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The Ohio Association of Track and Cross
Country Coaches was started in 1941, the brain child of Ed Barker, for whom we
use his name to honor an individual who has made outstanding contributions to
Ohio Track and Cross Country. Dues were 50 cents per year and the Executive
Board met twice per year.
The 1st clinic was planned for 1942, and
held in the spring of that year. That year also brought recognition of the top
five finishers in each event with a certificate. All-Ohio emblems were added at
a later date.
Beginning in 1946 the "Association"
published a quarterly newsletter titled "The Ohio Trackster." Ed Barker was the
1st editor, with the first issue out in March advertising the Fifth Annual
Clinic at Ohio State University on April 6th at the Men's Gymnasium. Each issue
was then edited by a high school journalism class.
In 1962 our track clinic was moved to the
last weekend in January, where we find it to this day. During the 1964 school
year the Association began sponsorship of the Ohio Classic Meet after the State
Track Meet. The first meet was held at Mansfield Malabar's new artificial surfaced
track on June 6th. For several years this meet was held as East vs. West and
team scores were kept. The meet stayed mostly at Malabar, but Worthington,
Bowling Green and Lancaster also hosted the meet.
The Ed Barker Award was established in 1964
and presented to OHSAA Commissioner William McConnell.
1969 brought the Ohio Track and Field and Cross Country Hall of Fame. Art
Hendricks became the first Hall of Fame Chairman.
In 1972 the dues went to $10 where they remain
today.
The Association began sponsoring an indoor
track meet at Denison University in 1974, and was held through 1985, with Marv
Crosten serving as meet manager every year. Ed Chay began publishing the "Ohio
Cross Country News" newsletter this same year, and maintained it until 1987 when
he sold his business to Carson Check.
Also in 1974 Ohio joined Michigan and host
Indiana for the Tri-State Track and Field Championships for senior boys held at
Fort Wayne's North High School. In 1977 the meet changed it's name to the Midwest Meet of Champions.
In 1980 some girl's events were added and a full complement of girl's events came
in 1984. The site for the meet moved to Indianapolis in 1987, then came to Ohio
Wesleyan University in Delaware in 1997. After this date the meet was hosted by the Michigan Coaches' Associationin Jackson, Michigan before returning to the origional host site in Fort Wayne in 2010.
During the late 70's the OATC expanded from
6 districts to 16, leaving the OHSAA boundaries and creating the districts we
have now. The association name also changed to the Ohio Association of Track and
Cross Country Coaches.
In 1997 the Association newsletter name was
changed to "The Runner" and was published by Herb Hartman of Troy.
In 1980 the Association began sponsoring
the Ohio Indoor Classic at Ohio State University. In 1981 the Association was
successful in getting the OHSAA to recognize indoor track and field as a
sponsored sport without a tournament.
1982 saw the establishment of our
scholarship program for the sons and daughters of our membership. This
scholarship was named in honor of Marv Crosten in 1997.
In 1987 the OAT&CCC along with
the Dayton Area Coaches and Officials Association, cosponsored the Mid East Cross Country
Classic Meet held at Indian Riffle Park in Kettering. The meet featured 10 of
the best senior boys and girls from Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Michigan,
and West Virginia.
In 1994 the Association began honoring
Ohio's athletes with recognition as Academic All-Ohio. This program was
initiated by Scott Williamson and is awarded to state qualifying athletes who
possess a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or above on a 4.0 scale.
In 2005 the
Association initiated the first annual Indoor Boys’ and Girls’ Track
& Field Championships. The first meet was held at Findlay
University. Subsequent meets have been held at the University of Akron
on their 300 meter track.
Carson Cheek, the Association Historian, reinstituted an annual Cross Country Clinic in Kettering in November, 2008.
The
OAT&CCC has a long history of helping Ohio track and field and cross
country. The Association hit a record 1,836 members in 2008. Ed
Barker would be proud if he saw us now!
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