine finish earned Brown an All-America award.  Thus there were two All-America recipients during the Rohe era – Bob Redington in 1965 and Doug Brown in 1972.

Under Stan Huntsman’s leadership, the Tennessee Cross Country team won the SEC Championship and for the first time ever, they won the NCAA Championship in Houston, Texas. The Vols were led by Doug Brown (a Chuck Rohe recruit) who finished second in the race with a time over the six-mile course of 28.44. This fine finish earned Brown an All-America award. Thus there were two All-America recipients during the Rohe era – Bob Redington in 1965 and Doug Brown in 1972.