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Lindgren headed for Hall

Rogers High School track star Gerry Lindgren was a force to be reckoned with in this 1964 meet. He also won 11 track and cross country titles while at Washington State in 1965-69. (File/ / The Spokesman-Review)
From staff and wire reports
Rogers High School track star Gerry Lindgren was a force to be reckoned with in this 1964 meet. He also won 11 track and cross country titles while at Washington State in 1965-69. (File/ / The Spokesman-Review)

INDIANAPOLIS — Gerry Lindgren, the 1964 Rogers High School graduate who went on to compete in the Olympics, was among the list of 2004 inductees to the National Track & Field Hall of Fame.

Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Michael Johnson and Joan Benoit Samuelson headline.

USA Track & Field announced this year’s inductees Monday, including Michael Conley; veteran athletes Lindgren, Jack Davis, Otis Davis and John Pennel; contributor Dr. Evie Dennis and coach Stan Huntsman.

The induction ceremony will be held Dec. 3 at the Tiger Woods Center on the Nike World Campus in Beaverton, Ore., in conjunction with USATF’s annual meeting.

Lindgren finished ninth in the 10,000 meters at the Tokyo Olympics in 1964. At Washington State (1965-69) he won 11 NCAA track and cross country titles.

Lindgren was also the first American to win a distance event in a U.S.-Soviet Union dual meet and was national champion for 3,000 in 1967 and for 10,000 in 1964.

Lindgren tied Billy Mills’ world record for 6 miles. He twice set the national record for 3 miles and 5,000 meters.

One of the best long and triple jumpers, Conley was ranked in the top 10 in the world 10 times in the long jump and 14 times in the triple jump. A two-time Olympic triple jump medalist (silver in 1984, gold in 1992), Conley was the world outdoor triple jump champion in 1993.

Johnson is the current world and American record holder in the 200 and 400. He was the first to win both events at the same Olympics in 1996 at Atlanta. He became the only man to repeat as Olympic 400 champion when he won the gold in 2000 and has nine world outdoor championships.

Johnson ran the anchor leg on the U.S. team that set the 1,600 relay world record in 1998.

Joyner-Kersee is considered the greatest female all-around athlete in history. She won three Olympic gold medals, four world outdoor championships golds and holds the world record of 7,291 points in the women’s heptathlon.

The winner of the first Olympic women’s marathon at the 1984 Games in Los Angeles, Benoit Samuelson was ranked first in the world in the marathon twice, and is a former world and U.S. record holder in that event.