Dick Booth
A native of Ottawa, Kansas, Booth was a standout quarter miler at
Ottawa University. He began his coaching career at Willington High
School in Kansas, moved to Fort Scott and Shawnee Mission, Kansas. Booth
gained a reputation as one of the premier prep field event coaches in
the country. In 1977, he joined the University of Arkansas as field
events coach. Booth has coached 10 Olymians, 42 national champions, and
115 All-Americans. The list of his national champions includes Mike
Conley, Erick Walder, Edrick Floreal, Brian Wellman, Jerome Romain, Ray
Doakes, Matt Hemingway, Melvin Lester, Kenny Evans, and Lavar Miller.
Booth was selected jump coach for the U.S. team for the 2000 Sidney
Olympic Games.
John Feltner
Feltner was an outstanding 800 meter runner for Russellville High School
and Kansas State University. He set the Arkansas high school overall 800
meter record of 1:52.3 in 1970. His overall mark has been broken but it
still stands as the Class AAAAA state record. Feltner won the Arkansas
Meet of Champions 800 meter winner in 1968, 1969, and 1970. Feltner was
a member of the Kansas State team that won the 1971 Big Eight
championship.
Wanda Harris
An Arkadelphia native, Harris was an outstanding athlete for
Arkadelphia High School and the University of Arkansas. She was one of
the pioneers of women's track & field as a sprinter, hurdler, long
jumper, and high jumper. She has been honored as the Siftings Herald
1977 Female of the Year, featured in Sports Illustrated, 1977 Arkansas
High School Outstanding Track & Field Athlete, High School
All-American with honors, Who's Who Among High School Athletes, Who's
Who Among College Athletes, College All-American, three-time medalist in
National Junior Olympics. She previously set the high school overall
long jump record at 19-8 3/4.
Henry Hawk
Hawk was an outstanding athlete in several sports at Conway High
School and Arkansas State Teachers College during the decade of the
fifties. In track & field, his versatility allowed him to perform in
the sprints, relays, and field events. At North Little Rock Ole Main, he
coached and developed several outstanding athletes and teams. Hawk
returned to athletic competition at age 40 and went on to compete in 10
Boston Marathons with a career best of 2:42:27. In masters track &
Field, he is a 9-time USATF age group national champion and 4-time
Senior Olympic national champion in events from 800 meters through 5,000
meters. In 1998, he broke the age 60-64 world indoor mile run record in
5:13.38.
Doyne Hunnicutt
A native of Gravely, Arkansas, Hunnicutt won the broad jump with a
leap of 23 ft. 8.25 in. in the 1931 National High School Meet in
Chicago. He went undefeated in the high school broad jump. Hunnicutt
attended Georgia Tech and the University of Arkansas but did not compete
due to injuries. He competed for Hendrix College in 1936-38 with a
career best of 25 ft. 8.5 in.
John R. Thompson
A 1924 graduate of Hendrix College. Thompson finished seventh in the
decathlon in the 1924 U.S. Olympic Trials. In high school, he was high
point man in the state track & field meet all four years. Coached
Fort Smith High School for several years and led the Grizzlies to the
1946 state championship that ended Little Rock Central's record 97 meet
win streak. Thompson was inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame
in 1974.
Winfield "Skinny" Whipple
Whipple set the overall Arkansas high school long jump record of
24-0 feet in 1933 and it remained the overall record for 51 years until
it was broken in 1983. As a 13-year old, he jumped 20 ft. 9 inch. and at
age 14, he jumped 22 ft. Whipple competed for Arkadelphia High School
and during his 11th grade year at the district meet, he won the 100 and
220 yard dashes, broad jump, two winning relay teams, and was high point
man. Whipple set a meet record of 24 ft. 6 5/8 inch. in the 1934 Track
& Field Union at Louisiana State University.
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