Perfect 10: Lalang edges Young for UA's greatest ever

UA's men's track program is storied, special 

How storied is the UA's men’s track and field program?

Consider:

Thom Hunt, a distance runner, holds three individual school records and is a three-time All-American.

Esko Mikkola won two national titles in javelin, three Pac-10 titles and holds one school record.

Patrick Nduwiamana, another distance runner, is a two-time national champion and four-time All-American with four individual school records and two Pac-10 titles to his name. 

Ed Caruthers was a two-time Olympian in high jump, once winning the silver medal, an All-American and in 1967 was the world’s No. 1 high jumper.

Michael Bates, also a football star, holds two individual school records, was a four-time Pac-10 champion and five-time All-American.

Abdi Abdirahman, a distance runner, was an Olympian, a cross country champion, a 5-time All-American and a 3-time Pac-10 champion.

None of them made the cut for this Top-10 list. 

Young's career impressive, but not No. 1 

For this list, the rankings reflect how much an athlete accomplished while they were at the UA, with one exception.

George Young was a four-time Olympian, all four after he graduated, but with limited competition for a distance runner like Young in the late 1950s, coupled with just how well-respected he was as an athlete — some consider him the greatest athlete to ever attend Arizona — we just couldn’t leave him out.

But he’s not the No. 1. 

Lalang tops UA men's track list 

No. 1 is Lawi Lalang, pride of Kenya and one of the most accomplished collegiate athletes to ever step foot on the UA campus.

Dave Murray, the track and field coach at Arizona for more than 30 years, told the Star in 2013: “Based on what he’s done, no question, he’s right up there with the very best we’ve ever had, if not the best.”

Between 2011-14, Lalang: 

•  Won eight national championships (four indoor, three outdoor, one cross country).

• Set six UA indoor and outdoor records, and is in third place in another (10,000 meters).

• Won eight Pac-12 championships (six outdoor, two cross country).

• Was named an All-American 16 times (eight indoor, seven outdoor, two cross country).

• Set the all-time record for the collegiate outdoor 5,000 meters. 

• Was named a two-time finalist for The Bowerman award, given annually to the nation's top track athlete.

• Was named the 2014 Pac-10 Track Athlete of the Year.

Hard to argue with that.

"He brought a different level of competitiveness to races," UA coach Fred Harvey told the Star in 2014. "What he did for the rest of the program is he's shown athletes how to compete and what it takes to be a champion." 

10. Nick Ross

Years at UA: 2010-14

Notable achievements:

• Broke 34-year high jump record in 2014

• Three-time Pac-12 champion

• National champion (high jump, indoor)

• Nine-time All-Conference

• Nine-time All-American

• Two-time Pac-12 field athlete of the year

• Only athlete in Top-10 UA record books in high jump, long jump and triple jump. 

9. Gayle Hopkins

Years at UA: 1962-64

Notable achievements:

• Arizona’s first national champion in any sport (long jump)

• All-American

• Set NCAA record for long jump in 1964

• 1964 Olympian

• Arizona Hall of Famer 

8. Dale Frederick 

Years at UA: 1965-68

Notable achievements:

• Considered greatest hurdler in UA history

• Three-time Western Athletic Conference champion

• NCAA runner-up

• All-American

• U.S. Army and U.S. Military Champion in hurdles

• Arizona Hall of Famer 

7. Derek Huff 

Years at UA: 1988-89

Notable achievements:

• 1989 NCAA champion (decathlon)

• Two-time All-American

• Three-time All-Conference

• 1989 Pac-10 Track athlete of the year

• Holds two decathlon records (shot put, high jump)

• Third-best decathlon score in school history

• Arizona Hall of Famer 

6. Marc Davis 

Years at UA: 1989-92

Notable achievements:

• Two-time national champion

• Seven-time Pac-10 champion (five outdoor, two cross country)

• UA record holder in 2-mile indoor race

• Arizona Hall of Famer 

5. Robert Cheseret 

Years at UA: 2002-06

Notable achievements:

• Two-time national champion

• Eleven-time All-American

• Nine-time Pac-10 champion (seven outdoor, two cross country)

• Three-time Pac-10 track athlete of the year

• Arizona Hall of Famer

• Holds fourth-best time in 5,000-meters in Pac-12 history 

4. Martin Keino 

Years at UA: 1992-95

Notable achievements:

• Two-time NCAA Champion (one 5,000-meter, one cross country)

• Five-time All-American

• Six-time Pac-10 champion

• Seven-time all-Pac-10

• 1991 and 1994 Pac-10 Cross Country Athlete of the Year

• 1993 Pac-10 Track athlete of the Year

• 1994 NCAA Athlete of the Year

• Arizona Hall of Famer 

3. Jake Arnold 

Years at UA: 2002-07

Notable achievements:

• Two-time NCAA Champion (decathlon)

• Four-time All-American

• Two-time Pac-10 champion

• Eight-time All-Pac-10

• UA record holder in heptathlon

• UA record holder in 110-meter hurdles and second day score

• Second-best decathlon score in UA history

• Arizona Hall of Famer 

2. George Young 

Years at UA: 1956-59

Notable achievements:

• Arizona’s first Olympian

• Member of four straight U.S. track and field teams

• Bronze medal winner in 1968 3,000-meter steeplechase

• Held records in steeplechase, 2 mile, indoor 3 mile and American records for 5,000-meter, 3,000-meter, steeplechase and 4x1,500-meter relay, as well as 12 age group world records.

• Arizona Hall of Famer

• National Track and Field Hall of Fame

• National Distance Running Hall of Fame 

1. Lawi Lalang 

Honorable mention: Ed Caruthers (1966-67), Michael Bates (1989-92), Thom Hunt (1976-80), Abdi Abdirahman (1997-99), Esko Mikkola (1996-2000), Patrick Nduwimana (1997-2001)