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| Fri, Nov. 21, 2008 |  |
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Pryor praises UA track coach in Senate speech Thursday, Jun 12, 2008 By Aaron Sadler Stephens Washington Bureau WASHINGTON - John McDonnell will have to find some room in his crowded trophy case for a copy of the Congressional Record after the storied coach was recognized in the Senate on Wednesday. McDonnell, the University of Arkansas track and field coach for the past 36 years, is retiring this week. On Wednesday, Sen. Mark Pryor gave a speech about McDonnell, who with 42 national titles is the winningest coach in college sports history. "His commitment to track and the U of A goes beyond the finish line," Pryor said. "His athletes will tell you that Coach McDonnell motivated them and set high standards on and off the track. He taught them about integrity, character and teamwork ..." The public is mostly unfamiliar with track coaches, but in Arkansas, McDonnell "is a household name," Pryor said. Pryor showed off poster-sized photographs of McDonnell and the Fayetteville city limits sign that proclaims the city as "the track capital of the world." The sign notes that Arkansas has won 42 track and field championships. The numbers are overlaid over other digits on the original sign. "The '42' is a flip chart because we have won so many titles, so after the No. 25 or so, the highway department said 'We can't keep replacing the sign when he wins a title,' so now they change the number out," Pryor said. McDonnell's resume includes 19 national indoor track championships, 12 outdoor titles and 11 cross country titles. Five times, his teams won all three in the same year. He has 84 conference championships on his record. McDonnell is 69. His last meet as UA coach is at this week's NCAA Outdoor Track and Field championships in Des Moines, Iowa. |
