DRAKE RELAYS COACHES HALL OF FAME

[sambini]

COACH DON LARSON WILL BE INDUCTED INTO THE DRAKE RELAYS COACHES HALL OF FAME ON APRIL 26TH. WELL DESERVING CONGRATS TO COACH DON LARSON++++

[JackJD]

Congrats to Lars from his alma mater buddies and teammates at SDSU!

NDSU: As you know, Lars is one of the great ones! A well-deserved honor for a real class act who runs a fabulous program for the Bison.

[JackJD]

Link to the Drake Relays site generally: http://www.drakerelays.org/

Can't get the press release from the Drake Relays site to link so I'm printing selected portions below (since it's a press release intended for dissemination, no copyright problem :) )

Saturday, March 31, 2007
Henry, Larson To Join Drake Relays Coaches Hall Of Fame
2007 DRAKE RELAYS RELEASE #4

DES MOINES, IOWA – James Henry, who is in his 23rd year as head coach of the women's cross country and track and field programs at the University of Michigan, and Don Larson, who is in his 28th year as head men’s track and field coach at North Dakota State, will be inducted into the Drake Relays Coaches Hall of Fame during a Thursday, April 26 reception at the Drake Knapp Center. The Drake Relays Coaches Hall of Fame, which was established in 1977 with six charter members, now has 75 inductees.
...
Larson has guided North Dakota State to seven relay titles and two individual titles at the Drake Relays.

In the program’s first year at the Division I level in 2005, Larson guided North Dakota State to a dominating performance at the Division I independent championships in Davis, Calif., by winning eight individual titles and two relays. The Bison repeated as team champions in 2006, despite losing more than a dozen seniors from the year before.

In his first 25 years, all at the NCAA Division II level, the Bison captured 36 total North Central Conference titles including a conference-record string of 13 consecutive outdoor titles (1987-99) and 20 of the last 22 outdoor crowns.

He coached a total of 193 NCAA Division II All-America performances including four individual competitors who have won 11 national championships, headed by seven-time NCAA Division II national champion and 1991 Drake Relays 10,000 meter champion Doug Hanson.

Larson’s indoor track & field success includes 14 NCC titles and seven runner-up finishes. North Dakota State’s outdoor squad, captured the NCC crown 21 times. As the head cross country coach, he also coached nine cross-country athletes to 13 NCAA Division II All-America awards.

While competing for conference rival South Dakota State (1971-76), Larson captured two All-America awards and seven NCC championships in track and field.

He set three league records and still holds a share of the retired 600-yard indoor mark of 1:11.90 set in 1975. He was a two-time All-American in the 400 hurdles in 1972 and 1975. The 53-year-old Larson, a native of Madison, S.D., holds a bachelor’s degree in physical education from South Dakota State in 1976 and a master’s degree in physical education from Minnesota State University-Moorhead. He coached at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn., prior to joining the Bison.

[T-Mac]

COACH DON LARSON WILL BE INDUCTED INTO THE DRAKE RELAYS COACHES HALL OF FAME ON APRIL 26TH. WELL DESERVING CONGRATS TO COACH DON LARSON++++

I will be attending the Relays this year and will take a bunch of pictures of my coach being inducted. Is it okay to post them on this board?

Not only is he a great coach, but he has some legendary stories out there on his old track days at SDSU as well as more recent stories pertaining to his hunting and fishing prowess. He has always said that, "I 'll kiss-n-tell, I just won't fish-n-tell."

He is quite a gem!

[sambini]

Thanks T-Mac that would be great. I would go but my daughter is in JO VOLLEYBALL. But I expect my brother in DesMoines will attend.

[JackJD]

I can tell you stories about the SDSU days.

Seriously, Don was a lot of fun but also a great example for everyone on the team. In those days, SDSU and Northern Iowa usually battled for the top spot in the NCC with SDSU having a slight edge over UNI. Don was universally liked not only by his teammates but also by the guys on the other teams.

While there are a lot of funny stories involving Don when he was a Jackrabbit, I can assure you that they are good stories...Don always kept it under control etc and didn't do anything that would later come back to haunt him.

[sambini]

A class act and a friend of our family.

[T-Mac]

I can tell you stories about the SDSU days.

Seriously, Don was a lot of fun but also a great example for everyone on the team. *In those days, SDSU and Northern Iowa usually battled for the top spot in the NCC with SDSU having a slight edge over UNI. *Don was universally liked not only by his teammates but also by the guys on the other teams.

While there are a lot of funny stories involving Don when he was a Jackrabbit, I can assure you that they are good stories...Don always kept it under control etc and didn't do anything that would later come back to haunt him. *




My favorite story about him was told to me by former Bison 400 Hurdle record holder Jeff Anderson. He was in the bathroom at the BSA during the conference meet and he heard someone puking their brains out in the stalls, which is common for runners to do, especially when they have to compete in multiple events. Well, Jeff discovered that the athlete was Don Larson, so he went and told his teammates to forget about Lars being a factor in the 4x400. It turns out that Lars still competed in the race and I believe he led the Jacks to victory.

Like I said, his hunting stories are even better.

[semobison]

Congrats to Lars!! Outstanding coach, and an all time Great guy! NDSU is fortunate to have him!

[sambini]

Congrats to Lars!! Outstanding coach, and an all time Great guy! NDSU is fortunate to have him!
HAVE A GREAT WEEK AT DRAKE NEXT WEEK.

[MJ]

Wish I could be there to see him get inducted. Never a single day did I see Lars not happy at practice. Congrats to him

[sambini]

Have a great week Lars at DRAKE. Well deserving honor to the hardest and honest working coaches I know.

[tony]

Yep, a great coach and a great program.

[sambini]

Just got a phone call from my brother. bISON MENS 3200 METER RELAY GOT THIRD PLACE. IN A TIME OF 7:26.03 BROKE THE SCHOOL RECORD BY 3 SECONDS. GREAT JOB BISON+++++

[JackJD]

I hope this link works...pic of Coach Larson on the Drake Awards Stand...taken from a long distance so quality is not perfect.

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u148/JackJD/LarsonatDrake.jpg

[sambini]

Thanks Jackjd Its Awesome