Ohio State to Honor Former Head Coach Russ Rogers – Ohio State Buckeyes
5/4/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
May 4, 2007
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COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State men’s and women’s track and field teams will hold a banquet Friday at the Huntington Club in Ohio Stadium. The function will honor several track and field officials for decades of service. The event will conclude by honoring former head coach Russ Rogers, who spent 18 seasons at Ohio State from 1989-2006.
Rogers, who retired June 5, 2006, mentored more than 100 men’s and women’s student-athletes to All-America status and helped lead more than 120 Buckeyes to Big Ten titles. Rogers produced back-to-back conference outdoor men’s team titles in 1992 and ’93. The Buckeyes also won the indoor team crown in 1993. He was named Big Ten Coach of the Year following both the 1992 and ’93 seasons.
“I am very excited to invite Coach Rogers back for the Jesse Owens Classic Banquet,” Robert Gary, men’s head coach and Owens meet director, said. “He will be honored for all of his service to the university, the Classic, and the fact that almost everyone in the audience would not be here were it not for Russ. It should be a very nice evening for everyone.”
At the national level, Rogers’ men’s teams placed in the NCAA outdoor Top 6 three times and in the indoor Top 10 three times. Rogers’ top NCAA finish with the men came in 1993, when the Buckeyes took the national runner-up spot. The previous season saw Rogers earn NCAA Coach of the Year honors after leading the Buckeyes to a fifth-place NCAA team score. In 2004, the Buckeye men tied for fourth nationally.
Rogers took over the women’s helm in 1994 and quickly guided the Buckeyes into the Big Ten forefront. The 2001 squad that placed second in the Big Ten indoor meet was led by multiple-time national champion Donica Merriman (1998-01). Rogers helped Merriman to 2001 NCAA titles in the indoor 60-meter hurdles and the outdoor 100-meter hurdles. Since Merriman’s departure, nine Buckeyes combined to claim 16 All-America accolades through last season.
The 2007 Jesse Owens Classic begins at 10 a.m. Saturday in Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium. Events featuring high school athletes will run until 2 p.m. and give way to college and post-collegiate action at 3:30 p.m.
