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Track & Field
CHRIS BUCKNAM Director of Running Programs 25th Season Chris Bucknam stepped onto the campus of the University of Northern Iowa in 1979 fresh off his days as a student-athlete on the track, looking to begin a career as a coach. Nearly three decades later, the first stop of Bucknam's career has proven to be the only stop. Entering his 25th season as head coach at UNI, Bucknam can take credit for building a program that has become the class of the Missouri Valley Conference and a fixture on the national scene. In 24 seasons as the Panthers' head coach, and four as Director of Running Programs, Bucknam has helped UNI develop into one of the strongest running schools in the nation. Since his arrival in 1979 as an assistant to long-time head coach Lynn King, the Panthers have won or shared 35 conference titles. After being promoted to head coach in 1984, Bucknam has taken the Panther track and field program to new levels. A 29-time conference coach of the year, Bucknam has produced two national champions and an outstanding 32 All-Americans in the 127 qualifiers he has sent to the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor championships. Bucknam's teams put together perhaps their most successful season in 2007, with the men sweeping the Missouri Valley Conference team championships -- including their eighth-consecutive indoor crown -- and UNI's women earning runner-up finishes both indoors and outdoors. The men's team earned a ninth-place finish at the NCAA Indoor Championships, a finish that was the highest ever by a UNI squad and matched the best ever by an MVC team. In all, nine UNI athletes combined for 19 All-America citations between the indoor and outdoor seasons, including three relays that finished in the top six in national competition. The Panthers also scored a school-record five Drake Relays titles, including an impressive victory in the distance medley relay. Track & Field News recognized the Panthers' excellence in relay events by rating the Panthers No. 5 overall in the magazine's annual rankings of the nation's top relay programs. Four UNI relay squads earned rankings, including a No. 2 rating for the 4x800 relay, and a No. 5 ranking in the 4x400 -- a race in which the Panthers finished sixth both indoors and outdoors. The Panthers also scored a fourth-place finish in the distance medley at the NCAA Indoor Championships. Bucknam has overseen eight relay teams that have received All-America honors since 2000. In the past three seasons, Bucknam's teams have produced 59 NCAA national qualifiers and earned 39 All-America citations. Both Panthers squads climbed into the national rankings in 2007, with the UNI men's squad rising to 14th and the women's team up to the 23rd spot heading into regional competition outdoors. The Panther men also earned a No. 13 ranking during the indoor season, with the women climbing as high as No. 22. During the 2006 season, UNI produced a combined six All-Americans and the men earned an 18th-place finish at the NCAA Indoor Championships, breaking two school records in the process. The men's squad also earned its seventh consecutive MVC indoor title and the men and women clinched 39 overall All-MVC accolades during the indoor and outdoor seasons. Over the past decade, Bucknam has coached numerous athletes into the national spotlight. Joey Woody, a three-time UNI All-American and national champion in the 400-meter hurdles, continues to compete around the world. He placed second in the 400-meter hurdles at 2003 World Championships and was a member of the 1999 World Champion 4x400-meter relay team. Former UNI pole vaulter Jacob Pauli took the 2001 NCAA national indoor championship and earned All-America honors five times. Pauli continues to compete internationally, including a third-place finish at the 2007 AT&T USA Outdoor Championships and a 15th-place showing at the 2007 World Championships. Cedar Falls native Dirk Homewood became an MVC legend under Bucknam's guidance, as he earned nine Valley championships and three All-America honors from 2001 to 2005. Bucknam also coached back-to-back MVC men's cross country champions in Mate Nemeth (2000) and Balazs Csillag (2001). Csillag also earned three MVC track championships and was a two-time track All-American in the distance medley and 3,000 meters. In 2002, Bucknam and his staff took their men's program to new heights when the Panthers placed 12th at the NCAA Indoor Championships. The five Panthers honored as All-Americans at the meet were fuel for Bucknam's fire. "Our ultimate goal with our athletes is to get them to reach their full potential individually and that is how we measure ourselves as a coaching staff," Bucknam said. "When we are able to get everyone to do that at the right time that is when the championships come together." In 1992, Bucknam oversaw UNI's move to the Missouri Valley Conference, where the Panthers have since left their mark. In fact, in the 15 seasons since joining the conference, UNI has the best average finish in the league on the men's side, claiming 20 titles, 13 runner-up finishes, five thirds and one fourth. UNI has crowned an unmatched 206 MVC champions under Bucknam and has continually sent athletes to compete at the NCAA Championships. Bucknam's success is evident not only to UNI, but to the nation as well. He boasts 18 MVC Coach of the Year awards and was honored as the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association's Midwest Region Coach of the Year for the eighth time after the men swept the MVC titles in 2007 and placed ninth at the NCAA Indoor Championships. Prior to UNI joining The Valley, Bucknam was named the top coach in the Mid-Continent Conference nine times in seven seasons. A native of Beverly, Mass., Bucknam attended Norwich University in Northfield, Vt., where he was a four-time letter winner in track, specializing in the middle distances. He was elected co-captain his senior year and graduated in 1978 with a bachelor's degree in physical education. He earned his master's in physical education from UNI in 1982. Bucknam and his wife, Cindy, reside in Cedar Falls with their son, Eric, and daughter, Kate. The Bucknam File Education: - B.S. Physical Education, Norwich, 1978 - M.S. Physical Education, UNI, 1982 Coaching Experience: - UNI Assistant Men's Track and Field/Cross Country, 1979-1984 - UNI Head Men's Track and Field/Cross Country, 1984-Present - UNI Head Women's Track and Field/Cross Country, 1997-Present Coaching Honors: - United States Track Coaches Association Midwest Coach of the Year: 1995, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 - MVC Men's Indoor Coach of the Year: 1995, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 - MVC Women's Indoor Coach of the Year: 2002 - MVC Men's Outdoor Coach of the Year: 1995, 1998, 2000, 2005, 2007 - MVC Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year: 1992, 1997, 2001 - MVC Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year: 2000 - Mid-Continent Conference Indoor Coach of the Year: 1985, 1986, 1988, 1990 - Mid-Continent Conference Outdoor Coach of the Year: 1986 - Mid-Continent Cross Country Coach of the Year: 1984, 1987, 1988, 1990 - Has coached two National Champions and 47 All-Americans Bucknam's Championship History MVC Men's Indoor: 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 MVC Men's Outdoor: 1998, 2000, 2005, 2007 MVC Men's Cross Country: 1992, 1997, 2001 MVC Women's Indoor: 2002 MVC Women's Cross Country: 2000 Mid-Continent Men's Indoor: 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1990 Mid-Continent Men's Outdoor: 1984, 1986 Mid-Continent Men's Cross Country: 1984, 1988, 1990 |
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