NEW ORLEANS, LA – The United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced today that former Sun Devil TFXC head coach Greg Kraft is one of six set to be inducted into the USTFCCCA Hall of Fame. Kraft is a four-time USTFCCCA Coach of the Year and three-time Pac-12 Coach of the Year who led ASU to four NCAA team titles across the 2007 and 2008 indoor and outdoor seasons in his 23-year career (1996-2019). Kraft and the rest of the inductees will officially enter the HOF Tuesday Dec. 13 at the 2022 USTFCCCA Convention in Denver, Colorado.
USTFCCCA Hall of Fame release
2022 Hall of Fame Inductees:
Kraft took over the Sun Devil Track and Field program in 1996 and led ASU toward its first NCAA appearance in 1998, which started an era of the men's and women's teams constantly being among the nation's elites.
Kraft's teams won four NCAA titles and recorded 12 top-four finishes at national championships. At least one Sun Devil won an NCAA individual title in 13 of his last 16 years, and overall Kraft saw his student-athletes win 38 national titles, earn 21 Olympic berths and take home more than 300 All-America honors since 1998.
ASU was an unstoppable force in 2007 and 2008, winning four titles, three on the women's side and one on the men's, in those two years and becoming just the third program in NCAA history to sweep the men's and women's indoor crowns at the same championship event in 2008. That team won 13 individual national titles in those two years and included future Olympians in 2022 USTFCCCA HOF inductee Jackie Johnson, current throws coach Ryan Whiting, Grenada sprinter Joel Phillip, American jumper Trevell Quinley, and Ghanaian sprinter Seth Amoo.
Throughout his 23 years at Arizona State, Kraft's athletes excelled in competition along with their studies, earning countless all-academic honors from the Pac-10/12 and MPSF, as well as fielding more than 20 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans. The program was recognized six times as the top academic team in the country by the USTFCCCA, with six student-athletes earning the title of National Scholar-Athlete of the Year and another nine receiving Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors from the conference.
Now, six of Kraft's student-athletes find themselves enshrined in Sun Devil history as members of the Arizona State Sports Hall of Fame, including seven-time NCAA champion Jacquelyn Johnson, Boston Marathon champion Desiree Linden, NCAA champions Aaron Aguayo and Marcus Brunson, World bronze-medalist Amy Hastings and Olympic gold-medalist Dwight Phillip with more likely on the way.
ABOUT THE USTFCCCA:
Founded in 1995, the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) is a non-profit professional organization representing cross country and track & field coaches of all levels. The organization represents thousands of coaching members encompassing NCAA track & field programs (DI, DII, and DIII) and includes members representing the NAIA and NJCAA, as well as a number of state high school coaches associations. The USTFCCCA serves as an advocate for cross country and track & field coaches, providing a leadership structure to assist the needs of a diverse membership, serving as a lobbyist for coaches' interests, and working as a liaison between the various stakeholders in the sports of cross country and track & field.
USTFCCCA Hall of Fame release
2022 Hall of Fame Inductees:
- Josh Culbreath, Central State
- Greg Kraft, Arizona State
- Halston Taylor, MIT
- Art Venegas, UCLA
- Mark Wetmore, Colorado
- Sue Williams, UC Davis
Kraft took over the Sun Devil Track and Field program in 1996 and led ASU toward its first NCAA appearance in 1998, which started an era of the men's and women's teams constantly being among the nation's elites.
Kraft's teams won four NCAA titles and recorded 12 top-four finishes at national championships. At least one Sun Devil won an NCAA individual title in 13 of his last 16 years, and overall Kraft saw his student-athletes win 38 national titles, earn 21 Olympic berths and take home more than 300 All-America honors since 1998.
ASU was an unstoppable force in 2007 and 2008, winning four titles, three on the women's side and one on the men's, in those two years and becoming just the third program in NCAA history to sweep the men's and women's indoor crowns at the same championship event in 2008. That team won 13 individual national titles in those two years and included future Olympians in 2022 USTFCCCA HOF inductee Jackie Johnson, current throws coach Ryan Whiting, Grenada sprinter Joel Phillip, American jumper Trevell Quinley, and Ghanaian sprinter Seth Amoo.
Throughout his 23 years at Arizona State, Kraft's athletes excelled in competition along with their studies, earning countless all-academic honors from the Pac-10/12 and MPSF, as well as fielding more than 20 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans. The program was recognized six times as the top academic team in the country by the USTFCCCA, with six student-athletes earning the title of National Scholar-Athlete of the Year and another nine receiving Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors from the conference.
Now, six of Kraft's student-athletes find themselves enshrined in Sun Devil history as members of the Arizona State Sports Hall of Fame, including seven-time NCAA champion Jacquelyn Johnson, Boston Marathon champion Desiree Linden, NCAA champions Aaron Aguayo and Marcus Brunson, World bronze-medalist Amy Hastings and Olympic gold-medalist Dwight Phillip with more likely on the way.
ABOUT THE USTFCCCA:
Founded in 1995, the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) is a non-profit professional organization representing cross country and track & field coaches of all levels. The organization represents thousands of coaching members encompassing NCAA track & field programs (DI, DII, and DIII) and includes members representing the NAIA and NJCAA, as well as a number of state high school coaches associations. The USTFCCCA serves as an advocate for cross country and track & field coaches, providing a leadership structure to assist the needs of a diverse membership, serving as a lobbyist for coaches' interests, and working as a liaison between the various stakeholders in the sports of cross country and track & field.