Do not trust in princes, in mortal man, in whom there is no salvation. - Psalm 146:3

ATHLETIC RANKINGS AS USA NATIONAL TRACK AND FIELD CLUB COACH (1982-1992)

January 13, 2024


Steve McConkey was a USA National Track and Field Club Coach from 1982 to 1992. Athletes were ranked ninety-three times. The below list does not include the hundreds of successful athletes on the teams who nearly ranked in their events.

Marks made by foreign athletes are not included, plus marks made indoors in events that are not contested outdoors. Athletes in the Track and Field News rankings were designated with affiliation abbreviations of AIA (Athletes in Action), LW (Lay Witnesses for Christ), and 4W (4 Winds Christian Athletics). University athletes competing on AIA summer teams are not counted in the rankings.

Lay Witnesses for Christ (LW) had a team that Steve was the head coach of. Also, LW had a multitude of medalists who worked with the ministry. Steve and Liz did Christian meetings with these athletes. They had official sponsorship commitments that prevented them from being on the LW team.

AIA marks are in the 1983 annual edition. LW marks from the 1984 through the 1988 editions. 4W marks from the 1989 through the 1992 editions.

Tom Ansberry- 3000 7:57.89i(88) 5000 13:51.25(91) 13:38.80(92) 10,000 28:59.21(87) 28:42.35(88) 28:28.9(90) 28:12.4(91) 28:48.28(92)

Robbin Bell- 800 2:03.71(83)

Kelly Brooks- Shot Put 66-3/4(83)

Fred Carpenter- Javelin 248-11(83)

Andy Clifford- 1500 3:41.07(83) Mile 4:01.31(83)

Carroll Cobb- Triple Jump 54-8.5(87) 54-4(88) 54-1.25(89) 54-2.5(90) 52-4.75(91) 53-6.25(92)

Rick Fritzemeier- Hammer 204-5(83)

Vernon George- Long Jump 26-11(92)

Ken Glover- High Jump 7-3(83)

Brent Harken- High Jump 7-6.5(87) 7-7(88) 7-7(89) 7-5(90) 7-8.5(91) 7-4.25(92)

Yolanda Henry- High Jump 6-2.25(88) 6-4.25(89)

Leslie Hoerner- Javelin 165-3(83)

Paul Kendrick- Discus 185-10(88)

Matt Kolb- Pole Vault 18-1/2(87) 18-1/2(88) 18-3(89) 17-9(90)

Sue Klappa- 10K Walk 52:50(92)

Gordon Laine- Long Jump 25-10.25(84) 26-2(85) 26-7.75(86) 27-1/2(87) 27-3/4(88)

Robin Marks- 400 Hurdles 56.42(84)

Gerald Masterson- 800 1:47.78(84)

Everett McDougal- Triple Jump 51-10(88)

Mel McGinnis- 50K Walk 4:55.00(83)

Deirdre McKinley- Long Jump 21-4.75(88)

Derek McKinley- Long Jump 25-9.5(88) 25-8.5(89) 25-5(90) Triple Jump 52-0(85) 52-7.25(86) 52-2.75(87) 52-10.25(90)

Kevin McKinley- 400 Hurdles 50.75(88)

Ron Perkins- Hammer 211-3(83)

Scott Rider- 800 1:46.99(83)

Dave Sanderson- Pole Vault 17-1(83)

Sam Schick- 20K Walk 1:30.26(83) 50K Walk 4:17.03(83)

Elaine Sundby- Javelin 160-1(83)

Donna Tiegs- Heptathlon 5014(83)

Cary Tyler- Triple Jump 54-0(83)

Chris Walker- Long Jump 25-9.25(90)

Johnny Walker- 800 1:46.86(84)

Larry Weber- 1500 3:43.4(83) Mile 4:00.1(83)

Stan Whitaker- 800 1:47.21(83)

Mike Yonkey- Shot Put 60-7.5(91) Discus 195-8(91)

Charlie Youngren- Javelin 235-7(86) 248-7(87) 234-0(88) 226-6(89) 237-5(90)

Linda Zeman- Marathon 2:34.52(88) 2:39.38(92)

RELAYS

4×400 3:06.8 (Smith, Rolle, Gardner, Hartson) Waco, TX(84)

4×800 7:22.2 (Trott, Clifford, Whitaker, Rider) Modesto, CA(83)

4×1500 15:16.4 (Dotson, Otto, Britz, Weber) Walnut, CA(83) (10 World)

Distance Medley 9:29.9 (Clifford 2:56.3, Whitaker 46.9, Rider 1:46.5, Trott 4:00.2) Walnut, CA(83) (5 World)

OLYMPIC TRIALISTS

Tom Ansberry- 10,000 (1988, 1992)

Carroll Cobb- Triple Jump (1988, 1992)

Ricky Cox- Marathon (1984)

Vernon George- Long Jump (1992)

Brent Harken- High Jump (1988, 1992)

Yolanda Henry- High Jump (1988)

Gordon Laine- Long Jump (1984, 1988)

Robin Marks- 400 Hurdles (1984)

Deirdre McKinley- Long Jump (1988)

Kevin McKinley- 400 Hurdles (1988)

Johnny Walker- 800 (1984)

Charlie Youngren- Javelin (1988)

Linda Zeman- Marathon (1984, 1988)

ATHLETES ON USA NATIONAL TEAMS
1983
Ken Glover, High Jump (Israel)

Gordon Laine, Long Jump (Great Britain-W. Germany-USA)

Scott Rider, 800 (Great Britain-W. Germany-USA)

1989

Tom Ansberry (World Cross Country, Norway)
Yolanda Henry, High Jump (World Indoor, Hungary), (4 Nations, Great Britain), (World University Games, W. Germany)

1990

Carroll Cobb, Triple Jump (8 Nations, Italy)

1991

Brent Harken, High Jump (USA-Great Britain, Scotland)
Tom Ansberry, 10,000 (World University Games, Great Britain)

Four foreign athletes on the LW team were in the 1984 Olympics (not in the rankings above because they are foreign athletes). Desmond Morris (Jamaica, High Jump 7-5 PR), Allen Ingraham (Bahamas, 400 45.26 PR), Greg Rolle (Bahamas, 400H 49.46 PR), Karl Smith (Jamaica, 400H 49.17 PR and the 4×400).

Todd Sperling (left) and Tom Ansberry (in front) at the The Athletics Congress Minnesota State Championships in November 1988 in Apple Valley, Minnesota. The team won.
Tom Ansberry, who finished fifth at the 1992 Olympic Trials in the 10,000, won the St. Patrick’s Days 5 mile in St. Paul, Minnesota in 23:04.
High jumper Brent Harken with steeplechaser Matt Pearson. Brent jumped 7-8.5 and was a finalist at the 1988 Olympic Trials.
Ricky Cox ran in the Olympic Trials Marathon. He is a three-time Cowtown Marathon winner.
Terry Hildebrandt was a successful steeplechaser and cross country runner.
Distance runner Gary McAlpin (8:27 3000 in his 30s), John Beaudot (All-American sprinter), and Matt Kolb (18-3 pole vault and USA Olympic Festival medalist).
Long jumper Gordon Laine, fourth at the 1988 Olympic Trials, has jumped 27-2.
Robin Marks was a very good athlete in many sports, but excelled as a 400 hurdler. She was a finalist at the 1984 Olympic Trials.
Derek McKinley passes the baton to Gordon Laine at the Jesse Owens Classic in Columbus, Ohio in the 4×100. Derek was a top long and triple jumper and Gordon Laine was a great long jumper.
Todd Sperling ran a 2:17 marathon and a 8:42 2 Mile equivalent on an outdated 176 yard track. On the roads, he ran 8,000 in 23:14.
Ed Stuart jumped 26-2.5 in the long jump. Originally from the Bahamas.
Mike Yonkey threw the discus 195-8. He is competing in New York City.
Javelin thrower Charlie Youngren with a best of 248-7 and triple jumper Carroll Cobb who jumped 54-8.5. Cobb was a finalist at the 1988 Olympic Trials.
Two time marathon Olympic trialist Linda Zeman-Laktasic. She won the 1988 Houston Marathon.

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