s a publication for alumni and friends - University of Central Missouri
s a publication for alumni and friends - University of Central Missouri
s a publication for alumni and friends - University of Central Missouri
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World Record Belongs to CMSU Grad<br />
As a student at <strong>Central</strong><br />
<strong>Missouri</strong> in the 1980s, Mark<br />
Curp found opportunity<br />
<strong>and</strong> ran with it, literally.<br />
Coming from a farming<br />
community <strong>and</strong> a high school<br />
without cross country, Curp<br />
became a four-time All-America<br />
runner at <strong>Central</strong> <strong>Missouri</strong>.<br />
He achieved even greater<br />
running success, however, after<br />
graduating from CMSU with a<br />
bachelor’s degree in 1981 <strong>and</strong> a<br />
master’s in 1982.<br />
Exactly 20 years ago, Curp won<br />
the Philadelphia Distance Run<br />
half-marathon <strong>and</strong> set a world<br />
record <strong>for</strong> the distance.<br />
Curp’s record <strong>of</strong> 1 hour <strong>and</strong><br />
55 seconds has been surpassed<br />
10 times by athletes from<br />
other countries. However, his<br />
Philadelphia run is still the fastest<br />
ever by an American athlete<br />
on a record quality course. In<br />
fact, Curp is the only American<br />
to crack the 61-minute barrier,<br />
something which has been done<br />
249 times globally since he<br />
became the first in 1985.<br />
“That the record still holds is<br />
somewhat surprising especially<br />
with the number <strong>of</strong> big runners<br />
out there,” said Curp, who was<br />
featured in the Sept. 15 issue <strong>of</strong><br />
Race Results Weekly.<br />
Curp didn’t have any secret<br />
strategy <strong>for</strong> the race. Earlier that<br />
Mules fans saw a new<br />
look this fall, thanks<br />
to a summer project<br />
to install new turf on<br />
Vernon Kennedy field.<br />
During halftime <strong>of</strong> the<br />
homecoming game,<br />
Athletic Director Jerry<br />
Hughes, far left, <strong>and</strong><br />
CMSU President Aaron<br />
Podolefsky, far right,<br />
thanked three <strong>of</strong> the<br />
donors who helped<br />
finance the $800,000<br />
turf project. They are<br />
Chuck Simmons, center<br />
left, <strong>and</strong> Margaret <strong>and</strong><br />
Adrian Harmon, center<br />
right. With the state-<strong>of</strong>the-art<br />
synthetic Sprinturf,<br />
refinished track <strong>and</strong> newly<br />
painted Mules logos,<br />
Walton Stadium never<br />
looked better.<br />
Mark Curp’s half-marathon time set a world<br />
record 20 years ago that still st<strong>and</strong>s today.<br />
summer he had won the Big<br />
7 Mile in Iowa <strong>and</strong> he wanted<br />
another victory, especially over<br />
Michael Musyoki <strong>of</strong> Kenya, the<br />
15-K world record holder.<br />
Curp got to the finish line two<br />
seconds ahead <strong>of</strong> Musyoki. His<br />
world record held <strong>for</strong> five years<br />
until Dionicio Ceron <strong>of</strong> Mexico<br />
broke it on the same course in<br />
Philadelphia in 1990, running<br />
1:00:46.<br />
In 1993, American Todd<br />
Williams broke Curp’s time with<br />
a run <strong>of</strong> 1:00.11 at the Tokyo City<br />
Half-Marathon, but statisticians<br />
ruled the course didn’t have<br />
sufficient elevation loss <strong>for</strong><br />
record-setting purposes. So,<br />
Curp’s record continues to st<strong>and</strong>.<br />
“I have to say it was my top<br />
per<strong>for</strong>mance,” said Curp, who<br />
also owns several CMSU track<br />
records — <strong>for</strong> the two-mile <strong>and</strong><br />
5,000 <strong>and</strong> 10,000 meters. Curp<br />
lives in Lee’s Summit with his<br />
wife <strong>of</strong> 10 years, Terri. He works<br />
<strong>for</strong> American Century Investments<br />
as manager <strong>of</strong> a customer service<br />
team. He is the father <strong>of</strong> five<br />
children, ranging in age from 20<br />
years to 9 months.<br />
Both Curp <strong>and</strong> his younger<br />
sister, Darla Curp Moberly, have<br />
been inducted into the CMSU<br />
Athletic Hall <strong>of</strong> Fame. Darla ran<br />
<strong>for</strong> the Jennies from 1982-1986<br />
<strong>and</strong> won the 3,000-meter run<br />
national title in 1986. Curp never<br />
won a national title at CMSU but<br />
earned nine All-America awards.<br />
Curp said he never intended to<br />
set a world record. He said he was<br />
with the leaders in the first part<br />
but started to fall back less than<br />
halfway through. “At the 10-K<br />
point, I almost fell <strong>of</strong>f the pack.<br />
They got three seconds on me.”<br />
Knowing he didn’t have a<br />
strong kick to finish the race, he<br />
made his move in the last mile.<br />
“It ended up that my last mile was<br />
my best <strong>of</strong> the race.”<br />
Turf Donors Thanked at Homecoming<br />
athletics today<br />
Mules Wrestling<br />
The Mules wrestling squad<br />
<strong>and</strong> head coach Robin Ersl<strong>and</strong><br />
are looking <strong>for</strong> a breakout year<br />
this season.<br />
“Our biggest strong point<br />
is also our biggest weakness,”<br />
he said. “We are a young team,<br />
with only about three to four<br />
seniors who will be starting.”<br />
The Mules hope their youth<br />
will help obtain their annual<br />
goals <strong>and</strong> achieve something<br />
never done in CMSU history.<br />
“We want to go out <strong>and</strong> win<br />
the region this season,” Ersl<strong>and</strong><br />
said. “We want to have at least<br />
three to five All-Americans, win<br />
a regional title <strong>and</strong> go to the<br />
national tournament. We want<br />
to win the entire thing. That has<br />
never been done be<strong>for</strong>e with<br />
this program.”<br />
Mules Basketball<br />
Mules basketball is coming<br />
into the season ranked #10<br />
in Street & Smith’s College<br />
Basketball Preview <strong>and</strong> #16 by<br />
Division II Bulletin.<br />
With five returning seniors,<br />
head coach Kim Anderson<br />
expects to see a tight race.<br />
“Several <strong>of</strong> the teams that<br />
finished a little lower last year<br />
have reloaded <strong>and</strong> gotten better.<br />
The top teams are always going<br />
to be there. The MIAA remains<br />
one <strong>of</strong> the best conferences in<br />
Division II,” he said.<br />
Jennies Basketball<br />
After tasting post-season<br />
play last year, the Jennies are<br />
returning <strong>for</strong> the full meal deal.<br />
With a solid nucleus <strong>of</strong><br />
players returning <strong>and</strong> a new<br />
extensive, <strong>of</strong>f-season weight<br />
conditioning program, the<br />
Jennies hope to claim the<br />
conference title.<br />
Head coach Dave Slifer<br />
plans to use a similar style<br />
<strong>of</strong> play, building on the<br />
team’s ability to press with<br />
a few new wrinkles.<br />
“We established the press<br />
last year <strong>and</strong> now we should<br />
have some quicker, stronger<br />
kids that will allow us to swarm<br />
the ball even better,” he said.<br />
Slifer believes the MIAA will<br />
be tough this year. He expects<br />
Washburn, Emporia, <strong>Missouri</strong><br />
Western <strong>and</strong> CMSU to compete<br />
<strong>for</strong> the top spots.<br />
winter 2005<br />
central today<br />
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