Know who Allen Carlus is?

By Mike Pearson

Saturday, July 24, 2010 5:32 PM CDT

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Illini, Legends, Lists and Lore

Allen Carius

Celebrating his 68th birthday Thursday is former Illini cross-country and track and field star Allen Carius. The Morton native was a two-time cross-country champion at Illinois for coach Phil Coleman. He also was a three-time 2-mile titlist in the Big Ten. Carius ran competitively until 1968 and at the end of the 1966 season had the United States' fifth-best time in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (8:48). After serving two years as a graduate assistant at Illinois, Carius became head cross-country and track and field coach at North Central College (NCC). He soon will begin his 46th season as NCC's mentor, establishing a dynasty that is unmatched at the collegiate level. Thirteen times his cross-country teams have won national titles, including three in a row from 1997 through 1999. Carius' Cardinals have finished runner-up 12 times in 35 years of NCAA Division III competition. North Central has five NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field titles and two NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field titles. Of 64 CCIW Outdoor Track & Field Championships that have been contested, Carius' teams have won 32 times. NCC swept the indoor and outdoor titles for the second time and became only the second program in Division III history to win the national cross-country, indoor track and field, and outdoor track and field championships in the same academic year. Carius was honored as cross-country "Coach of the Century," as well as being named NCAA Division III Cross-Country Coach of the Year in 1993, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2009. He is also a member of numerous Halls of Fame, including that of the Illinois Track and Cross-Country Coaches, the United States Track and Field and Cross-Country Coaches Association, and the Drake Relays. In October 2006, he became an honorary alumnus of North Central. He, wife Pam and their children live in Naperville.

Illinois' All-Time Big Ten Individual Champions

Runner Place Time Year

Craig Virgin 1st 23:16.7 1976

Craig Virgin 1st 23.04.5 1975

Craig Virgin 1st 30:11.0 1974

Craig Virgin 1st 28:30.8 1973

Allen Carius 1st 19:39.4 1963

Allen Carius 1st 19:45.2 1962

Vic Twomey 1st 21:28.9 1945

David Woolsey 1st 21:00.3 1932

David Abbott 1st 26:42 1928

Illini Birthdays