The Arkansas Track and Field Hall of Fame will induct seven new members next month in North Little Rock, including former decathlete Greg Culp and Elbert Stinson, a top sprinter during the mid-1960s at Arkansas AM&N (now Arkansas-Pine Bluff)
Also scheduled to be inducted at 6:30 p.m. June 8 at the Wyndham Riverfront Little Rock hotel in North Little Rock are Glenn Babb (middle distances), Wayne Beadles (sprints, jumps), Byron “Bear” Bryant (coach, official), Jack Nelson (distance) and Milton Williams (throws, coach).
Michael Tinsley, a Pulaski Robinson product and silver medalist in the 400-meter hurdles at the 2012 Olympics in London, and former Arkansas All-American high jumper Matt Hemingway were scheduled to be part of this year’s class but deferred induction because they can’t attend the installation banquet.
Culp finished second in the Arkansas High School Decathlon as a senior at Springdale in 1979 before scoring 7,304 points to win the NAIA title as a junior at Arkansas-Monticello in 1982.
Culp, competing for Abilene Christian, finished second at the 1984 NCAA Division II decathlon. The winner, William Motti, finished fifth in the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles competing for France.
Culp suffered a career-ending injury in the 1984 U.S. Olympic Trials, but went on to become a successful coach at Southeast Missouri and Arkansas.
Culp’s son, Brad, won the Arkansas High School Decathlon in 2011 and 2012 competing for Fayetteville.
Stinson of Texarkana, Texas, was a SWAC champion in the 440, ran on a NAIA indoor national champion mile relay team (3:17.3) in 1967 and won a gold medal in the 1967 Pan American Games in the 1,600relay.
Babb became the first Arkansas high school runner to break 2:00 in the 880 when, as a senior at Stephens in 1960, won the Meet of Champs title (1:59.4) at Quigley Stadium in Little Rock.
Babb attended Arkansas, where he became the first Razorbacks runner to break 2:00 in the 880 and was a member of the school-record setting 2-mile relay team.
Beadles lettered at Arkansas State Teachers (now Central Arkansas) from 1953-1955. He was the AIC champion in the long jump (1954-1955) and ran a leg on the AIC champion 440 relay team (1953, 1954 and 1955).
Bryant has been associated with Genoa Central since1964, serving as basketball coach, track and field coach and athletic director at the Miller County high school.
One of Bryant’s track and field standouts, Lake Hamilton Coach Karl Koonce, held the Class A mile record for roughly 40 years.
Genoa Central has hosted conference and state track and field meets. Bryant is also a state track and field referee for the Arkansas Activities Association.
Nelson lettered at Arkansas in 1959-1961. He was the SWC cross country champion in 1960 and the SWC 2-mile champion in 1961.
Williams, now the track and field and cross country coach at UALR, won the AIC shot put title in 1980 at Arkansas-Monticello (50 feet, 2¼ inches) and finished 14th in the shot put at the 1984 U.S. Olympic Trials.
Williams recorded bests of 65-4 in the shot and 201-9 in the discus.
Tickets for the banquet are $40 and can be ordered through June 3 by making a check payable to Charles Tadlock at the ATFHF, P.O. Box 211, Sheridan, Ark. 72150. An email address should be included in order to receive a confirmation.
Sports, Pages 33 on 05/26/2013