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Pitoniak et al.: Alumni Journal » TRADITIONS JOURNAL alumni Fae St St in the Land alumni.syr.edu Six decades after winning the nCaa title, members of the 1951 orange cross country team reflect on their championship season By Scott Pitoniak tooM C ULter ’56 ChUCkLeS aS he reCoUntS the four-mile course at Michigan State as five orange runners crowd’s reaction to those P.a. announcements heard at combined to win the nCaa championship. Sophomore Syracuse University home football games 60 autumns sensation ray osterhout ’54 paced SU with a third-place ago. “When there was a break in the action, they would finish. he was followed across the finish line by senior give the results of that morning’s cross country meet,’’ the captain Bill irland ’52 (sixth), sophomores Coulter (12th) former all-america runner recalls. “the announcer would and don Fryer ’54 (27th), and freshman Steve armstrong say, ‘earlier today, it was Syracuse 15, so-and-so 45.’ and ’55 (32nd). the combined 80 points by SU’s “Fab Five” you’d hear this collective groan fill archbold Stadium. enabled Coach Bob Grieve’s orange to easily defeat runner- 1-800-SUALUMS (782-5867) 1-800-SUALUMS People would be saying things like, ‘oh, no, we got killed,’ up kansas (118) and 16 other schools in the meet. Gene not realizing that in cross country, like in golf, low score Parker ’54 and Bob Fine ’53 rounded out the seven-member wins. it went on like that throughout the 1951 season, and orange squad that competed. Based on their finishes, my teammates and i would just laugh about it. it took osterhout, irland, and Coulter were named all-americans. some time before people learned that we were doing the “it was,” irland says, “a very special achievement.” clobbering, rather than the other way around.” a somewhat improbable one, too, because irland, the lesson of Syracuse’s dominance in the sport was the team captain and an army veteran, was the only driven home on november 26 that year on a snow-covered, experienced varsity runner on the squad. “that kind of 46 Syracuse University Magazine Photos from the 1952 Onondagan Published by SURFACE, 2011 1 Syracuse University Magazine, Vol. 28, Iss. 3 [2011], Art. 12 Facing page: Michigan State was the snow-covered site of the 1951 nCaa cross country meet. Facing page (inset): national champ herb Semper and the Syracuse team exchange congratulations after the race. the 1951 nCaa champion SU cross country team (top row, left to right): Gene Parker, Steve armstrong, don Fryer, Bob Fine; (front row) manager (unidenti- fied), ray osterhout, Bill irland, tom Coulter, and Coach Bob Grieve. inexperience isn’t exactly a recipe for Grieve decided to play a hunch and use a nonprofit organization he formed in success,” Fryer says. “But we had some the freshman in place of a veteran runner 1965, and recently traveled to kazakhstan pretty talented guys and Bill was a fine who had underperformed in new York. “i to help write an international training leader.” thought i was just going along for the ride, manual for the sport. Youth clearly was not wasted on the and that i wouldn’t finish high enough to irland had a long and rewarding career young that season as osterhout and figure into the scoring,” armstrong says. as a guidance counselor at Marcus Coulter quickly established themselves “i’m glad i thought wrong.” Whitman high School in rushville, new as two of the swiftest runners in the Upon their return from east Lansing, York, and currently lives in Geneva. country, teaming with irland to form a Michigan, the victorious harriers received Fryer is retired and living in Fairview, potent triumvirate. after a two-point loss a big spread in The Daily Orange and Pennsylvania, after several fruitful to powerful army in the first meet of the were invited to dinner by Chancellor decades as a chief engineer for various season, SU won its next four dual meets William P. tolley. “it wasn’t a huge deal on firms in western Pennsylvania. and appeared to be peaking at the right campus, like football or basketball, and we armstrong spent 20 years in the time. at the iC4a championships in new understood because it wasn’t particularly Marines before embarking on a law career York City a week before the nationals, the exciting watching a bunch of guys run and still practices law in Falls Church, orange finished a respectable third behind four miles,” irland says. “But i do believe Virginia. Penn State and army, with osterhout we boosted the spirits on campus a bit Parker is retired and living in finishing second, irland, fifth, and Coulter, because football was down at the time, ridgewood, new Jersey, after several seventh. “Unfortunately, the rest of our and a national championship is a big deal, successful decades as a partner in an runners suffered off days,” irland says. regardless of the sport.” accounting firm. “otherwise, i think we would have won each of the championship runners Following a long career as an attorney, that title. But it did give us confidence went on to enjoy successful careers after Fine passed away on december 3, 2008. heading to Michigan State for the nCaas. graduation. Coulter, who earned a total of osterhout passed away on december We figured if ray, tom, and i could 12 letters competing in boxing, track, and 15, 2009, after several lucrative decades continue our strong running, and don and cross country, made a name for himself in as an insurance executive. Steve just had solid days we’d have a good pugilism, instructing amateur fighters for “i definitely believe the discipline shot at winning the whole thing.” years before becoming coach of the U.S. required to succeed in cross country and that’s what happened. ironically, olympic boxing team at the 1988 Summer translates to other endeavors,” irland armstrong originally wasn’t supposed Games in Seoul. he continues to run the says. “i know it did for me. and i’m sure it to compete at the nationals, but Coach Syracuse Friends of amateur Boxing Club, did for the other fellows, too.” Photo courtesy of tom Coulter Fall/Winter 2011 47 https://surface.syr.edu/sumagazine/vol28/iss3/12 2 Pitoniak et al.: Alumni Journal Our roLe aS Alumni classnotes New S from SU AlumNI » As i BeCaMe More inVolved in alumni activities, i began to SeND uS NewS Of understand that being an alum yOuR AccOmplIShmeNTS. is not all fun and games, but To submit information for Class Notes via the Internet, go carries with it a certain amount to alumni.syr.edu and register with the SU Alumni Online of responsibility. Moving up Community. Items will appear in the magazine and in the alumni volunteer ranks, the Class Notes section of the online community. Items can also be sent to Alumni Editor, Syracuse University one of my objectives was to Magazine; 820 Comstock Avenue, Room 308; Syracuse, try to convey to the various NY 13244-5040. constituencies that comprise SU exactly what that responsibility means and how each of us can fulfill it in his or her own way. the Kaleidoscope: Exploring the i felt a deep sense of pride and accomplishment when i was on Experience of Disability through 40s Literature and the Fine Arts campus for Commencement last spring and read an editorial in Patrick McCarthy ’48 (a&S) of magazine. The Daily Orange 2011 Graduation Guide written by Beckie Strum oneida, n.Y., was inducted into ’12. it nailed on the head what i have been trying to articulate. the nottingham high School Janice Law trecker ’62 (a&S) of hampton, Conn., delivered titled “role of alumni, lifelong duty,” the editorial speaks to the (Syracuse) alumni Wall of Fame. a football and baseball the annual emmett Memorial essence of what it means to be an SU alumnus or alumna and standout in high school, he won Lecture at Pittsburg State so appropriately states that the role of alumni “demands you gold medals in singles tennis, University, kansas, after her are forever involved in the changes and future of this campus. badminton, and horseshoes in article on Walt Whitman was honored by the Midwest Being active alumni, connecting with future students, providing the 2011 empire State Senior Games. at age 85, McCarthy Quarterly. She also had a solo guidance for them, visiting, and speaking up about changes to does not plan to stop competing show of her paintings at the campus policy and politics become your responsibility when you anytime soon. eastern expansion Gallery in Chicago. walk across that stage.” the editorial emphasizes alumni power and prerogative. Roland Van Deusen ’67 (a&S), Beckie writes, “alumni comprise the greatest force for change G’75 (SWk) was one of eight and direction at this school.” in addition to their time, talent, 50s members awarded special George Babikian ’55 (WSM) recognition at the 2011 national and treasure, the most important thing alumni do is “hold an received Sigma Chi fraternity’s convention of Veterans for institutional memory that becomes greater and more relevant Significant Sig award—its Peace in Portland, ore. the than any chancellor’s, administrator’s, or director’s,” Beckie writes. highest recognition of one’s 8,000-member organization professional career and civic advocates for veterans and their “alumni status demands more than attendance at homecoming endeavors. an SU trustee families. or a few e-mails with an eager student—more than a smile at the emeritus, Babikian resides in sight of an SU sweatshirt in a crowded airport, a drunken cheer Palos Verdes estates, Calif., Robert R.