Ron Warhurst
Encyclopedia
Ron Warhurst is a former American track and field coach. He was the head coach of the University of Michigan
's men's track and field
team from 2000 to 2008. Warhurst was also a member of the cross country teams at Western Michigan
that won consecutive NCAA championships in 1964 and 1965.
From 1968 to 1970, Warhurst served in the U.S. Marine Corps and was awarded two Purple Hearts and a Navy Commendation Medal for service in Vietnam
. He became the University of Michigan's cross country coach in 1974, a position he held for more than 35 years. He also served as assistant coach of the men's track and field team for 26 years. In 2000, Warhurst took over as head coach of the track team. Warhurst coached 44 All-Americans and 12 Olympians at Michigan. His 2004 team finished fifth at the NCAA indoor championship. In 2008, Warhurst's team won the school's first Big Ten outdoor championship since 1983. Michigan won six individual Big Ten event championships in 2008, and Warhurst was named Big Ten Coach of the Year and Great Lakes Regional Coach of the Year.
During the Warhurst era, Michigan's middle distance runners excelled. In 2003, Canadian runner Nate Brannen
won the NCAA indoor championship in the 800-meter run. In 2005, middle distance runner Nick Willis
from New Zealand won the NCAA indoor championship in the mile run. A third middle distance runner, Andrew Ellerton won the NCAA outdoor championship in the 800-meter run in 2007. Michigan also dominated the distance medley event in the mid-2000s, winning the NCAA indoor championship in 2004 (with a team of DarNell Talbert, Ellerton, Willis, and Brannen) and again in 2005 (with a team of Rondell Ruff, Stan Waithe, Ellerton, and Brannen).
Three Michigan middle distance runners qualified for the 1,500 meter race at the 2008 Summer Olympics
in Beijing
-- Nick Willis for New Zealand
and Kevin Sullivan
and Nate Brannen for Canada. Willis won the gold medal in the 1,500 meter race at the 2006 Commonwealth Games
and the silver medal in the same event at the Beijing Olympics.
Michigan's sprinters and hurdlers also excelled in the late 2000s. In 2007, Jeff Porter won the NCAA indoor championship in the 60-meter hurdles. Sprinter Adam Harris
was named the 2008 Big Ten Track Athlete of the Year after winning Big Ten event championships in the 60 meters (indoors), 200 meters and 4x100 meter relay. Harris ran a personal best 20.68 seconds in the 200-meter race at the NCAA Mideast Regional and qualified to compete for Guyana
in that event at the 2008 Olympics.
Warhurst remained at Michigan as the head coach of the cross country team after 2008 and became the associate head coach of the track and field team in 2009. In July 2010, Warhurst announced his retirement from the University of Michigan at age 67.
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
's men's track and field
Michigan Wolverines men's track and field
The Michigan Wolverines men's track and field team is the intercollegiate men's track and field program representing the University of Michigan. The school competes in the Big Ten Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association ....
team from 2000 to 2008. Warhurst was also a member of the cross country teams at Western Michigan
Western Michigan Broncos
The Western Michigan Broncos are a NCAA Division I FBS team representing Western Michigan University. They compete in the Mid-American Conference in men's baseball, basketball, football, soccer and tennis; and women's basketball, cross-country, golf, gymnastics, soccer, softball, track and field,...
that won consecutive NCAA championships in 1964 and 1965.
From 1968 to 1970, Warhurst served in the U.S. Marine Corps and was awarded two Purple Hearts and a Navy Commendation Medal for service in Vietnam
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. He became the University of Michigan's cross country coach in 1974, a position he held for more than 35 years. He also served as assistant coach of the men's track and field team for 26 years. In 2000, Warhurst took over as head coach of the track team. Warhurst coached 44 All-Americans and 12 Olympians at Michigan. His 2004 team finished fifth at the NCAA indoor championship. In 2008, Warhurst's team won the school's first Big Ten outdoor championship since 1983. Michigan won six individual Big Ten event championships in 2008, and Warhurst was named Big Ten Coach of the Year and Great Lakes Regional Coach of the Year.
During the Warhurst era, Michigan's middle distance runners excelled. In 2003, Canadian runner Nate Brannen
Nathan Brannen
Nathan Brannen is a Canadian middle distance runner.Brannen was born in Cambridge, Ontario. He is affiliated with the Tri City Track Club.He holds a personal best in the 800m of 1:46:00.-References:*...
won the NCAA indoor championship in the 800-meter run. In 2005, middle distance runner Nick Willis
Nick Willis
Nicholas Ian Willis MNZM is a New Zealand middle distance runner. He won the silver medal in the 1500m at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing with a time of 3:34.16 minutes. He was a gold medallist in the 1500 metres at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne and a bronze medallist at the 2010...
from New Zealand won the NCAA indoor championship in the mile run. A third middle distance runner, Andrew Ellerton won the NCAA outdoor championship in the 800-meter run in 2007. Michigan also dominated the distance medley event in the mid-2000s, winning the NCAA indoor championship in 2004 (with a team of DarNell Talbert, Ellerton, Willis, and Brannen) and again in 2005 (with a team of Rondell Ruff, Stan Waithe, Ellerton, and Brannen).
Three Michigan middle distance runners qualified for the 1,500 meter race at the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
-- Nick Willis for New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and Kevin Sullivan
Kevin Sullivan (athlete)
Kevin Sullivan is a middle distance runner from Canada. He was born in Brantford, Ontario.-Athletic career:Sullivan competed in 1000 metre, 1500 metre, and mile events and represented Canada. His personal best times are 3:31.71 for the 1500 and 3:50.36 for the mile...
and Nate Brannen for Canada. Willis won the gold medal in the 1,500 meter race at the 2006 Commonwealth Games
2006 Commonwealth Games
The 2006 Commonwealth Games were held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia between 15 March and 26 March 2006. It was the largest sporting event to be staged in Melbourne, eclipsing the 1956 Summer Olympics in terms of the number of teams competing, athletes competing, and events being held.The site...
and the silver medal in the same event at the Beijing Olympics.
Michigan's sprinters and hurdlers also excelled in the late 2000s. In 2007, Jeff Porter won the NCAA indoor championship in the 60-meter hurdles. Sprinter Adam Harris
Adam Harris
C. Adam Harris is a Republican member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 82nd District and was elected in 2002.-Career:After graduating from college, Harris joined the House Commerce and Economic Development Committee as a research analyst. He ran for the House in 2002 with the...
was named the 2008 Big Ten Track Athlete of the Year after winning Big Ten event championships in the 60 meters (indoors), 200 meters and 4x100 meter relay. Harris ran a personal best 20.68 seconds in the 200-meter race at the NCAA Mideast Regional and qualified to compete for Guyana
Guyana
Guyana , officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, previously the colony of British Guiana, is a sovereign state on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana was a former colony of the Dutch and of the British...
in that event at the 2008 Olympics.
Warhurst remained at Michigan as the head coach of the cross country team after 2008 and became the associate head coach of the track and field team in 2009. In July 2010, Warhurst announced his retirement from the University of Michigan at age 67.