Burrell Tabbed for Southwest Conference HOF
10/7/2019 6:41:00 PM | General, Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field
Cougar Head Coach highlights nine-person class
WACO, Texas – The Texas Sports Hall of Fame (TSHOF) has announced its nine-person 2019 Southwest Conference Hall of Fame class, highlighted by Houston Track & Field Head Coach Leroy Burrell.
The 2019 class includes Jeff King (Arkansas), Mark Adickes(Baylor), Courtney Hall (Rice), Gary Hammond (SMU), Tony Brackens(Texas), Chalisa Branch (Texas A&M), Charlie Davis (TCU), James Gray (Texas Tech). The nine-member class will be inducted into the Southwest Conference Hall of Fame at 11 a.m. on Nov. 18 at the Brown-Lupton University Union on the campus of TCU.
"It's an honor to be named to the Southwest Conference Hall of Fame," says Burrell. "The Southwest Conference has a tremendous legacy of National Champions, Olympic gold medalist and all-time greats in many sports. This is another opportunity to celebrate the things that I was able to accomplish at Houston. It's a reminder of how great, not only our athletic department is, but of how outstanding the Southwest Conference was".
Burrell is a fixture both nationally and internationally as a three-time national champion, Olympian and 10-time All-American. Burrell leaped onto the national stage in 1985 when he was named the Eastern Track Athlete of the Year after scoring all 40 of Penn Wood High School's points at the 1985 Class 3A State Championships.
After jumping 26'-7.25" in the preliminaries of the 1986 Southwest Conference Outdoor Championships, Burrell jumped almost 27 feet before landing awkwardly on his third jump. He tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee. He finished second at the meet.
In 1988, he returned to the SWC Championships, where he finished second in the 100m and in third place in the long jump. At the NCAA Championships, Burrell earned All-America honors with a fifth-place finish in the 100m and a seventh-place showing in the long jump.
The next year, he won the NCAA Indoor Championship in the long jump with a leap of 26'-5.50". At the 1989 NCAA Outdoor meet, he set the meet record with a personal best jump of 27'-5.50". But, Ohio State's Joe Greene recorded a wind-aided mark of 27' 7.25" to win the event, and left Burrell with a record-setting second-place finish.
Two weeks later, Burrell rebounded at the USA Outdoor Championships at Houston's Robertson Stadium. He won the 100m in 9.94 seconds, which was the fastest time ever recorded by a collegian. He also teamed with Carl Lewis, Danny Everett and current UH assistant coach Floyd Heard to set a world record in the 4x200m relay with a time of 1:19.38.
As a senior in 1990, Burrell won the NCAA Indoor long jump title for the second straight year with a leap of 27 feet. At the SWC Outdoor Championships, Burrell ran one of the best sprint doubles ever recorded. He ran the fastest 200m ever run under any conditions with a wind-aided time of 19.61 and ran a wind-aided 9.94 time in the 100m to easily win both races.
He also won the 100m at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Durham, N.C., when he posted a wind-aided time of 9.94 seconds and set a meet record in the semifinals with a time of 10.03 seconds. His outstanding season resulted in Burrell receiving the "Jumbo Elliott Award" as the nation's top collegiate track and field athlete.
After completing his collegiate eligibility, Burrell beat Carl Lewis for the first time on July 23, 1990, when he won the 100m in 10.05 seconds at the Goodwill Games in Seattle. He was ranked as the world's top sprinter in 1990 and 1991 after winning 19 of his 22 races in the 100m.
Burrell set his first individual 100m world record on June 14, 1991, at the USA Championships in New York City. With a time of 9.90 seconds in the 100m, he edged Lewis, who finished second with a time of 9.92. Later that year at the World Championships in Tokyo, Burrell bettered his time to 9.88; however, he was forced to settle for the silver medal as Lewis won the race in a record time of 9.86.
Burrell and Lewis joined forces in the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain, where they combined with Mike Marsh and Dennis Mitchell to win the gold medal and set a new world record with a time of 37.40 seconds. Burrell also had a fifth-place finish in the 100m at the Olympic Games.
In 1993, Burrell ran the anchor leg for the USA 4x100m relay team at the World Championships.
The team won another gold medal and tied the world record.
Burrell was a member of the 1994 Santa Monica track team that set the world record in the 4x200m relay in 1:18.68. On July 6, 1994, Burrell reclaimed the title as the "World's Fastest Human" when he reset his world record time in the 100m with a time of 9.85 seconds.
In 1996, he earned a spot on the USA Olympic Team, but was forced to withdraw because of an Achilles Tendon injury.
Two years later, he announced his retirement as the American record holder in the 100m and was selected to succeed his collegiate coach and USTCA Hall of Fame coach Tom Tellez.
FOLLOW THE COUGARS
Fans can keep up with the latest in University of Houston Cougar athletics by following us on Facebook (Facebook.com/HoustonAthletics), Twitter (@UHCougars), Instagram (houstoncougars) and YouTube.com (Youtube.com/UHAthletics). In addition, the Track & Field team has established its own official Facebook (facebook.com/UHCougarTF) and Twitter pages (@UHCougarTF).
SUPPORTING HOUSTON TRACK & FIELD AND CROSS COUNTRY
The Podium Club serves as a unique and effective way to enhance the level of excitement and support for Houston Cougar Track & Field and Cross Country. Gifts to the Podium Club provide financial support directly to the UH Track & Field and Cross Country programs for needs beyond their operating budgets. Donations made to the Podium Club are used at the discretion of the Head Coach.
Houston supporters interested in joining the Podium Club or for more information, please click here.
--UHCougars.com--
The 2019 class includes Jeff King (Arkansas), Mark Adickes(Baylor), Courtney Hall (Rice), Gary Hammond (SMU), Tony Brackens(Texas), Chalisa Branch (Texas A&M), Charlie Davis (TCU), James Gray (Texas Tech). The nine-member class will be inducted into the Southwest Conference Hall of Fame at 11 a.m. on Nov. 18 at the Brown-Lupton University Union on the campus of TCU.
"It's an honor to be named to the Southwest Conference Hall of Fame," says Burrell. "The Southwest Conference has a tremendous legacy of National Champions, Olympic gold medalist and all-time greats in many sports. This is another opportunity to celebrate the things that I was able to accomplish at Houston. It's a reminder of how great, not only our athletic department is, but of how outstanding the Southwest Conference was".
Burrell is a fixture both nationally and internationally as a three-time national champion, Olympian and 10-time All-American. Burrell leaped onto the national stage in 1985 when he was named the Eastern Track Athlete of the Year after scoring all 40 of Penn Wood High School's points at the 1985 Class 3A State Championships.
After jumping 26'-7.25" in the preliminaries of the 1986 Southwest Conference Outdoor Championships, Burrell jumped almost 27 feet before landing awkwardly on his third jump. He tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee. He finished second at the meet.
In 1988, he returned to the SWC Championships, where he finished second in the 100m and in third place in the long jump. At the NCAA Championships, Burrell earned All-America honors with a fifth-place finish in the 100m and a seventh-place showing in the long jump.
The next year, he won the NCAA Indoor Championship in the long jump with a leap of 26'-5.50". At the 1989 NCAA Outdoor meet, he set the meet record with a personal best jump of 27'-5.50". But, Ohio State's Joe Greene recorded a wind-aided mark of 27' 7.25" to win the event, and left Burrell with a record-setting second-place finish.
Two weeks later, Burrell rebounded at the USA Outdoor Championships at Houston's Robertson Stadium. He won the 100m in 9.94 seconds, which was the fastest time ever recorded by a collegian. He also teamed with Carl Lewis, Danny Everett and current UH assistant coach Floyd Heard to set a world record in the 4x200m relay with a time of 1:19.38.
As a senior in 1990, Burrell won the NCAA Indoor long jump title for the second straight year with a leap of 27 feet. At the SWC Outdoor Championships, Burrell ran one of the best sprint doubles ever recorded. He ran the fastest 200m ever run under any conditions with a wind-aided time of 19.61 and ran a wind-aided 9.94 time in the 100m to easily win both races.
He also won the 100m at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Durham, N.C., when he posted a wind-aided time of 9.94 seconds and set a meet record in the semifinals with a time of 10.03 seconds. His outstanding season resulted in Burrell receiving the "Jumbo Elliott Award" as the nation's top collegiate track and field athlete.
After completing his collegiate eligibility, Burrell beat Carl Lewis for the first time on July 23, 1990, when he won the 100m in 10.05 seconds at the Goodwill Games in Seattle. He was ranked as the world's top sprinter in 1990 and 1991 after winning 19 of his 22 races in the 100m.
Burrell set his first individual 100m world record on June 14, 1991, at the USA Championships in New York City. With a time of 9.90 seconds in the 100m, he edged Lewis, who finished second with a time of 9.92. Later that year at the World Championships in Tokyo, Burrell bettered his time to 9.88; however, he was forced to settle for the silver medal as Lewis won the race in a record time of 9.86.
Burrell and Lewis joined forces in the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain, where they combined with Mike Marsh and Dennis Mitchell to win the gold medal and set a new world record with a time of 37.40 seconds. Burrell also had a fifth-place finish in the 100m at the Olympic Games.
In 1993, Burrell ran the anchor leg for the USA 4x100m relay team at the World Championships.
The team won another gold medal and tied the world record.
Burrell was a member of the 1994 Santa Monica track team that set the world record in the 4x200m relay in 1:18.68. On July 6, 1994, Burrell reclaimed the title as the "World's Fastest Human" when he reset his world record time in the 100m with a time of 9.85 seconds.
In 1996, he earned a spot on the USA Olympic Team, but was forced to withdraw because of an Achilles Tendon injury.
Two years later, he announced his retirement as the American record holder in the 100m and was selected to succeed his collegiate coach and USTCA Hall of Fame coach Tom Tellez.
FOLLOW THE COUGARS
Fans can keep up with the latest in University of Houston Cougar athletics by following us on Facebook (Facebook.com/HoustonAthletics), Twitter (@UHCougars), Instagram (houstoncougars) and YouTube.com (Youtube.com/UHAthletics). In addition, the Track & Field team has established its own official Facebook (facebook.com/UHCougarTF) and Twitter pages (@UHCougarTF).
SUPPORTING HOUSTON TRACK & FIELD AND CROSS COUNTRY
The Podium Club serves as a unique and effective way to enhance the level of excitement and support for Houston Cougar Track & Field and Cross Country. Gifts to the Podium Club provide financial support directly to the UH Track & Field and Cross Country programs for needs beyond their operating budgets. Donations made to the Podium Club are used at the discretion of the Head Coach.
Houston supporters interested in joining the Podium Club or for more information, please click here.
--UHCougars.com--
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