The Joplin Globe, Joplin, MO

75 years of MSSU Sports

Discussion

December 22, 2012

Dudley Stegge had passion for Southern

By Jim Henry Globe Sports Editor

The program was expected to begin in the early 1990s.

But because of a change of football coaches, Missouri Southern launched its cross country program for men and women in 1989.

“I patterned it after John McDonald at the University of Arkansas,” Lions coach Tom Rutledge said. “He proved the value of recruiting distrance runners who are scoring three times a year — cross country, indoor track, outdoor track — with limited funds. I concentrated on distance runners at first. I wanted to make an impact.”

The Lions’ impact was almost immediate as they finished third in the men’s regional in the program’s second year.

“I felt I could do well,” said Rutledge, who also coached cross country at tradition-rich Adams State. “Looking at the strength of the conference at that time, Southeast Missouri was pretty dominant. SEMO and Central Missouri and Northwest Missouri and Northeast Missouri (now Truman State) were basically controlling everything.

“We started out as a walkon program, then we had a scholarship, then a scholarship and a half, then three scholarships as we worked our way up the ladder.

“One of my first recruits was Jason Riddle. He went to junior college for a year and transferred in after he saw we had something started here. We got other kids to come in, and we placed third in the region in my second year here. We almost won conference but SEMO beat us. We had walkon kids and almost won the regional.”

Riddle went on to become an All-American for the Lions.

“When Jason Riddle got here, you could tell he had a lot of talent,” Rutledge said. “He was ideal for us to come in and solidify the training I was doing was working. It was tough for the first seven years . It was hard to get poeple to stay out becaue we trained very, very, very hard and I was not going to lower my standards. Some complained about training too hard.

“Riddle did what I asked him to do, and with him having success, that allowed us to get one or two more good ones the next year. Finally about after seven years I was getting people to buy in what I was trying to teach them. We started having more success around 1999 or 2000. The women’s success came a little sooner than that because they had more scholarships.”

Rutledge coached both the men’s and women’s teams until Patty Vavra was hired as women’s coach in 1994. Under Vavra the Lions have won six MIAA championships, and the 2009 team did not lose to a Division II school until the national meet where the Lions placed third.

Rutledge’s men’s team has won eight conference cross country crowns — all of them in this century. The Lions have three top-10 finishes in the national meet — sixth place in 2000, seventh in 2002 and eighth in 2012.

 

Text Only
75 years of MSSU Sports
Facebook
Poll

Parents could give up their babies without legal consequences up to 45 days after birth under a bill sent to Gov. Jay Nixon. The “safe harbor” extension from five days to 45 days could prevent child abuse, say supporters. Should Nixon sign the bill?

Yes.
No.
     View Results
Parade
Magazine
Click HERE to read all your Parade favorites including Hollywood Wire, Celebrity interviews and photo galleries, Food recipes and cooking tips, Games and lots more.
NDN Video
Probe Begins After Conn. Commuter Trains Crash NTSB Begins Investigation Into Conn. Train Crash Lotto Fever Sweeps the Country Conn. Commuter Trains Collide; 60 Go to Hospital Coffee Run Leads to Hatchet Hitchhiker Arrest Fmr. IRS Head Insists No Politics in Targeting CDC: Fecal Bacteria Common in Swimming Pools $1 Million in Jewels Stolen at Cannes Film Fest NM Mom Chases Down Child Abductor Raw: Crash Sends Car Into Fla. Pool Raw: Obama Sits Down With Elementary Kids Raw: Bear Falls From Tampa Tree Ousted IRS Chief: Errors Not Caused by Politics Terror Suspect Due in Court in Idaho Friday Raw: Driver Ejected From Truck, Over Bridge Could Tobacco Be the Next Biofuel? Wash. State Releases Draft Rules for Legal Pot Dying Man's Blinks Lead to Murder Conviction Officials: Texas Tornado Likely Had 200 Mph Wind Brothers Arrested in NOLA Parade Shooting