Great Scott

Steve Scott, a middle distance runner who starred for UC Irvine in

the late 1970s, is one of four athletes who will be inducted into the

National Track & Field Hall of Fame.

Pole vaulter Earl Bell, sprinter Gwen Torrance and race walker

Larry Young, will join Scott in the induction ceremonies Dec. 6 at

the Jesse Owens/Hall of Fame Awards Banquet at the Hyatt Regency

Crown Center in Kansas City, Missouri.

Scott, 46, owns the U.S. Outdoor mile record of 3:47.69 (1982) and

U.S. Indoor records in the mile (3:51.8, 1981) and 2,000 meters

(4:58.6, 1981). He made three Olympic teams and ran 136 sub-4-minute miles in his career, more than anyone in history. The 1978 NCAA

Outdoor 1,500-meter champion, Scott also won that event at the 1980

Olympic Trials, but he did not compete at the Olympics in Moscow due

to the U.S. boycott of the Games.

He is the head coach of track and field and cross country at Cal

State San Marcos.

“Earl, Steve, Gwen and Larry all contributed greatly to raising

their events to a higher level in the U.S. and around the world, and

they richly deserve this honor,” USATF CEO Craig Masback said.

Scott, who was born May 5, 1956, refined his career at UCI and

became one of the greatest milers in history. He won the U.S. men’s

1,500-meter title six times and the U.S. Indoor mile crown four

times.

Track & Field News ranked Scott No. 1 in the U.S. on 10 occasions,

and 11 times during his career he was ranked in the Top 10 in the

world by the same publication.

Scott competed in the 1984 and 1988 Olympics finishing 10th and

fifth, respectively. He was also the silver medalist in the 1,500

meters at the inaugural IAAF World Outdoor Championships at Helsinki

in 1983.

“These tremendous athletes are representatives of the many aspects

of our great sport -- sprinting, long distance running, field events

and race walking,” USATF President Bill Roe said. “I look forward to

welcoming them to their rightful place in the Hall of Fame.”

The induction will increase the number of members in the Hall of

Fame, which is under construction at the Armory Track & Field Center

at 168th Street in New York City, to 192.