ORLANDO – Former head cross country coach Duane Vandenbusche, who coached the Mountaineers to 12 national championships, was formally inducted into the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Hall of Fame Wednesday at the association’s annual convention at the J.W. Marriott in Orlando.
Vandenbusche was one of six inductees during the presentation that led up to the inaugural Bowerman presentation for college’s best track and field athlete. Current Western State Head Cross Country Coach Jennifer Michel made the presentation of Vandenbusche’s Hall of Fame trophy.
“I came from one of the most beautiful and special areas in the world – the Upper Peninsula (of Michigan) – to an even more special play – the Gunnison Country of Colorado,” Vandenbusche said during his induction. “I’d like to pay tribute to all the great Mountaineers of Western State College that I’ve had the honor to coach for 37 years.”
In addition to his 12 national titles, Vandenbusche coached 51 national individual champions between track and field and cross country during his coaching tenure from 1972-2007. He was a seven-time national cross country coach of the year and coached more than 300 All-Americans in track and field and cross country.
Vandenbusche coached 27 RMAC championship teams. He also served as host for the 1991 Japanese National Cross Country team in Gunnison in its preparation for the World Championships.
Vandenbusche joined the Western State faculty in 1962 as history professor and is in his 48th year on the faculty. He’s made numerous presentations and organized several seminars on historical topics of Colorado. Vandenbusche also received a Colorado Broadcasters Association second-place honor for a weekly sports program on KLVE in 1990.