Kansas Relays Announces 2006 Hall of Fame Class

April 3, 2006

LAWRENCE, Kan. –

Meet director Tim Weaver announced on Monday the 2006 class of the Kansas Relays Hall of Fame. To be honored at the Hall of Fame banquet on Saturday, April 22, will be John Outland, Charlie Greene, Karl Salb and Pinkie Suggs. The banquet will be held at the Holiday Inn Holidome; the evening will begin with a reception and dinner at 7 p.m. with remarks about all four inductees to follow.

“The Hall of Fame banquet has become a fitting finale to the Kansas Relays weekend,” said Weaver. “It is rare to have so many great athletes, from the past through the GOLDZONE, together in one room. This year will offer a special opportunity to gather and celebrate our successes – both past and present.”

Also known for his accomplishments as a football coach, Outland was heavily involved in the Penn Relays before he came to Kansas. It was his vision for a similar competition in the Midwest that served as the foundation for the first Kansas Relays in 1923. Together with renowned Jayhawk basketball coach Phog Allen, Outland made plans for 600 athletes to compete in the new Memorial Stadium on April 20 of that year, earning him the moniker “Father of the Kansas Relays.”

In 1968, Greene tied the world record in the 100-meter dash at the Kansas Relays with a time of 10.0 seconds before a tremendous crowd of nearly 20,000 fans. This was only the beginning of an amazing year as Greene went on to win the U.S. Olympic Trials “Night of Speed,” the Olympic bronze medal in the 100-meter dash and the Olympic gold medal in the 4×100-meter relay. Competing for the University of Nebraska, he won six national collegiate titles (three indoors, three outdoors) from 1965 to 1967.

The most decorated female in Kansas Relays history, Suggs won four collegiate shot put and three discus champion watches, three high school shot put crowns and two prep discus gold medals. Her state record in the shot has remained unequalled since 1982. She went on to win four Big Eight titles for Kansas State. Her school-best mark in the discus, set in 1987, has yet to be broken. Suggs is also a member of the Drake Relays Hall of Fame.

The winner of six consecutive NCAA titles in the shot put (indoors and outdoors from 1969 – 71), Salb was also an All-American in the discus in 1970 and 1971. He won the Kansas Relays shot put competition in 1969, 1970 and 1971. Salb claimed the discus crowns at the meet in 1968, 1969 and 1970. He led the Jayhawk trio of himself, Doug Knop, and Steve Wilhelm to top-three sweeps in the shot put in 1969 and 1970 at the NCAA Indoor Championships. An all-state football player and national high school champion in the shot put, Salb played for the 1968 KU Big Eight Championship team.

Wes Santee will also be recognized as the recipient of the United States Sports Academy’s Distinguished Service Award. The Distinguished Service Award has been presented by the Academy since 1984. Past honorees have included Peter Ueberroth, Chris Evert, Dean Smith, Phillip Knight, George Steinbrenner, Al McGuire, Cal Ripken Jr. and Pete Sampras.

Tickets to the Hall of Fame banquet and dinner are $25 each and available through the Kansas Relays Office. For more information contact the office at (785) 864-3486 or kansasrelays@kuathletics.com.

The 78th Kansas Relays will run from April 20 – 22; GOLDZONE II is Saturday, April 22 from 2:00 – 5:00 pm. For more information on the Kansas Relays, a complete GOLDZONE II schedule, and ticket information, visit http://kuathletics.collegesports.com/sports/c-relay/.