The Saluki Track and Field program lost one of its all-time greats, as Hall of Fame coach Lew Hartzog passed away Tuesday night. He was 96.
Hartzog came to SIU-C in 1960 and his second season, won the NCAA College division title - what is now NCAA Division II - in cross country. That spring, the Saluki men's track and field team won the NAIA national championship.
Fred Huff - the author of the book Saluki Sports History - started at SIU at the same time as Hartzog. He says Hartzog was a master communicator.
"He had so many different ways. Everybody was different. He could talk to the athletes and when he finished talking to them before an event, they thought they were the world champions and they won."
Huff says Hartzog had an incredible eye for talent, even when sitting with fans.
"Lew would sort of narrate a race and all the fans around there liked to listen to Lew because he would call, 'watch the guy in black shorts, I know he's running 4th, but watch him.' He'd say this on the last lap maybe of a mile run and he'd call the winner every time."
Under Hartzog from 1976 to 1984, the Saluki men never lost a Missouri Valley Conference Championship meet and tallied four top-10 finishes in NCAA championship meets. The SIU-C track and field complexbears his name.
In 1981, Hartzog also took over as athletic director, and in 1986, became the golf coach before he retired in 1992.
Some of his athletes also remember Hartzog for standing up to racism during the early years of his coaching career.
SIU-C will hold a public celebration of Hartzog's life in the coming months.