THE FOUNDATION

1977 – 1983

A Bedrock was created by early athletes, many of whom were from Ireland, setting up future generations for glory. Lessons learned would be applied later, training was adjusted and sights were recalibrated. John’s corner stone was his distance corps. They established the Razorbacks at the conference level, winning the SWC XC title in 1974. John became head coach in 1977 and hired Dick Booth as his assistant coach responsibility for the field events. His particular expertise became the jumps. With John’s second recruiting class, the Hogs had the mettle to win their first track conference title in 1979. Eight of ten scorers came from the distance crew. Arkansas got close to national title success with 3 consecutive Top 3 placings at the NCAA XC. Likewise the Hogs were getting close on the track with two Top 3 team finishes at the NCAA Indoors in 82 & 83. John also had his first individual NCAA title winners in 82 and 83. The Hogs had all the pieces and John had refined his approach. He had the template for SUCCESS.

1977

1 SWC Team Titles
3 Individual SWC Titles
(O’Shaughnessy 2, Baker 1)

John McDonnell was hired as head Track & XC Coach at the University of Arkansas

Niall O’Shaughnessy won his seventh conference title. At the NCAAs, he finished 2nd in the Mile Indoors and 3rd in the 1500m Outdoors. He was the first podium finish for a McDonnell athlete and the first Razorback since 1952.

During the Indoor season O’Shaughnessy ran some spectacular times. His school record 3.55.4 was the second fastest indoor mile in the world ever and his 2.05.5 for 1,000 yds was similarly the World’s 2nd fastest ever. He truly put Arkansas track on the map.

At SWC Indoors, O’Shaughnessy won the 1,000yds and Steve Baker won the 2 miles. Outdoors, O’Shaughnessy won the mile in 3:59.47

1978

1 SWC Team Title
5 Individual SWC Titles
(Mitchell, O’Shaughnessy, Clark, 4 X 800m, DMR)

The Hogs won the SWC cross country title and cracked the top 10 at the NCAA championships for the first time with an eight place finish. Indoors the Hogs finished third in the conference team race and had five individual champions. Niall O’Shaughnessy established a senior tradition at the indoor SWC. Niall ran the heats of the 1,000yds and DMR anchor in the morning and final of the 1,000yds and the anchor of the 4 X 800 anchor in the evening. O’Shaughnessy won all three. Pat Mitchell won the 400m and Mike Clark won the mile. The Hogs finished seventh in the conference championships

1979

2 SWC Team Titles
9 SWC Individual Titles
( Muggleton 2, Stephens 1, Clark 1, Mitchell 1, Kastl 1 Andersen 1, 4 x 800m 1, DMR 1)

Dick Booth became the Arkansas field events coach.

The Hogs repeated as SWC XC champions led by Mark Andersen’s individual victory.

Arkansas won its first conference track championship at the SWC Indoors in Fort Worth, Texas.

Notably, eight of the ten scorers for the Hogs were from the distance group. The jumps were represented by Tony Kastl’s victory in the high jump. It would be a few more years before the jumps domination. Pat Mitchell repeated as 400m champion, Randy Stephens won the 800m, Mike Clark won the mile, Clark anchored both the DMR and the 4 X 800 to victory. The same feat pulled off by Niall O’Shaughnessy the prior year. Arkansas won six events for the first time at a conference meet.

Outdoors, the Hogs had one conference champion, Mark Muggleton won the 5,000m in 13:58.07.

1980

1 SWC Team Title
6 Individual SWC Titles
(Andersen, Redwine, Muggleton, Stephens, O’Mara, 4 x 400R)

The Hogs won the SWC cross country title for the fifth straight time. Indoors at the conference championship, Arkansas finished as runner up in the team race but had three individual champions: Stanley Redwine in the 600yds, Randy Stephens in the 800m and Mark Muggleton in the 3 miles. Outdoors the Hogs were fourth in the conference team event and also had three conference individual champions: Frank O’Mara in the 3,000m Steeplechase, Mark Andersen in the 10,000m and the 4 X 400m Relay anchored by Redwine.

1981

2 SWC Team Titles
6 Individual SWC Titles
(Andersen, Redwine, Vaughn, Lofquist, O’Mara)

Arkansas had it’s first NCAA podium finish when the Razorback XC team garnered the runner up spot in the NCAA Cross Country Championships in Wichita, Kansas. The Hogs were beaten by arguably the best XC team ever – the UTEP miners.

Arkansas places two runners in the top 10 – Mark Andersen 8th and Dave Taylor 10th. Andersen also was SWC champion.

Stanley Redwine and Pat Vaughn won indoor SWC titles over 600yds and three miles. Outdoors at the SWC conference meet, Frank O’Mara repeated as the 3,000m steeplechase champion and Scott Lofquist won the discus.

1982

1 NCAA Individual Title
(Stephens)
3 SWC Team Titles
11 SWC Individual Titles
(Stephens 3, Conley 2, Vaughn 2, Carroll 2, D Taylor, Barney)

Arkansas won the school’s first Outdoor Conference title and first Conference Triple Crown by any school ever.

The Hogs, led by Dave Taylor’s second Top 10 result, finished 3rd in NCAA XC. David Barney won the SWC XC Championships.

At the NCAA Indoors, the Hogs collected their first team podium finish with the runner up spot. Randy Stephens became the first National Champion during the McDonnell era when he won the 1000 yds Indoors. Stanley Redwine, Mike Conley and the Distance medley Relay team all had fourth place finishes to assist the Hogs highest placing in an indoor nationals. At the SWC conference Stephens won the 1,000yds and anchored the DMR to victory. Dave Taylor won the mile and Pat Vaughn repeated as the three mile champion. Mike Conley was also victorious in the long jump

At the SWC Outdoor, Stephens achieved an amazing 800m/1,500m double to essentially seal the first outdoor conference title for the Hogs. Pat Vaughn won the 10,0000m and Ronnie Carroll won the 5,000m, Conley was a victor in the long jump. At, the NCAA outdoors, Conley was the runner up In the long jump.

1983

2 NCAA individual Titles
(Conley, O’Mara)
3 SWC Team Titles
SWC Individual Titles
10 (O’Mara 3, Redwine 2,, Conley 2, Lofquist, 4 x4, DMR)

Arkansas won their second consecutive conference triple crown and finished in top 3 for the second straight year in both NCAA XC and Indoor Track championships.
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The Razorbacks show signs of what’s in store for the track world with their first Penn Relays titles. Three in the SMR, DMR, 4 X Mile. Frank O’Mara was voted MVP for his anchor legs in the Distance Medley Relay and 4 X 1 Mile Relay team. Stanley Redwine anchored the Sprint Medley Relay.

The Hogs won the indoor conference team title with four individual victories by Redwine in the 880 yds and Ronnie Carroll in the three mile. Mike Conley won the long jump. O’Mara won the Mile and anchored the DMR. He fell a hundredth of a second short of victory in the 4 x 800m relay as was unable to close the gap on the anchor leg. Redwine also anchored the 4 X 400m relay. Conley won the first field event Individual title at the NCAA Indoors.

At the outdoors conference, O’Mara won the 5,000m and the 1,500m. Randy Reina won the 10,000m. Redwine won the 800m and Conley won the long jump. The Hogs finished 7th in team race at NCAA Outdoors up from 24th in 1982 and 50th in 1980. O’Mara won the 1500m title at the NCAA Outdoors in Houston becoming the Razorbacks first Outdoor Champion under McDonnell

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