The San Jose State Spartans track and field team, also known as "Speed City", is the track and field program that represents San Jose State University. The Spartans compete in NCAA Division I as a member of the Mountain West Conference. The team is based in San Jose, California, at the PAL Stadium.

The program is currently coached by Charles Ryan. The track and field program officially encompasses four teams because the NCAA considers men's and women's indoor track and field and outdoor track and field as separate sports.

The team was known as "Speed City" in the 1960s under coach Bud Winter. Spartans Tommie Smith and John Carlos were both part of the 1968 Olympics Black Power salute. The San Jose State track team also led the 1968 Black American Olympic boycott movement to advocate for civil rights. A statue, Victory Salute, was erected to honor the moment in 2005, and a History Park exhibit was created about the team in 2007. The men's team was cut in 1988 but revived in 2018.

Notable athletes AIAW The Spartans have had one AIAW All-American finishing in the top six at the AIAW indoor or outdoor championships.

AIAW All-Americans Championships Name Event Place Linda Langford Discus throw Linda Langford Javelin throw

NCAA , a total of 85 men and 3 women have achieved individual first-team All-American status for the team at the Division I men's outdoor, women's outdoor, men's indoor, or women's indoor national championships (using the modern criteria of top-8 placing regardless of athlete nationality).

First team NCAA All-Americans Team Championships Name Event Place Men's Douglas Taylor Long jump Men's Lowell Todd Javelin throw Men's Lowell Todd Javelin throw Men's Bob Likens Javelin throw Men's Don Smalley 100 meters Men's Thelmo Knowles 800 meters Men's Grant Denmark Discus throw Men's Bob Likens Javelin throw Men's Woody Linn Discus throw Men's Bob Crowe 100 meters Men's Mel Martin High jump Men's George Mattos Pole vault Men's Woody Linn Discus throw Men's George Mattos Pole vault Men's George Mattos Pole vault Men's Bob McMullen 3000 meters steeplechase Men's Paul Jennings 3000 meters steeplechase Men's Herm Wyatt High jump Men's Bill Priddy Pole vault Men's Lang Stanley 800 meters Men's Lang Stanley 800 meters Men's Owen Rhodes Pole vault Men's Lang Stanley 800 meters Men's Don Hubbard 3000 meters steeplechase Men's Owen Rhodes Pole vault Men's Chuck Hightower Pole vault Men's Ray Norton 100 meters Men's Ray Norton 200 meters Men's Kent Herkenrath 220 yards hurdles Men's Don Smith High jump Men's Errol Williams High jump Men's Chuck Hightower Pole vault Men's Bob Poynter 100 meters Men's Ray Norton 200 meters Men's Bob Poynter 200 meters Men's Sam Holt 3000 meters steeplechase Men's Errol Williams High jump Men's Stan Hopkins Pole vault Men's Al Jongewaard Hammer throw Men's Tom Daniels Hammer throw Men's Willie Williams 200 meters Men's Charley Clark 3000 meters steeplechase Men's Errol Williams High jump Men's Vance Barnes High jump Men's Dick Kimmel Pole vault Men's Ed Burke Hammer throw Men's Bob Poynter 100 meters Men's Bob Poynter 200 meters Men's Ron Davis 3000 meters steeplechase Men's Charley Clark 5000 meters Men's Dick Gear Pole vault Men's Dick Kimmel Pole vault Men's Jeff Chase Pole vault Men's Dan Studney Javelin throw Men's Dennis Johnson 100 meters Men's Bruce McCullough 400 meters hurdles Men's Ben Tucker 800 meters Men's Jeff Fishback 3000 meters steeplechase Men's Ron Davis 3000 meters steeplechase Men's Walt Roberts Triple jump Men's Ed Burke Hammer throw Men's Ben Tucker Mile run Men's Jeff Fishback 3000 meters steeplechase Men's Jeff Fishback 10,000 meters Men's Danny Murphy 10,000 meters Men's Les Bond Long jump Men's Wayne Herman 100 meters Men's Wayne Hermen 200 meters Men's John Garrison 800 meters Men's Ben Tucker 1500 meters Men's Gene Gurule 5000 meters Men's Danny Murphy 10,000 meters Men's Gene Gurule 10,000 meters Men's Les Bond Long jump Men's Les Bond Triple jump Men's Craig Fergus Triple jump Men's Bob Akers Discus throw Men's Bob Brown Javelin throw Men's Wayne Hermen 4 × 100 meters relay Lloyd Murad Maurice Compton Tommie Smith Men's Craig Fergus Triple jump Men's Dick Smith Hammer throw Men's Tommie Smith 100 meters Men's Wayne Hermen 200 meters Men's Wayne Hermen 4 × 100 meters relay Tim Knowles John Bambury Tommie Smith Men's Tommie Smith Long jump Men's Craig Fergus Triple jump Men's Tommie Smith 200 meters Men's Sam Davis 100 meters Men's Lee Evans 400 meters Men's Larry Walls 400 meters hurdles Men's Sam Davis 4 × 100 meters relay Frank Slaton Bob Griffin Lee Evans Men's John Carlos 55 meters Men's Kirk Clayton 55 meters Men's George Carty 55 meters hurdles Men's Lee Evans 400 meters Men's Sam Caruthers Pole vault Men's Marion Anderson Long jump Men's John Carlos 100 meters Men's Ronnie Ray Smith 100 meters Men's George Carty 110 meters hurdles Men's John Carlos 200 meters Men's Lee Evans 400 meters Men's Darold Dent 3000 meters steeplechase Men's Sam Davis 4 × 100 meters relay Kirk Clayton Ronnie Ray Smith John Carlos Men's Marion Anderson Long jump Men's John Powell Discus throw Men's George Carty 110 meters hurdles Men's Bob Richards Pole vault Men's Vic Dias Pole vault Men's Greg Born Discus throw Men's Vince Breddell 200 meters Men's Mark Schilling Mile run Men's Frank Rock Pole vault Men's Ron Livers Triple jump Men's Ron Whitaker 200 meters Men's Mark Schilling Mile run Men's Ron Livers High jump Men's Dan Ripley Pole vault Men's Ron Livers Triple jump Men's Dedy Cooper 110 meters hurdles Men's Ron Semkiw Shot put Men's Mike Weeks Shot put Men's Mike Weeks Discus throw Men's Dedy Cooper 55 meters hurdles Men's Ron Livers Triple jump Men's Ron Semkiw Shot put Men's Bob Feuerbach Shot put Men's Dedy Cooper 110 meters hurdles Men's Ron Livers Triple jump Men's Bob Feuerbach Shot put Men's Greg Woepse Pole vault Men's Curt Ransford Javelin throw Men's Thurlis Gibbs High jump Men's Curt Ransford Javelin throw Men's Cleve Prince 4 × 100 meters relay Ken Thomas Dwayne Green Virgil Torrence Men's Bernie Holloway 400 meters hurdles Men's Felix Bohni Pole vault Men's Felix Bohni Pole vault Men's Felix Bohni Pole vault Men's Jim Doehring Shot put Men's Kjell Bystedt Weight throw Men's Jim Doehring Shot put Men's Kjell Bystedt Hammer throw Men's Fred Schumacher Hammer throw Men's Jim Doehring Shot put Men's Kjell Bystedt Weight throw Men's Jim Doehring Shot put Men's Kjell Bystedt Hammer throw Men's Fred Schumacher Hammer throw Men's Fred Schumacher Hammer throw Men's Fred Schumacher Weight throw Women's Emilia Sjöstrand Triple jump Women's Emilia Sjöstrand Long jump Women's Emilia Sjöstrand Triple jump Men's Malachi Snow 110 meters hurdles Women's Emilia Sjöstrand Triple jump Women's Simone Johnson Triple jump Women's Sky Hagan 100 meters Women's Emilia Sjöstrand Triple jump

Olympics

The Spartans have collectively won nine Olympic track and field medals, from seven athletes.

Olympic medalists Name Country Olympiad Event MedalWillie Steele1948 LondonLong JumpGoldLee Evans1968 Mexico City400 metersGoldLee Evans1968 Mexico City4x400 metersGoldRonnie Ray Smith1968 Mexico City4x100 metersGoldTommie Smith1968 Mexico City200 metersGoldJohn Carlos1968 Mexico City200 metersBronzeJohn Powell1976 Montreal Discus throwBronzeJohn Powell1984 Los AngelesDiscus throwBronzeJim Doehring1992 Barcelona Shot putSilver

See also

References

External links