Honoring SAC's Departing Staff...

 

Head T&F, XC Coach Al Siddon’s 28-year tenure at SAC: Santa Ana men’s teams won conference track titles in 1987-1988-2000; Cross Country titles: 1985-1987-1995-96-97-98-99, and second or third 12 times; in track and field SAC was 2nd or 3rd eight times. The men were MSAC XC Invitational team champions 1997, 2004. Siddons was selected conference coach of the year 22 times in men’s and women’s cross country, track and field. Siddons also served as conference representative to the So Cal Rules Committee from 1990-2008.

 

Ed Caruthers: SAC assistant 1975-2008. Caruthers, a member of the SAC Athletic Hall of Fame, won the state high jump title in 1964. Caruthers left SAC for the University of Arizona where he was NCAA runner-up. He went on to be ranked first in the world in 1967 and was the silver medalist at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. Ed had champions at every level and left SAC with his athletes holding a handful of school records.

 

Ron Witchey: Ron served as throws coach at SAC from 1995 and left with his throwers winning state, So Cal, and conference honors. His SAC athletes set school records in the women’s hammer, discus, and shot put and men’s hammer.  He was the former head track and field coach at CS Fullerton (1965-72) where he also coached the tennis team. Witchey, who holds a doctorate degree in kinesiology, co-authored the book “Tennis Past 50” with tennis icon Tony Trabert.

 

 

Jeff Clingan:  SAC's head women's track and field and cross country coach since 2006. Jeff came to SAC after assisting at Cerritos for 25 years where was selected 1999 South Coast Conference Cross Country Co-Coach of the Year and in 2000 was conference co-coach of the year in track and field.

 

We salute these four admired and respected men who brought so much to Santa Ana College and to their athletes. Because of their departure California community college track and field has lost in many ways. There isn’t a program in the state that wouldn’t want their experience and knowledge. We wish them all the best and thank them for all they did for our sport.

 

Honoring SAC’s  Men’s T&F, XC Legacy

Recently Santa Ana College administration dropped the men’s track and field, cross country programs-both had a rich history.  Following are those Dons who left a great legacy at SAC:

 

 

                                     

Ed Caruthers came back and coached at his Alma Mater after an amazing competitive career which included Olympic glory. 

 

Ed Caruthers…Olympic HJer-silver medal

Santa Ana Valley HS / Santa Ana College / Arizona

’68 Olympic silver medal, *national JC record, two So Cal titles

 

             

Matthew Carter…state HJ title

2004 state high jump title 6-10

 

Charley Clark…from SAC to NCAA stardom

Santa Ana HS / Santa Ana CC / San Jose State

’59: Two state titles, two national records

San Jose State: two NCAA XC team titles

 

Bob Delaney…led Dons to SoCal, State titles

Orange HS / Santa Ana / Brigham Young

Three state gold medals; ’65 NCAA-2nd place

SAC won ’64 state T&F title

 

Kelley Hylton…national javelin champ

Santa Ana JC/Cal Poly SLO

National JC Champion; CPSLO: CCAA title

 

 

Fred Kuller… “White Lightning”

Santiago HS / Santa Ana CC / USC

Santa Ana College’s national record sprinter

 Still co-owns one *world record-USC 440y relay

SAC won ’65 state title

 

Dwight Middleton…NCAA 440y title

Santa Ana JC / San Jose State /USC

’62 SoCal title; ’66 NCAA, USTFF Nationals Champion

 

Eddie Morris…tied NJCR-9.6y

Huntington Beach HS / Santa Ana CC

Three years CIF, State 220 Champion 

 

Jim Newcomb…national distance champion

Benson Tech HS, Oregon / Santa Ana CC / USC

National JC, Jr. AAU Champion, AAU runner-up

From 4:22, 9:45 to 4:07, 9:06-in one year! 

 

Marco Ochoa…national level marathoner

Anaheim HS / Santa Ana CC / Adams State

’96 Olympic Trials marathon-6th

Ultra-successful OCC distance coach

 

Jim Sorenson… master’s 1500 world record

Villa Park HS / Santa Ana / Cal Poly SLO

 ’87 SAC Track…SoCal Finals-1:50.37

Masters 1500 world record-3:44.06 (2008)

 

                                           

Dale Story…barefoot and tough!

Orange HS / Santa Ana CC / Oregon State

*National prep, community college, NCAA records, titles

’61 NCAA XC Champ; ran barefoot since high school

 

Larry Stuart…50 (!) years of throwing far

U.S. Marines / Santa Ana / USC

4 xs broke *NJCR; held USC record 23 years!

’63: AAU Nationals title, selected to USA vs. USSR team

Set masters world records-age 50, 55, 60

 

Bill Swisshelm…Top prep, JC hurdler

Santa Ana HS / Santa Ana CC / USC

Two *national records, led SAC to state title

 

*Coach John Ward led SAC to:

State T&F titles in ’55, ’64, ’65; 2nd in ’53;

So Cal T&F titles in ’64, ’65, 2nd in ’54, ’55;

Cross country: ’59 SoCal title;’62 national frosh/JC 3-mile postal record

SAC opponent coaches still living hold Ward in great respect.

 

USA T&F future...BRIGHT!

    Have no worries about USA’s T&F future… There is remarkable quality depth on the horizon for USA track and field. With the NIKE prep nationals meet on tap this week the list of prep records this season bodes well for the future. Consider the following national high school

records set this season: boy’s 300IH-35.02; girl’s 2000 steeple 6:33.7; girl’s 6-4 high jump (ties record); girls’ discus record of 190-3; boys’ discus 236-06; boy’s decathlon 7909-same New Mexico athlete scored 7466 with the international implements.

 

                                  

     SUPER frosh!!...One of the great stories to follow the next three years will be in Illinois where Lukas Verzbicas, a national junior triathlete champion, also has set a slew of frosh national distance running records. Last fall, in his second ever cross country meet, he broke a 22-year-old course record then went indoors to clock a 14:18.42 5000 meters. He then bypassed the entire outdoor prep season to prepare for national triathlon competition (he won the USA Jr. meet!). His most recent frosh national mark on the track is a 8:53.98 3200 winning effort. It appears from reading about his goals that triathlons more important than his running at the moment.  What a talent!

 

                                      

    Young NCAA talent… German Fernandez, national multi-record holder from California now a freshman running for Oklahoma State, stunned the 1500 field at the NCAA Championships taking the race in 3:39.00.