Wilson, LaMois to be Inducted into M Club Hall of Fame

Two tracksters are members of the 2013 class that will be inducted into the M Club Hall of Fame.  Retiring women's coach Gary Wilson and Lloyd LaMois, the 1948 NCAA triple jump champion, are among the ten to be inducted on October 24.

The official induction of the 2013 class will take place during a ceremony to be held in the DQ Club Room at TCF Bank Stadium. Social hour begins at 6 PM  with the main program starting at 7. Tickets are available  through the Gopher Athletics Ticket Office online at mygophersports.com or by calling 1-800-U-Gopher beginning August 15.  A brief listing of some of the accomplishments of both men is belwo: 

Gary Wilson (Women’s Cross Country and Women’s Track & Field 1985-2013)Gary Wilson is retiring this spring following 28 years as head women’s cross country coach. The 2007 and 2008 Midwest Region and Big Ten Coach of the Year led Minnesota cross country to its first two conference titles (2007 and 2008) and three consecutive Midwest Region crowns (2007-09).

Wilson guided the Gophers to 15 consecutive NCAA Championships appearances. Minnesota is one of only five schools to earn NCAA berths in all of the past eight seasons. Wilson coached six different runners to nine All-America certificates.

He also served as head track and field coach for 21 seasons before taking on an assistant role starting in 2007. Wilson has been part of four Big Ten titles on the track (2006-09). He was named Coach of the Year for the Big Ten, Midwest Region and Midwest District in 2006 when Minnesota won the outdoor conference title and Heather (Dorniden) Kampf became the Gophers’ first-ever national champion.

Wilson is an inductee of the Drake Relays and UW-La Crosse Halls of Fame, as well as a recipient of the U of M President’s Award for Service. In retirement, he will remain involved in the Roy Griak Invitational, a meet he helped establish.

Lloyd LaMois (Men's Track & Field)
Lloyd LaMois was a member of Minnesota’s 1948 national championship outdoor track & field team, which is the only one in school history. It was also Minnesota’s first national championship outside of football or men’s basketball.  LaMois was the 1948 NCAA Triple Jump champion (outdoor) with a jump of 45 feet, 10 inches and to this day, he remains Minnesota's only outdoor All-American in the triple jump.LaMois is being inducted into the Pioneer Division of the Hall of Fame, a special designation for athletes from the era prior to 1950.

The University of Minnesota "M" Club is a nonprofit organization representing all letterwinners from University of Minnesota athletics teams. The purpose of the Hall of Fame is to honor achievements and to preserve the tradition of those athletes, coaches and athletic staff members who have contributed in an outstanding and positive way to the University of Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletics Department.

The criteria for induction to the University of Minnesota M Club Hall of Fame include four different categories: significant accomplishments by a former student-athlete; significant achievements by a former coach or administrator; significant contributions of time, talent or resources to the athletics department by someone other than an athlete, coach or administrator, and significant professional achievement by a former Minnesota student-athlete.

Former student-athletes inducted for significant accomplishments become eligible for selection five years after the expiration of their eligibility, while former coaches and staff members must have served the department for five years to be eligible.