Hall of Fame Inductee: Tom Heinonen

Editor's Note: Here's our third installment in our profile series of the 2010 Minnesota Track and Field Hall of Fame inductees.

Tom Heinonen

A graduate of Robbinsdale High School, Tom Heinonen first showed his athletic talent by finishing 5th at the MSHSL Cross Country State Meet and runner-up in the State mile. After graduation, he became a member of Roy Griak's first recruiting class at the University of Minnesota in 1963.

As a Gopher, Heinonen was a member of the 1964 Big Ten champion cross country team, finishing fourth individually. Before his U of M career was over, Heinonen would win a Big Ten title at three-miles and earn All-American distinction at three-miles and six-miles.

Heinonen continued racing after college, clocking the fastest marathon time by an American in 1968 (2:18:30), representing the USA at the World Cross Country Championships the same year, and winning the 1969 AAU Marathon title.

Heinonen made his deepest mark in the sport as coach of the University of Oregon women's cross country and track program from 1975 until 2002. His teams won two NCAA cross country titles (1983 and 1987) and an NCAA outdoor track crown (1985).

At Oregon, Heinonen coached NCAA champions and collegiate record-holders at every distance from 800-meters to 10,000-meters. He coached Annette Peters in college and beyond, leading her to an NCAA 5000m title in 1988, a spot on the U.S. Olympic team in 1992, and an American Record in the 5000m in 1993, when she became the first American woman to break 15:00.

Heinonen retired from the University of Oregon in 2003, but now volunteers as coach of the UO Running Club, a student-organized club team on campus.

Photo by Charlie Mahler.