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The 1973 men's track & field team was one of the first in school history to make a name for the university on a national stage. The team not only put the program on the map in the Valley, but established the program as a force to be reckoned with throughout the state by consistently going toe-to-toe with much larger, well-known programs. The group established school records in nearly every event, including three marks that remain school records to this day.
The Vikings, led by Hall of Fame coach Jerry Huhn, placed 10th nationally at the NAIA championships in Arkansas. Steve Hardison earned an individual national title in the pole vault, setting an NAIA national championship record in the process. Teammate Dennis McCave joined Hardison as an All-American that season, while the Vikings also had four NAIA District champions (Hardison, McCave, Roger Trujillo, Dennis Anderson).
Perhaps the most memorable moment came on March 17, 1973, when the Vikings earned an 83-80 dual meet victory over local powerhouse Fresno State at Ratcliffe Stadium. It marked the first time FPC had defeated the Bulldogs in school history. The team also had other notable results, including winning 11 of 18 events against Nevada in a dual meet and beating USC in a 4x800 relay with a school record time of 7:35.0.
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