Congratulations To Coach Wollman and SMU Track

[50's PONY]

Dear Coach Wollman:
There are many, many people who have been saddened by this whole situation and I don't have words to express how proud I am of the performance of our men in Austin. They didn't hang their heads and went out in honor. I know emotions were high but they all performed beautifully.
So I say well done to a great group! We will not forget you and are very proud of you.
All of you are a credit to SMU!

[Water Pony]

Tied for Fourth, plus a National Champion. Congratulations to the Men's Track & Field Team. Great effort. I truly wish SMU was able to continue this wonderful program.

Mustang Men Tie for Fourth at the 2004 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
Hopley, Hanany, and Bortoluzzi Collect SMU Team Points

For Immediate Release
Saturday, June 12, 2004

Austin, Texas - The SMU men's track and field team placed in a tie for fourth at the 2004 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Austin, Texas, Saturday. Arkansas won the men's team title with 65.50 points. The Mustang men totaled 30 points, tying Ohio State and TCU for fourth place. It was SMU's best finish since 2002 when the Ponies finished in third place with 42 points.

UCLA (69 points) won the women's team title with a one-point advantage over LSU. The Mustang women totaled four points.

In the men's shot put, junior Hannes Hopley finished in fourth place with a toss of 19.41 meters, giving SMU five team points. In the men's hammer throw, SMU's Jerome Bortoluzzi placed fifth with a mark of 67.42 meters - good for four team points. Teammate Oleksandr Lutsenko finished in 11th place in the hammer throw with a toss of 62.12 meters. In the men's high jump, Mustang Mickael Hanany took fourth place with a height of 2.23 meters, giving SMU five team points. Teammate Einar Hjartarson finished in a tie for ninth place with a leap of 2.17 meters. In the men's 3000-meter steeplechase, SMU's Soeren Lindner placed 13th with a time of 9:15.28.

[Coach Wollman]

Dear Sir,

Your kind words are greatly appreciated. These young men and all that came before them always represented SMU, the University they love, with honor and passion. I am very proud of this group. The character they have shown this past season is remarkable and amazing. The passion they competed with this past weekend was beyond any hope I could have had. One thing a coach can not do for his athletes is create a pride in competing for the University they represent. This pride comes from the total experience on campus as well as the success its graduates have in the real world. I can say without hesitation that each and every athlete I have ever coached here at SMU, wore those three letters on their chest with pride. When times are the darkest, true character shows through. All alums can be certain that SMU track and field has graduated quality young men and women that have and will continue to make this University proud in everything they do.

These young men are a product of a University that demands excellence in everything they do. The professors on this campus are amazing individuals that are in education for all of the right reasons. There are also hundreds of staff on campus that go the extra mile for the students. They care about the future of the young people they are educating. To accept something less than excellence does nothing to shape the future of each student athlete or the world in which we live. I have met so many professors over the years that demand this excellence at SMU. All of us must never forget that sports participation in the University setting is a piece rather than the sum of their education.

I would never hesitate in recommending the SMU experience to parents, family or prospective recruits. It almost always changes their lives for the better. It has been a great honor for me to have been involved for sixteen years in the education process here at SMU. We have been blessed with incredible kids and I too along with the previous head and assistant coaches will always remember the hard work, dedication, success and class of the SMU track and field athlete.

Coach Wollman

[Water Pony]

Coach:

Thanks so much for your comments. Your letter to the Board is a great tribute to your student-athletes, the university and, I might add, your commitment to them.

As a ex-swimmer from the sixties, your comments and leadership remind me of one of the most infuential men and coaches I ever knew, A.R. "Red" Barr. His approach, attitude and support for every swimmer was incomparable. You project similar values.

Best of luck to the Men on the team and you!!

[LA_Mustang]

Coach Wollman,

You and your athletes are a credit to SMU. Thank you.