Cindermen Reunite 50 Years Later

​

September 20th, 2016

​

Nicklaus Bartelli

​

               The Kansas State College of Pittsburg in 1965 and 1966 hosted a group of athletic individuals that set new records for the college and would go on to serve several years for their country. This year, for military appreciation weekend, Pittsburg State welcomed them back from all corners of the United States to reunite with each other.

​

               “They told me their story and it sounded pretty impressive,” Marissa Poppe said. Poppe is the Assistant Ad for Strategic Partnerships and Community Outreach out of Pittsburg State’s Intercollegiate Office. “So we thought the tie in with fall and cross country season and ties with the ROTC program that it was really fitting to have them for military appreciation weekend.” Poppe said.

​

Alumni brought back included Col. Stu Powell, Lt. Col. Don Hughes, Col. Pat Normile, Col. Mike Windsor, Keith Varvel, Dr. Felix Livingston, Thom Wilkins, Greg Wilson, Johnny Fite, and Jerry Hudson. These gentlemen recorded several school records, including the four-mile relay, the distance medley, and the two-man 10 mile. This group achieved a 4th place finish at the NAIA 1965 cross country nationals, and won first place in the two-mile relay at the 1966 Indoor Track and Field Nationals.

​

               The Cindermen, the name for runners at Kansas State College of Pittsburg during that time because of the cinderblock coal based track, came into town Friday and gathered together to share memories and drinks. Colonel Stuart Powell was honored by his fellow teammates Friday night with a “Best of Us All” miniature statue of himself. Powell was the team captain of the 1965 Cross Country team that finished fourth at the NAIA National Championships, the highest finish ever by any Gorilla team at that level. The group had an opportunity to reminisce about this moment, including the surprise they woke up to the morning of that race day in 1965 in Omaha.

​

“We got up the next morning and there was two to three inches of snow on the ground,” Greg Wilson said.

 

Wilson was a member of the 1965 Cross Country team and ran the third leg of the school record setting distance medley at the Texas Relays.

 

“We realized everyone has got to run in it too so what difference does it make. The whole idea of cross country is to run under adverse conditions and the snow just made it all the more cross country worthy,” Wilson said. 

 

The group was pleased to attend the cross country meet at Missouri Southern this past Saturday morning.

 

“In the time that we were running here, very seldom did papers care,” Powell said. “Now its impressive, just tremendous [support].”

​

The team of veteran runners were then given a tour of the newly remodeled Weede and Plaster Center on Saturday after the meet. Many of these graduates had not returned back to Pittsburg State for 15 to even 50 years.

 

“The facilities the college has are just outstanding, I’m very impressed with what’s been done here, and it’d be fun to be a student here again,” Don Hughes said.

​

“We had no indoor facilities, basically,” Wilkins said. “We ran in the old gym… under the bleachers, and we had a black cinder track and grass field, and it was all we knew.” Wilkins still runs long distance events today, anywhere from 800-meter to 10K races. After age 65, running is not the same on the body, but that doesn’t stop Wilkins.

​

“As you age you become a smarter runner, you find ways to still do well, and with less effort because you don’t have the same muscle strength,” Wilkins said.

​

Poppe was delighted to show these avid runners what Pitt State had to offer. “Things have changed drastically since they were here last and seeing their reactions to the updates on the facilities… it was neat to see their excitement about it.”

​

Pittsburg State has also grown in the ROTC department, something that connected 4 members of the track and cross country team. Col. Powell flew helicopters in Vietnam in the 1970’s, and served there along with Col. Pat Normile and Col. Mike Windsor. Powell also served in Germany, and Lt. Col. Don Hughes served in Europe. These four military servicemen combined gave over 90 years of time for their country.

​

“When you have numbers like that, and to come back after all that time and revisit the program, it’s important for young cadets to see that, because then they take pride in their program and they see that it’s not just a short stop in their military history,” Professor of Military Science Lt. Col. Kenneth Hutchinson said.

​

The veterans toured the Pittsburg State ROTC facilities and rec center, such as the 42-foot training tower, and technology in the classroom including air compressed simulated weaponry.

​

“These guys are coming out of here so much more well versed on the program,” Hughes said.

​

 “It is really impressive, we have a super group of officers that are coming on active duty and they are high tech in their training,” Normile said.

​

It isn’t very often Pittsburg State sees a close-knit community of alumni return, and the men that spent their time dedicated to the college and their country were more than happy to reunite at a place with so much spirit.

​

“We wanted to share our lives with [Pitt State], and for them to open their arms and recognize us was tremendous,” Powell said. All these men stood on field in front of the 3rd largest crowd Pittsburg State football has ever seen, and received a standing ovation in honor of their work.

​

“I would do it again in a heartbeat,” Wilkins said.