UNI's Bucknam leaves for Arkansas
From Staff, AP Reports | Posted: Saturday, June 28, 2008
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- Northern Iowa track coach Chris Bucknam will take over as head coach of the men's cross country and track and field programs at the University of Arkansas, a perennial national power.
Bucknam, who served as Northern Iowa's head track and field coach since 1984, will take over for coach John McDonnell. McDonnell announced in April he would be stepping down as head coach, after leading the Razorbacks to 42 national titles and 83 conference crowns.
The university made the announcement at a news conference Friday afternoon.
Bucknam has guided his teams to 35 league titles and six top 20 finishes in NCAA indoor and outdoor championships. He has earned 33 conference coach of the year awards.
"I'm very excited to be named coach at Arkansas, but at the same time I'm sad to leave Northern Iowa," said Bucknam, a native of Beverly, Mass., who came to UNI as an assistant coach in 1979. "UNI gave me a chance to coach at this level, and after more than 25 years in one place, I can't begin to express my gratitude to everyone who's helped me along the way.''
"Bucky has been an asset to Northern Iowa for more than a quarter of a century," UNI director of athletics Troy Dannen said. "He has built Panther track and field into the powerhouse it is today. He has done it over the long haul, and it is to his credit that we have enjoyed the sustained success we've had in track.''
Bucknam wrapped up his 25th season with the Panthers and tallied an all-time best outdoor showing for the program as UNI notched an 11th-place finish (22 team points) at the 2008 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Des Moines.
The Panthers put on quite a show for the home state as they crowned nine All-Americans, who earned a total of 11 All-America citations in seven events over the course of the four-day event.
UNI also posted back-to-back ninth-place finishes at the 2007 and 2008 NCAA Indoor Track & Field championships.
Bucknam had considerable success with recruits from Northwest Iowa. Three of UNI's top performers in recent years have been Siouxland natives.
Rachel Jansen, a senior from Orange City (MOC-Floyd Valley), finished fourth in the women's shot put in the recent outdoor nationals.
Meanwhile, junior Tyler Mulder (Orange City Unity Christian) placed sixth in the men's 800 and sophomore Ehi Oamen (Hinton) was sixth in the high jump.
Mulder won the national title in the 800 at the NCAA Indoor earlier this year.
Bucknam, who served as Northern Iowa's head track and field coach since 1984, will take over for coach John McDonnell. McDonnell announced in April he would be stepping down as head coach, after leading the Razorbacks to 42 national titles and 83 conference crowns.
The university made the announcement at a news conference Friday afternoon.
Bucknam has guided his teams to 35 league titles and six top 20 finishes in NCAA indoor and outdoor championships. He has earned 33 conference coach of the year awards.
"I'm very excited to be named coach at Arkansas, but at the same time I'm sad to leave Northern Iowa," said Bucknam, a native of Beverly, Mass., who came to UNI as an assistant coach in 1979. "UNI gave me a chance to coach at this level, and after more than 25 years in one place, I can't begin to express my gratitude to everyone who's helped me along the way.''
"Bucky has been an asset to Northern Iowa for more than a quarter of a century," UNI director of athletics Troy Dannen said. "He has built Panther track and field into the powerhouse it is today. He has done it over the long haul, and it is to his credit that we have enjoyed the sustained success we've had in track.''
Bucknam wrapped up his 25th season with the Panthers and tallied an all-time best outdoor showing for the program as UNI notched an 11th-place finish (22 team points) at the 2008 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Des Moines.
The Panthers put on quite a show for the home state as they crowned nine All-Americans, who earned a total of 11 All-America citations in seven events over the course of the four-day event.
UNI also posted back-to-back ninth-place finishes at the 2007 and 2008 NCAA Indoor Track & Field championships.
Bucknam had considerable success with recruits from Northwest Iowa. Three of UNI's top performers in recent years have been Siouxland natives.
Rachel Jansen, a senior from Orange City (MOC-Floyd Valley), finished fourth in the women's shot put in the recent outdoor nationals.
Meanwhile, junior Tyler Mulder (Orange City Unity Christian) placed sixth in the men's 800 and sophomore Ehi Oamen (Hinton) was sixth in the high jump.
Mulder won the national title in the 800 at the NCAA Indoor earlier this year.
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