Harter Yoder Begley Inducted into Hall of Honor

FAYETTEVILLE – Lance Harter and Amy Yoder Begley will be the University of Arkansas Lady Razorbacks’ newest inductees to the Arkansas Sports Hall of Honor on Sept. 2, 2006.

Harter, the Lady Razorback cross country and track and field coach since 1990 and arguably his greatest collegiate protégé, Yoder Begley will be fittingly enshrined in the same season, becoming the fifth and sixth Lady Razorbacks with cross country ties inducted.

Prior to being named the head coach at Arkansas, Harter was already a tremendous success at Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo where he led his squads to 14 NCAA Championships. He wasted little time once he joined the Lady Razorbacks, leading Arkansas to the first of four NCAA runner-up trophies in cross country in his second year with the program. He is the Southeastern Conference’s all-time winningest cross country coach became the first women’s coach in SEC history to win back-to-back triple crowns (cross country, indoor and outdoor track).

For his efforts, Harter has been inducted to three Hall of Fames during his career, the Cal Poly-SLO, Mt. San Antonio College Relays and Arkansas Track and Field, coached one Olympic team, Barcelona in 1992, and four United States World Championship squads. He has twice been named indoor national coach of the year by the United States Track and Field Coaches Association, was named the outdoor national coach of the year once and has been awarded the SEC’s Coach of the Year 16 times.

“This is a tremendous honor,” Harter said. “The best athletes, coaches and administrators that have ever been at Arkansas are a part of this and it is humbling to be named in the same breath as those individuals. The best part about this induction is that Amy Yoder Begley is also being inducted. She was one of the hardest working athletes I have ever had the privilege to coach and she deserves this honor much more than I.”

Yoder Begley’s career at Arkansas was one for the record books even before she retired her cardinal and white jersey. A 15-time all-American and 15-time SEC Champion, Yoder Begley earned more all-America honors than all but one University of Arkansas athlete, Mike Conley, and was the third track and field athlete to be named the conference’s athlete of the year. Along the way she won two NCAA individual Championships, one in the indoor 5,000 meters and the other outdoors at 10,000 meters and interestingly, was the first University of Arkansas athlete to win an individual national title in Fayetteville when she claimed the 5,000-meter crown in 2000.

Along with her national success, Yoder-Begley was a dominating presence at the conference level. Undefeated at 5,000 meters over four years on the track, she became the fourth woman in conference history to win an individual outdoor event four times and her 15 conference championship honors still stand as the most by any individual.

For more information about Lady Razorback cross country or about Arkansas women’s athletics, please go to www.ladybacks.com.