Leroy Burrell to be Inducted into 2020-21 Texas Sports Hall of Fame
4/5/2021 4:44:00 PM | Track and Field
Cougar great joins star-studded Hall of Fame class
HOUSTON – University of Houston Track & Field Head Coach Leroy Burrell adds yet another accomplishment to his outstanding resume, as one of nine inductees to the Texas Sports Hall of Fame 2020-21 class.
The 2020-2021 classes will be honored on Saturday, August 28, 2021, at 6 p.m. at The Base at the Extraco Events Center in Waco, Texas.
"That's truly an honor," said Burrell. "It's also a sign that you're getting a little older. I really do appreciate the acknowledgements of my career as an athlete. Hopefully I'll get another chance to get in there as a coach."
Burrell continues to be an outstanding representative for the Cougars in his 23rd year at the helm of the Houston Track & Field program. As a student-athlete at Houston, Burrell broke Houston's freshman long jump record, previously held by Carl Lewis, when he leaped 26'-9" in 1986. In 1989, Burrell put on quite the performance winning the indoor title in long jump and putting on a record-setting performance at the outdoor championships to take second-place in the same event.
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.
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.
At the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain, Burrell and his team won the gold medal and set a new world record with a time of 37.40 seconds in the 4x100 relay. Burrell also had a fifth-place finish in the 100m at those 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.
As the head coach at Houston, Burrell has earned 41 team conference championships, coach over 150 NCAA All-American and earned 34 conference coach of the year honors.
This is certainly not the first Hall of Fame induction for Burrell, already having earned an induction into the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame and the Southwest Conference Hall of Fame.
Burrell will be joined in the 2020-21 Hall of Fame class by Derrick Johnson, Michelle Carter, Shane Lechler, Sophia Young-Malcom, Francie Larrieu-Smith, Demarcus Ware, Charlie Waters and Teresa Witherspoon.
HOUSTON ATTENDANCE POLICY
Limited tickets for Houston Track & Field will now be sold on a single-game, general admission basis while supplies last. Fans are encouraged to act quickly and purchase advanced single-game tickets prior to their arrival on campus due to limited availability.
All facilities and related spring sporting events will operate at 25 percent capacity of available seating throughout the remainder of the 2021 season.
For fans wishing to attend any of these home events this spring, an exclusive pre-sale ticket offer will be made available to existing season ticket holders and donors prior to the general public on-sale which begins on Monday, March 15 at 9 a.m. CT.
Fans are encouraged to visit UHCougars.com/tickets to purchase available single-game tickets while supplies last.
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 2020-2021 classes will be honored on Saturday, August 28, 2021, at 6 p.m. at The Base at the Extraco Events Center in Waco, Texas.
"That's truly an honor," said Burrell. "It's also a sign that you're getting a little older. I really do appreciate the acknowledgements of my career as an athlete. Hopefully I'll get another chance to get in there as a coach."
Burrell continues to be an outstanding representative for the Cougars in his 23rd year at the helm of the Houston Track & Field program. As a student-athlete at Houston, Burrell broke Houston's freshman long jump record, previously held by Carl Lewis, when he leaped 26'-9" in 1986. In 1989, Burrell put on quite the performance winning the indoor title in long jump and putting on a record-setting performance at the outdoor championships to take second-place in the same event.
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.
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.
At the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain, Burrell and his team won the gold medal and set a new world record with a time of 37.40 seconds in the 4x100 relay. Burrell also had a fifth-place finish in the 100m at those 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.
As the head coach at Houston, Burrell has earned 41 team conference championships, coach over 150 NCAA All-American and earned 34 conference coach of the year honors.
This is certainly not the first Hall of Fame induction for Burrell, already having earned an induction into the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame and the Southwest Conference Hall of Fame.
Burrell will be joined in the 2020-21 Hall of Fame class by Derrick Johnson, Michelle Carter, Shane Lechler, Sophia Young-Malcom, Francie Larrieu-Smith, Demarcus Ware, Charlie Waters and Teresa Witherspoon.
HOUSTON ATTENDANCE POLICY
Limited tickets for Houston Track & Field will now be sold on a single-game, general admission basis while supplies last. Fans are encouraged to act quickly and purchase advanced single-game tickets prior to their arrival on campus due to limited availability.
All facilities and related spring sporting events will operate at 25 percent capacity of available seating throughout the remainder of the 2021 season.
For fans wishing to attend any of these home events this spring, an exclusive pre-sale ticket offer will be made available to existing season ticket holders and donors prior to the general public on-sale which begins on Monday, March 15 at 9 a.m. CT.
Fans are encouraged to visit UHCougars.com/tickets to purchase available single-game tickets while supplies last.
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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