ENMU Cross Country Runners to Hold 40th Reunion Celebration on May 20
Dr. Mike Boit, Olympic Medal Winner, is Featured Speaker

PORTALES, N.M. — A celebration of the 40th anniversary of the first cross country team at Eastern New Mexico University has been set for Saturday, May 20, 2006. The event is open to all former and current ENMU cross country runners. The day’s activities will begin with a campus tour at 1:30 p.m MDT. At 6 p.m., there will be a reception at The Landing at Cannon Air Force Base, followed by dinner at 7 p.m.

The featured speaker at the conclusion of the dinner will be Dr. Mike Boit, who won NAIA individual national cross country titles in 1974 and 1975 for the Gryehounds. Boit also won an Olympic bronze medal for Kenya in the 800-meter run at the 1972 Munich Olympics. Other speakers at the reunion dinner will be Dr. Donald Elder, emcee, Joel McMullen, ENMU head cross country coach and Dr. Steven G. Gamble, president of ENMU.

The evening will conclude with dancing from 9 pm. until midnight. Music will be provided by the Jocks on Wheels DJ Service.

Former ENMU cross country runners should register by May 16. The reunion costs $25 per person. Checks or money orders for those attending should be payable to “ENMU Cross Country” and should be sent to: Head Coach Joel McMullen, ENMU Station #17, Portales, NM 88130. Runners may also contact McMullen at (505) 562-2976, by e-mail at joel.mcmullen@enmu.edu or by fascimile machine at (505) 562-2822.

Boit competed at ENMU in cross country and track in the early to mid 1970s and later received international recognition as a world-class miler. The ENMU men’s cross country team won NAIA national titles in 1973 and 1974, with Boit leading the way. In 1974, paced by Boit’s winning time of 23.45.0, ENMU claimed the national championship with 28 points, setting an NAIA record for best score. The Greyhounds also placed second in the NAIA in cross country in 1971 and 1975 and finished fourth in 1972. Boit earned a time of 24.23.0 in 1975 for his second consecutive NAIA individual title.

Boit set several ENMU track records, including the mile run in 3:54.8 and the 800-meter run in 1.43.8, both in 1975. At the time, they were NAIA national records.

He also provided an NAIA record 1:45.1 split on the anchor leg of Eastern’s sprint medley relay team that set a school record of 3:15.5 in 1973. The medley relay time was the third fastest time recorded in the world that year. Boit also ran the anchor mile in 3:59.6 for an NAIA distance medley relay record in 1973, as the Hounds set a school record with an overall time of 9:44.2.

Last fall, the Eastern men’s cross country team took fourth place at the Lone Star Conference meet. Felix Boit (Fr., Eldoret, Kenya/Samoei Secondary School), nephew of Mike Boit, earned All-Lone Star Conference honors with a 10th place individual finish. The Greyhounds also took eighth place at the NCAA Division II South Central Regional.

The ENMU women’s cross country squad, with only one senior, finished seventh out of 12 teams at the 2005 LSC Championships. The Zias also earned Academic All-American status for their efforts in the classroom. ENMU was one of only three teams in the LSC to receive the award.