Missouri State

One of the top performers of the bright Missouri State distance running era of the early 1970s was Ken Norton, a track and cross country standout from 1970 to 1974. A product of Springfield Glendale High, Norton ran at MSU for coaches Aldo Sebben and Chuck Hunsaker and lettered four years each in track and cross country. In cross country, Norton placed fourth as a sophomore and fifth as a junior at the MIAA championship meet, and in his senior year he became only the third MSU runner in the history of MIAA cross country to capture the individual league title. Norton ran 59th as a sophomore and 28th as a junior in the NCAA Division II championship meets, and, as a senior in 1973, he became the Bears' first-ever NCAA cross country All-American as he placed 11th in the Division II meet and helped MSU to a national runner-up finish. In track, Norton won numerous relays and league titles, capping his career with the league title in the mile run at the conference meet as a senior in 1974. He went on to earn Division II All-America honors in track as he finished second in the three-mile run at the NCAA meet in 1974. At the time he graduated, Norton held MSU records for the mile and two-mile runs indoors, the mile and three-mile runs outdoors, the MIAA mark for the indoor two-mile run, and the MSU cross country records for the distances of five miles and six miles.