Dedication Lifts Harding's Spirit The 1984 track season looked like the Bisons would return to the top of the Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference , thus moving out of fifth place, a position held in 1983. The team had 17 lettermen returning from the 1983 team and they were well-seasoned. Before the season started , Coach Ted Lloyd picked the teams to watch. "I would say that SAU , ATU , OBU and Harding are the favorites," indicated Lloyd. "They were the top four teams in the recent AIC indoor meet , and each one has quality and depth ." The Bison tracksters began the season by hosting the first meet of the season . The Bison were gracious hosts by finishing in third place behind Southern Arkanas and Ouachita Baptist. AI Bates and Jeff Robinson won events for the Bisons. Bates won the 5000 meter run in a time of 15:4l.5 and Robinson took first in the triple jump with a leap of 46 '2". The Bisons next traveled down to Pine Bluff to compete in the Albert S. Alexander Track Classic. While OBU and HSU battled each other , Harding snuck away with the trophy and first place with a team total of 119 points. The Bisons only won two events , Bates in the 800 meter dash with a time of 1:54.00 and Tony McCoy in Put Your Best Chest Forward. Tony McCoy throws his chest forward trying to beat the UCA run · ner across the finish line in an indoor meet . - photo by Public Relations Office. 1984 Track and Field Team. Back row: Neal, Harriman , Sutton, McGaughey , van der Kaaij, Christ, Foster, Stegall. Second row: McCoy, Bates, Flake , Berry . Halbert, Cash , Glenn , Wayne , Carter, Adams, Baird, Pinson. Back row; Lambert-graduate assistant, Sharp-assistant coach, Tucker-manager, Ogburn , Westouer , Nichols , Roberson , Teague , Reece, Legg, Kelton-trainer, Beach-manager, Sitton-graduate assistant, Lloyd-coach. -photo by photo by Public Relations 0/- fice . - 152 Track and Field the 100 meter dash with a time of 10.50, but Harding's depth was the real story. As L10vd stated after the meet, "I guess we had two kids scoring in most of the events. " Harding journeyed down to Arkadelphia to participate in the 13th Annual Ouachita Baptist Relays. The Bisons took second place honors with 82 pOints , but more of the team got involved in the act. Darryl Halbert won the 5000 meters in a time of 15: 17.51 with freshman Eddie Neal coming in a close second. McCoy won the 200 meter dash in a time of 2l. 77. Attah Frimpong tied for second in the same event. McCoy was second and Gill Stegall of Searcy third in the 100 meter dash . The Harding 800 meter relay team placed second with a time of 1:27.29. We had a good year, but in the Ale track meet we couldn't get it together down the stretch. -Darryl Halbert Harding then made the trip to Russellville to do battle in Arkansas Tech Invitational Track Meet. The Bisons won first in the pole vault , van der Kaaij, 14'2"; 100 meter dash, John Reese , time of 11:1; and triple jump, Jeff Robinson, a leap of 46-2. The team amassed 53 team pOints, placing second behind Tech. The Bisons then returned home to host a quandrangular meet in which they beat College of the Ozarks, Arkansas College , University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and the Memphis Track Club, with a team total of 85 pOints. The Bisons showed their depth even more in this meet with van der Kaaij winning the pole vault, 14'6"; Doug Ogburn put the shot 44'4"; Kevin Roberson threw the discus 132'2" ; Roger Carter ran the 400 meter hurdles in 58 .92 and James Pinson ran the 5000 meters in 16:05.3. The Bisons 'once again traveled to Russellville to compete in the Arkansas Tech University Relays. They faltered and finished in fifth place out of seven teams with a team score of 70.5. Van der Kaaij was the only Bison to finish first with a 15-0 vault performance . The 1984 AIC Track and Field Championships were held at Henderson State University's Haygood Stadium in
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