1967 Cross Country

Head Coach: Chuck Rohe
Assistant Coach: Jeff Clark
Regular Season: 6 Wins, 1 Loss
NCAA Region Three: 2nd
SEC:  Champions
NCAA: 12th
Sophomore Ken Rowlett was Captain of the 1967 cross country team.  Other members of the team were Harris Atkinson, Earl Beatty, Steve Deaton, Gerry Eddlemon, Alan Fletcher, Larry Kelly, Dickie Kleier, Tony Masi, Steve Nelson, Henry Rose, Sam Rutherford, David Scire, Chester Shoemaker, Butch Stewart, and Gordon Wilson.
During the regular season the 1967 Volunteers defeated Ohio, Ohio State, Alabama, Western Kentucky, Tennessee Tech, and Virginia Tech, and lost to Georgetown. In the post season Tennessee finished second in the NCAA Region Three meet; won the SEC Cross Country Championships; and finished 12th in the NCAA Cross Country Championships. 
The 1967 SEC cross country meet was held in Birmingham, Alabama, on a 4.065 mile course. Tennessee finishers were as follows:
1966 CROSS COUNTRY
Place Name Time
2 Ken Rowlett 18:59
5 David Scire 19:28
6 Dickie Kleier 19:32
7 Sam Rutherford 19:39
8 Steve Nelson 19:45
9 Toni Masi 19:46
11 Larry Kelly 19:55
Florida’s Frank Lagotic was the 1967 SEC cross country champion. His time of 18:47 broke Bob Redington's course record of 19:15 by 28 seconds. Ken Rowlett finished close behind with an 18:59 time that was faster than the old course record by 16 seconds. 
 
The NCAA Cross Country Championships were next for the Vols. Ken Rowlett remembers the trip to Wyoming for the meet:
We left a few days early to acclimate to high altitude and stayed at Coach Rohe's mother's home in Chicago for Thanksgiving. Then, we went on to the Wild West and took a drive up to Medicine Bow. Seven guys in a rental car and as captain, they chose me, a Florida native, to drive on ice and snow. I caught on quickly, swerving and sliding the entire way. I had a blast, but they never let me drive after that. We woke up the morning of the NCAA meet in Laramie (6800' elevation) to a windy 0 degrees F. By race time it had warmed up to 25 degrees and was calm. The ground was frozen solid, and I remember the trail was totally littered with gloves and colorful stocking caps. My lungs burned like nothing I ever felt before. It was a disheartening finish for everyone.
 
Consequently, Tennessee finished twelfth in the NCAA Cross Country Championships in Laramie, Wyoming.  Volunteer runners finished the 6.0 mile race as follows: 
1967 CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS
Place Name Time
70 Ken Rowlett 34:25
77 Sam Rutherford 34:38
78 David Scire 34:44
86 Toni Masi 35:08
88 Steve Nelson 35:14
96 Alan Fletcher 35:42
98 Dickie Kleier 36:07
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