University of Houston Athletics
Alumni Spotlight: Fuqua, Rutherford
2/15/2023 1:42:00 PM | Track and Field
Cougar alumni continue to influence the next generation
This season, the Houston track and field and cross country program will spotlight multiple alumni and their accomplishments both while as student-athletes and as accomplished members of the community.
With a wealth of track and field, and life experience, Frank Rutherford and Theresa Fuqua know what it takes to be successful and are inspiring the next generation of student-athletes today.
Rutherford is a three-time Olympian and a 1992 bronze medalist at the Olympic Games. He became the Bahamas' first track and field medalist in the country's history and the first Bahamian to win more than three NCAA triple jump championships. Rutherford now runs a program that prepares Bahamians students to compete in college and is a volunteer assistant coach with the Houston track and field program.
Fuqua started her coaching career in 1989 at Episcopal High School before spending 12 years at her alma mater, Houston. The Houston track and field record holder in the 800-meter and 1,500-meter runs is in her 13th season leading Houston Christian's track and field and cross country program.
Frank Rutherford, 1986-87, student-athlete
Rutherford established himself as a world class athlete, winning three NCAA Championships in the triple jump. Rutherford was the first Bahamian to win medals at the World Championships and the Olympics. Rutherford is the first Bahamian to win an Olympic medal by winning the bronze medal in the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona Spain. He became and continues to be a hero in the Bahamas.
After his illustrious career, Rutherford now volunteers for his alma mater as a volunteer assistant coach with the triple jump student-athletes.
Most recently, Rutherford had a subdivision in his native country of the Bahamas named after him. The Frank Rutherford Close, an Arawak Homes subdivision off Prince Charles Drive in the Bahamas, distributed the keys to homeowners in January 2023.
Rutherford is a 2016 Hall of Honor inductee
In 2003, Rutherford was given the Award of Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II for his accomplishments as a Bahamian.
With his life experiences, Rutherford knows the challenges involved with being a student in a foreign country and he knows what it takes to succeed. Through these experiences and because of his experience at Houston, Rutherford opened the Elite Bahamian Education Program, to fund projects that help young Bahamians achieve academic excellence at the collegiate level. Rutherford sees the young people in the Bahamas and his passion is to give as many young people as he can the opportunity to obtain a higher education. He has donated his home, time, and resources into helping the youth of the Bahamas achieve this goal.
Theresa Fuqua, 1983-88, student-athlete; 1995-2007, cross country head coach
Theresa Fuqua is in her 13th year as head track and field and cross country coach at Houston Christian (formerly Houston Baptist) after being hired to lead the revival of the HBU program in May 2007. Prior to joining the Huskies, Fuqua spent 12 years as head cross country coach and assistant track and field coach at the University of Houston.
Over the past 12 years, Fuqua has put together a comprehensive men's and women's track and field and cross country program that has grown under her guidance as the Huskies enter year seven in the Southland Conference. During the six years since joining the Southland, Fuqua's teams have seen all-conference performances in cross country and 37 medalists in indoor/outdoor track & field.
In the classroom, HBU's track and field and cross country teams have won national recognition, with the women's track and field squad earning USTFCCCA Academic All-America status in 2012, 2013 and 2014.
At the University of Houston, Fuqua earned Conference USA Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year honors in 2004 after leading the Cougars to the school's first league title since 1960. In 2006 she guided Sesar Figueroa to a berth in the NCAA Cross Country Championships, and Figueroa was tabbed as the C-USA runner of the year in '04. In her first season as head men's cross country coach in 2002, Fuqua coached NCAA national qualifier Michael Olague.
Fuqua also guided the Houston women's cross country team to a fourth place finish at the 2002 C-USA Cross Country Championships and a seventh place finish at the NCAA South Central Regional Championships. She coached a trio of women's all-Conference USA performers in Emma Lindblom (1999), Jackie Rzepecki (1998) and Stacy Poole (1997).
In 2006, she coached Jennifer Hunt to a third-place finish in the 800 meters at the C-USA outdoor championships. Figueroa won the mile race at the '04 C-USA indoor meet, and Olague was the 5,000-meter champion in 2003. Fuqua also has coached three C-USA track and field individual champions and a distance medley relay team in the women's division. She tutored 1998 C-USA indoor and outdoor 800 meter run champion Vernetta Rolle and 2000 indoor mile champion Dawn Charlier. Houston also won the distance medley relay at the 1998 C-USA indoor meet.
Fuqua started at Houston in 1995 after serving six years as the head cross country coach and assistant track coach at Episcopal High School. She was named Episcopal's Teacher of the Year in 1993-94 and directed Episcopal's girl's track team to two straight SPC state track and field championships in 1992 and 1993.
A record-setting distance runner at Houston, Fuqua was a four-time All-American, two-time cross country MVP and two-time track and field MVP. She holds the current Houston records in the indoor mile, and the outdoor 800 and 1,500 meters. In 1988, Fuqua qualified for the Olympic Trials in the 800 and 1,500-meter events.
SUPPORT HOUSTON RISE
Join Houston Rise, a $150 million fundraising campaign for Houston Athletics dedicated to championship success in the Big 12 Conference. Every Houston Rise contribution prepares our Cougars to compete and win when we start Big 12 competition in July 2023. Click here to rise and be counted.
JOIN the PODIUM CLUB
The Podium Club serves as a unique and effective way to enhance the level of excitement and support for Houston Cougar Track and Field and Cross Country. Gifts to the Podium Club provide financial support directly to the programs for needs beyond their operating budgets.
Donations made to the Podium Club are used at the discretion of the head coach. For more information or to sign up, click here. To join the Podium Club, fans may call Cougar Pride at 713-743-GoUH (4687).
STAY CONNECTED
Fans can receive updates on #HTownSpeedCity by following @UHCougarTF on Twitter and catch up with the latest news and notes on the team by clicking LIKE on the team's Facebook page at UHCougarTF or on the team's Instagram page at @uhcougartf.
With a wealth of track and field, and life experience, Frank Rutherford and Theresa Fuqua know what it takes to be successful and are inspiring the next generation of student-athletes today.
Rutherford is a three-time Olympian and a 1992 bronze medalist at the Olympic Games. He became the Bahamas' first track and field medalist in the country's history and the first Bahamian to win more than three NCAA triple jump championships. Rutherford now runs a program that prepares Bahamians students to compete in college and is a volunteer assistant coach with the Houston track and field program.
Fuqua started her coaching career in 1989 at Episcopal High School before spending 12 years at her alma mater, Houston. The Houston track and field record holder in the 800-meter and 1,500-meter runs is in her 13th season leading Houston Christian's track and field and cross country program.
Frank Rutherford, 1986-87, student-athlete
Rutherford established himself as a world class athlete, winning three NCAA Championships in the triple jump. Rutherford was the first Bahamian to win medals at the World Championships and the Olympics. Rutherford is the first Bahamian to win an Olympic medal by winning the bronze medal in the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona Spain. He became and continues to be a hero in the Bahamas.
After his illustrious career, Rutherford now volunteers for his alma mater as a volunteer assistant coach with the triple jump student-athletes.
Most recently, Rutherford had a subdivision in his native country of the Bahamas named after him. The Frank Rutherford Close, an Arawak Homes subdivision off Prince Charles Drive in the Bahamas, distributed the keys to homeowners in January 2023.
Rutherford is a 2016 Hall of Honor inductee
In 2003, Rutherford was given the Award of Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II for his accomplishments as a Bahamian.
With his life experiences, Rutherford knows the challenges involved with being a student in a foreign country and he knows what it takes to succeed. Through these experiences and because of his experience at Houston, Rutherford opened the Elite Bahamian Education Program, to fund projects that help young Bahamians achieve academic excellence at the collegiate level. Rutherford sees the young people in the Bahamas and his passion is to give as many young people as he can the opportunity to obtain a higher education. He has donated his home, time, and resources into helping the youth of the Bahamas achieve this goal.
Theresa Fuqua, 1983-88, student-athlete; 1995-2007, cross country head coach
Theresa Fuqua is in her 13th year as head track and field and cross country coach at Houston Christian (formerly Houston Baptist) after being hired to lead the revival of the HBU program in May 2007. Prior to joining the Huskies, Fuqua spent 12 years as head cross country coach and assistant track and field coach at the University of Houston.
Over the past 12 years, Fuqua has put together a comprehensive men's and women's track and field and cross country program that has grown under her guidance as the Huskies enter year seven in the Southland Conference. During the six years since joining the Southland, Fuqua's teams have seen all-conference performances in cross country and 37 medalists in indoor/outdoor track & field.
In the classroom, HBU's track and field and cross country teams have won national recognition, with the women's track and field squad earning USTFCCCA Academic All-America status in 2012, 2013 and 2014.
At the University of Houston, Fuqua earned Conference USA Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year honors in 2004 after leading the Cougars to the school's first league title since 1960. In 2006 she guided Sesar Figueroa to a berth in the NCAA Cross Country Championships, and Figueroa was tabbed as the C-USA runner of the year in '04. In her first season as head men's cross country coach in 2002, Fuqua coached NCAA national qualifier Michael Olague.
Fuqua also guided the Houston women's cross country team to a fourth place finish at the 2002 C-USA Cross Country Championships and a seventh place finish at the NCAA South Central Regional Championships. She coached a trio of women's all-Conference USA performers in Emma Lindblom (1999), Jackie Rzepecki (1998) and Stacy Poole (1997).
In 2006, she coached Jennifer Hunt to a third-place finish in the 800 meters at the C-USA outdoor championships. Figueroa won the mile race at the '04 C-USA indoor meet, and Olague was the 5,000-meter champion in 2003. Fuqua also has coached three C-USA track and field individual champions and a distance medley relay team in the women's division. She tutored 1998 C-USA indoor and outdoor 800 meter run champion Vernetta Rolle and 2000 indoor mile champion Dawn Charlier. Houston also won the distance medley relay at the 1998 C-USA indoor meet.
Fuqua started at Houston in 1995 after serving six years as the head cross country coach and assistant track coach at Episcopal High School. She was named Episcopal's Teacher of the Year in 1993-94 and directed Episcopal's girl's track team to two straight SPC state track and field championships in 1992 and 1993.
A record-setting distance runner at Houston, Fuqua was a four-time All-American, two-time cross country MVP and two-time track and field MVP. She holds the current Houston records in the indoor mile, and the outdoor 800 and 1,500 meters. In 1988, Fuqua qualified for the Olympic Trials in the 800 and 1,500-meter events.
SUPPORT HOUSTON RISE
Join Houston Rise, a $150 million fundraising campaign for Houston Athletics dedicated to championship success in the Big 12 Conference. Every Houston Rise contribution prepares our Cougars to compete and win when we start Big 12 competition in July 2023. Click here to rise and be counted.
JOIN the PODIUM CLUB
The Podium Club serves as a unique and effective way to enhance the level of excitement and support for Houston Cougar Track and Field and Cross Country. Gifts to the Podium Club provide financial support directly to the programs for needs beyond their operating budgets.
Donations made to the Podium Club are used at the discretion of the head coach. For more information or to sign up, click here. To join the Podium Club, fans may call Cougar Pride at 713-743-GoUH (4687).
STAY CONNECTED
Fans can receive updates on #HTownSpeedCity by following @UHCougarTF on Twitter and catch up with the latest news and notes on the team by clicking LIKE on the team's Facebook page at UHCougarTF or on the team's Instagram page at @uhcougartf.
– UHCougars.com –
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