The race I’ll never forget — by Kevin Robinzine

[PonyPride]

From SMUMustangs.com:

The race I’ll never forget — by Kevin Robinzine

The SMU Hall of Fame Class of 2025 will be recognized at the annual Hall of Fame Banquet and Induction Ceremony on Friday, October 10 in Armstrong Fieldhouse on the SMU Campus. For additional information or for tickets to the SMU Athletics Hall of Fame Banquet, click here.

The baton hit my hand, and we were already well ahead.

It was the final leg of the 1600-meter relay at the 1986 NCAA Outdoor Championships.

We had to win to clinch the team national title for SMU.

I felt smooth, strong — like I could have run another lap if I needed to.

By the time I crossed the finish line, I knew it was one of the easiest races I’d ever run, and one of the most important.

We had just secured the national championship.

That moment still stands out as the highlight of my college career.

Even after winning Olympic gold two years later, I can say without hesitation: I remember that SMU race, that SMU moment, more vividly.

Building something special
From 1984 to 1987, I was part of a relay group at SMU that made history.

We won three national titles in the 1600-meter relay: the 1985 and 1986 NCAA Indoor Championships and that unforgettable 1986 NCAA Outdoor Championship.

Along the way, I earned nine All-America honors, which still rank among the proudest achievements of my career.

Our group included incredible athletes — guys like Tommy Lovelace, Sven Nylander, Roy Martin, Harold Spells, and Rod Jones.

We knew each other’s strengths, trusted each other completely, and had coaches like Ted McLaughlin and Ralph White who knew exactly where to put us.

We weren’t just teammates.

We were close friends.

And that chemistry showed every time we stepped on the track.

The road to Dallas
That national championship moment didn’t happen by accident.

My story started in Fort Worth, Texas, and really took shape after my family moved to Abilene when I was 10 years old.

Abilene had a strong youth sports program, and I played just about everything: football, soccer, baseball, and track.

I always had speed, but in high school, I thought of myself as a 100- and 200-meter runner.

Then my coach put me in the 400 to get me in shape for basketball season.

It changed my life.

I made the regional finals as a sophomore, broke my school record with a 48.2-second 400 — a time that turned heads for my age — and suddenly letters from colleges started coming in.

When my family moved back to Fort Worth, the recruiting really took off.

Every Southwest Conference school reached out, along with a few programs from out of state.

But SMU struck the perfect balance; far enough from home to feel independent, close enough to stay connected.

And they had one of the best track programs in the country.

When I got to SMU, I wasn’t intimidated. Even though indoor track was new to me, I was confident I could adjust quickly.

The 400 group was loaded with talent, but I knew I’d get my chance if I stayed ready.

When the opportunity came, I ran with it — literally.

We had just secured the national championship. That moment still stands out as the highlight of my college career. Even after winning Olympic gold two years later, I can say without hesitation: I remember that SMU race, that SMU moment, more vividly.

From Dallas to Seoul
By my junior year, I had already competed in the Pan Am Games, the World Junior Championships, and other international meets. I was consistently making finals at the U.S. Championships.

The Olympics didn’t feel like a dream anymore. They felt possible.

In 1988, I made the U.S. Olympic team and joined the 4×400-meter relay in Seoul.
We were favorites to win.

Our top three runners had already medaled in the individual 400 meters. We even talked about breaking the world record before the race began.
We tied it instead: 2:56.16.

I ran the third leg, taking the baton with a big lead and making sure to keep us well out in front.

The U.S. had incredible depth then; six of the top ten quarter-milers in the world were American. We could have fielded two medal-winning teams.

Winning gold for my country was the honor of a lifetime.

Standing on that podium, hearing the national anthem, knowing we had tied the world record, it’s a moment I’ll always cherish.

The medal is safe at home, a reminder of what we accomplished on the world stage.

But the NCAA championship with my SMU teammates?

Those memories live in a different way.

They aren’t tucked away in a case; they’re part of me every single day.

Life beyond the track
After the Olympics, I stepped away from competitive track.

Back then, unless you were a huge star, it was tough to make a living as a professional runner.

I got a job, raised my two kids — Kamille and Jalen — and stayed connected to the sport as a fan.

I never pushed my kids to follow my path. I wanted them to find their own. Both graduated from college, and I couldn’t be prouder.

Those moments, watching them succeed, became my new gold medals.

Earlier this year, I got a call I never expected.

I was being inducted into the SMU Athletics Hall of Fame.

It wasn’t something I had ever thought about.

The first image in my head was my kids and grandkids walking into Moody Coliseum someday and seeing my photo on the wall.

That’s the part that means the most: the legacy.

I hope people remember me as a good teammate who worked hard, had fun, and represented SMU well.

For me, it’s about more than the medals or the championships.

It’s about the people, the moments, and the pride of knowing I gave everything I had every time I stepped on the track.