UT Tyler Adds Track & Field to Athletics Program
August 28, 2007

The University of Texas at Tyler will officially add men’s and women’s track and field to its athletics program beginning this year. The programs will become the 14th and 15th varsity sports at UT Tyler.

The track and field programs are immediately eligible to compete for conference and NCAA championships.

“We are excited to be able to offer current and prospective student-athletes the ability to participate in track and field,” said Dr. Howard Patterson, interim vice president for student affairs and external relations. “All of our sports have established successful records in both academics and athletics and I am confident track and field will continue this tradition.”

Although the programs will be new for athletics, UT Tyler has sponsored track and field at the club level since 2004. Head cross country coach Bob Hepler will lead the inaugural track and field teams after having served as the sponsor of the club program.

“A number of students approached me in the fall of 2004 about having a track and field,” Hepler recalls. “Athletics was still new at UT Tyler and the University wasn’t ready to add new programs quite yet, but I did a little research and found that a club program could compete in many events, so our initial efforts were in that direction.”

In short order, Hepler saw the benefits of the club program and recognized the possibilities for future expansion.

“The first year we participated and had fun,” Hepler said. “By the second year, it was a club but we also looked at it as our non-traditional cross country season and we used the track and field meets to keep our runners in shape.”

By the third year, the off-season track and field work paid off as the men’s cross country team dominated the 2006 ASC cross country meet, winning five of the top seven places. Hepler knew then his open-field runners could also win on the closed tracks.

In April, he took those runners to the ASC Track and Field Championships where they won an impressive six events. UT Tyler student-athletes also broke five conference records, but as a club team their times were not eligible for ASC records.

Following this strong performance, Hepler met with Patterson who approved the addition of men’s and women’s track and field as official athletics programs at the University.

Hepler plans to start with a small team, but that hasn’t prevented him from scheduling some big competition.

“This year we will participate in six meets plus the conference meet,” he explains. “We will take about 12 student-athletes to compete in meets at Stephen F. Austin, UT Arlington, UT Austin, and others.”

Initially the track and field teams will consist primarily of student-athletes from other UT Tyler sports, and although Hepler’s cross country teams will be well represented, he says other student-athletes and students in general will also be welcome.

“I think it’s not only a great opportunity to compete in another sport, but for athletes to keep in shape during the off-season.”

Hepler also notes that active recruiting for the new programs will begin soon. Former USC track star Rich Dyer will assist Hepler with the coaching duties.

The University has no immediate plans to add a track and field facility, so those teams will practice at high school facilities in the Tyler area.

One of the 15 campuses of the UT System, UT Tyler offers excellence in teaching, research, artistic performance and community service. More than 70 undergraduate and graduate degrees are available at UT Tyler, which has an enrollment of nearly 6,000 high-ability students at its campuses in Tyler, Longview and Palestine.

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