The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Four Longhorns inducted into TTFCA Hall of Fame
01.08.2016 | Texas Relays, Track & Field / Cross Country
Former athletes, coaches honored
AUSTIN, Texas – Four former Texas Longhorns will be honored by the Texas Track & Field Coaches Association on Friday, Jan. 8 as they enter the Texas Track & Field Hall of Fame.
The TTFCA will hold the induction ceremony at 7 p.m. Friday at the Crowne Plaza-Addison as the seventh hall of fame class is honored.
Sanya Richards-Ross is the most recent of the Longhorn greats in this year's class. The three-time Olympic gold medalist in the 4x400 meter relay was a superstar during her time as a Longhorn. She won 13 Big 12 Conference titles in her two years on the team, including short sprints both indoors and outdoors each year.
At the NCAA Championships, Richards-Ross also was among the best. She Texas to 4x400 titles four times, while also setting the collegiate record indoors and out at the time. The outdoor record from 2004 still stands today. Richards-Ross also won an individual NCAA crown in the 400 indoor and out.
Though he is unable to attend the event, Jerry Thompson is another former NCAA champ and Olympian for Texas to enter the TTFCA Hall of Fame this weekend. Thompson qualified for the 1948 London Olympics in the 5,000 meters after winning three NCAA titles individually. He claimed the NCAA two-mile title in 1943 and 1947 before winning the 5,000 meters in 1948.
Two other Longhorns are being inducted into the TTFCA Hall of Fame posthumously, including former All-American and legendary coach Clyde Littlefield and former coach Jack Patterson.
Littlefield helped guide the Longhorns to 25 Southwest Conference titles during his time as head coach of the men's team. He also is credited with being a co-founder of the Texas Relays, one of the largest track meets in the nation each year. This year the Nike Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays will be held for the 89th time. Littlefield also lettered in three sports while competing for the Longhorns as a student-athlete.
Patterson coached the Longhorns from 1964-70. During that time, he led the Longhorns to three SWC titles. Patterson also coached at Houston and Baylor.
For a list of all the inductees this year please visit ttfca.com.
