Posted: August 18, 2004

Athletics: USATF announces National Track & Field Hall of Fame Finalists

INDIANAPOLIS - USA Track & Field on Tuesday announced the finalists for the "Class of 2004" for the National Track & Field Hall of Fame.

In conjunction with USATF's 2004 Annual Meeting in Portland, Oregon, this year's Hall of Fame Inductions will take place Friday, December 3 in the Stanford Auditorium at the Tiger Woods Center on the Nike World Campus in Beaverton.

Since the induction of the Hall of Fame Class of 2003, voting and balloting procedures have been revamped. To coincide with the opening of the new Hall of Fame at the 168th Street Armory in New York City earlier this year, the Hall of Fame Steering Committee and Board of Directors modernized the screening, nomination and voting processes.

This year's election includes finalists in four categories listed below. Nominations were written in a standard format, and four screening committees examined nominations and evaluated their merit based on objective criteria. Voting for each category is done by separate ballot.

* Modern athletes, retired less than 25 years

* Veteran athletes, retired more than 25 years

* Coaches

* Contributors

The finalists for election to the "Class of 2004" for the National Track & Field Hall of Fame are as follows:

MODERN ATHLETES

JOETTA CLARK: Four-time Olympian in women's 800 meters...five-time World Outdoor Championships team member (7th in 1997)...five-time World Indoor Championships team member (1993, 1997 bronze medalist)...four-time World Cup team member (silver medal in 1992)...four-time USA Outdoor 800m champion...five-time USA Indoor 800m champion...two-time NCAA Outdoor champion...ranked top 10 in the world seven times...1993 World Indoor relay gold medalist.

MIKE CONLEY: Three-time Olympic triple jumper, silver medal in 1984, gold medal in 1992...five-time World Outdoor Championships team member, bronze medal in long jump in 1983, triple jump silver medal in 1987, bronze in 1991, gold in 1993...two-time World Indoor Championships team member: bronze in LJ in 1989, gold in TJ in 1987 & 1989 at World Indoors...World Cup LJ champion in 1985, TJ champion in 1989...six-time USA Outdoor TJ champion, 1985 USA Outdoor LJ champion...1984-'85 NCAA Outdoor LJ & TJ champion, NCAA Indoor LJ champion in 1984-'85, NCAA Indoor TJ champion 1983-'84, '85...ranked top ten in the world in LJ eight times, ranked top ten in the world in TJ 14 times (#1 in the world six times)...former world indoor TJ record holder...current U.S. TJ indoor record holder.

HOLLIS CONWAY: Two-time Olympic men's high jumper, silver medal in 1988, bronze in 1992...two-time World Outdoor Championships team member, bronze medal in 1991...1991 World Indoor champion, 8th in 1993...five-time USA Outdoor champion...four-time USA Indoor champion...1989 NCAA Outdoor champion...1988-'89 NCAA Indoor champion...two-time U.S. Outdoor record holder...three-time U.S. Indoor record holder...ranked top ten in the world six times (#1 in the world twice).

JONI HUNTLEY: Two-time Olympic women's high jumper, bronze medal winner in 1984...three-time USA Outdoor champion...four-time USA Indoor champion...AIAW high jump & long jump champion in 1975...four-time U.S. outdoor HJ record holder...eight-time U.S. indoor record holder...ranked top 10 in the world three times... as a high school athlete in 1974 she became the first American woman to clear six feet in the high jump, accomplishing that feat three times in one week...her win at the 1975 Pan American Games was a meet record.

LYNN JENNINGS: Three-time Olympian, 10,000m women's bronze medal in 1992...three-time World Cross Country champion 1990, '91, '92, silver medal in 1986, bronze in 1993...nine-time U.S. Cross Country champion...four-time World Outdoor Championships team member in 10,000m...two-time World Indoor Championships team member, 3,000m bronze medal in 1993, silver in 1995...USA Outdoor 10,000m champion seven times...1990 USA Outdoor 3,000m champion...1996 U.S. Outdoor 5,000m champion...four-time USA Indoor 3,000m/2 mile champion, 1992 USA Indoor mile champion...set indoor 5,000m world & U.S. record in 1990...former U.S. record holder at 10,000m, indoor 3,000m and indoor two-miles...ranked top 10 in the world at 3,000m in 1990, three times at 5,000m and six times at 10,000m.

MICHAEL JOHNSON: Current world and American record holder in men's 200m and 400m and indoor 400m...set 200m world & American record twice...three-time Olympian, became first man ever to win 200m and 400m gold at the same Olympic Games in 1996...400m Olympic gold medalist in 2000...Olympic 4x400m relay gold medals in 1996 & 2000...five-time World Outdoor Championships team member, 200m gold medal in 1991, '95, 400m gold medal in 1993, '95, '97, '99...World Outdoor Championships 4x400m gold medal in 1993, '95, '99...4x400m world record in 1992-'93, '98...five-time USA Outdoor 200m champion...four-time USA 400m champion...four-time USA Indoor 400m champion...1990 NCAA Outdoor 200m champion...two-time NCAA Indoor 200m champion...world ranked 10 times at 200m (#1 five times)...world ranked 11 times at 400m (#1 10 times).

JACKIE JOYNER-KERSEE: Current world and American record holder in the women's heptathlon...four-time Olympian, long jump gold medal in 1988, bronze in 1992, 1996, heptathlon silver medal in 1984, gold in 1988, 1992...six-time World Outdoor Championships team member, LJ gold in 1987, 1991; heptathlon gold in 1987, 1993...USA 100m hurdles champion in 1994, LJ champion nine times, heptathlon champion eight times...USA Indoor 60m hurdles champion in 1992, LJ champion in 1992, '94, '95...NCAA heptathlon champion in 1982, 1983...former LJ world record holder, set heptathlon world record three times...two-time 100mH U.S. record holder...four-time U.S. LJ record holder...two-time U.S. 60mH record holder...six-time and current U.S. indoor LJ record holder...current U.S. indoor 50mH, 55mH, 60mH record holder...world ranked three times at 100m hurdles, 12 times at LJ (#1 three times), 11 times in heptathlon (#1 six times).

DOUG PADILLA: Two-time Olympian in men's 5,000 meters (best 7th in 1984)...three-time World Outdoor Championships team member (best 5th in 1983)...two-time World Indoor Championships team member at 3,000m (best 4th in 1989)...1985 World Cup 5,000m champion...six-time USA Outdoor 5,000m champion...seven-time USA Indoor 3,000m/3 mile champion...1981 NCAA Indoor two-mile champion...current U.S. Indoor 5,000m record holder...four-time U.S. two-mile record holder...former U.S. Indoor 3,000m record holder...world ranked three times at 5,000 meters.

JOAN SAMUELSON: First ever women's Olympic Games marathon champion in 1984...1981 U.S. 10,000m champion...1984 U.S. women's marathon champion...set world and U.S. women's marathon record in 1983...four-time U.S. women's marathon record holder...ranked #4 in the world at 10,000m in 1984...five-times world ranked at marathon (#1 two times).

CALVIN SMITH: Olympic men's 100m bronze medalist in 1988...two-time World Outdoor Championships 200m gold medalist (1983, 1987)...1983 World Outdoor Championships 100m silver medalist...4x100m relay gold medalist at 1984 Olympic Games, 1983 World Outdoor Championships and 1985 & 1992 World Cup...1982 USA Outdoor 200m champion...world record in 4x100m relay in 1983, 1984, 1993...former 100m world and American record holder...world ranked 10 times at 100m, world ranked seven times at 200 meters (#1 one time).

VETERAN ATHLETES

EARLENE BROWN: Three-time Olympic women's shot putter, bronze medalist in 1960, two-time Olympian in discus throw (best 4th in 1956)...eight-time USA Outdoor shot put champion...five-time U.S. discus champion...1958 USA Indoor SP champion...

Eight-time U.S. women's outdoor shot put record holder...set U.S. indoor SP record in 1958...five-time U.S. discus record holder...world ranked four times in SP (#1 once)...world ranked twice in discus throw.

DYROL BURLESON : Two-time Olympian in 1,500 meters (5th in 1964, 6th in 1960)...five-time USA Outdoor 1500m champion...three-time NCAA 1500/mile champion...two-time U.S. 1,500m record holder...two-time U.S. mile record holder...world ranked once in 800 meters...world ranked seven times at 1,500 meters (#1 one time)...set U.S. two-mile record in 1962.

REX CAWLEY: Olympic men's 400m hurdles gold medalist in 1964...three-time USA 400m hurdles champion...1963 NCAA 400m hurdles champion...set 400m hurdles world record in 1964...world ranked in 400 meters twice, world ranked in 110m hurdles once, world ranked in 400m hurdles seven times (#1 two times).

JACK DAVIS: Two-time Olympic 110m hurdles silver medalist (1952, 1956)...three-time USA 110m hurdles champion...three-time USA Outdoor 220y hurdles champion...1954 USA Indoor 60y hurdles champion...three-time NCAA 120y hurdle champion...1953 NCAA 220y hurdles champion...former 110m/120y hurdles world and U.S. record holder...world ranked in 110m hurdles six times (#1 three times)...undefeated in 110mH/120yH in 1953 & 1954.

OTIS DAVIS: 1960 Olympic gold medalist at men's 400 meters...1960 Olympic 4x400m relay gold medalist....former 4x400m relay world and U.S. record holder...1961 USA Outdoor 400m champion...former 400m world & U.S. record holder...ranked top ten in the world three times.

JIM FUCHS: Two-time Olympic bronze medalist in men's shot put (1948, 1952)...two-time USA Outdoor champion...three-time USA Indoor champion...two-time NCAA Outdoor champion...three-time IC4A Indoor champion...four-time shot put world outdoor record holder...three-time world indoor SP record holder...ranked top ten in shot put in the world six times (#1 three times)...ranked top ten in the world in the discus three times.