A History of Men's Track and Field at Wisconsin State University at La Crosse

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to convey to the reader a history of men's track and field at La Crosse. The most notable reason for this study is to observe the strides forward that were made by La Crosse track teams and track athletes. A significant part of the study was the reasons for the established records and performances over the years. The history is composed of three distinct periods. The first, spanned the years from the inception of track in 1911 to 1926, when it appeared to be at its lowest level. The second, begins with 1927 and follows the progress of track to 1942, when it was interrupted due to World War II. The final segment of the paper deals with the modern period of track and field at La Crosse, which began with its reinception in 1946 to the track season of 1967. The paper attempted to delve into the periods and uncover reasons for improvement of the trackmen at La Crosse. Outstanding athletes were mentioned for their performances. Team and individual records were brought out whenever possible. A chronological narrative approach was used in the study with pertinent incidents mentioned whenever they were appropriate.