Aug. 13, 2007

NEW ORLEANS, La. - Karl Schlademan, the coach who guided Michigan State to five NCAA cross country titles in the 1940s and '50s, will be inducted into the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

Joining Schlademan in the Hall of Fame Class of 2007 are Lew Hartzog, Cyrus Jones, Tom Jones, Beverly Kearney, John Mitchell, Irv Mondschein and Jim Sackett. This year's Hall of Fame ceremony will be held Dec. 18 at the USTFCCCA annual convention in Phoenix, Ariz.

Schlademan coached men's track and field and cross country for nearly 40 years at Kansas (1919-26), Washington State (1927-40) and Michigan State (1940-58).

During his tenure at Michigan State, the Spartans hosted the NCAA Cross Country Championships 17 times.

A native of Seafield, Ind., Schlademan graduated from DePauw University. On arriving at Washington State in 1927, Schlademan steadily built the Cougars into a national contender on the track. Washington State had four top-10 finishes at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, including a pair of fourth-place ties (1937 and 1939). The Cougars won seven consecutive Northern Division titles and had a 39-14 dual meet record under Schlademan.

Washington State sprinter Lee Orr won a national collegiate title in the 440-yard dash in 1940, Schlademan's final season in Pullman.

Schlademan's cross country teams at Michigan State won six Big Ten Championships and five NCAA titles (1948-49-52-55-56). The Spartans also finished second in 1950 and '57.

After retiring from coaching, Schlademan sold Adidas shoes in Lansing, Mich. He died in 1980 at age 90.

Schlademan is a member of the Drake Relays Hall of Fame and Michigan State Hall of Fame. He also was instrumental in the founding of the Kansas Relays.

For more information on the inductees in this year's USTFCCCA Hall of Fame class, see www.ustfccca.org.