Five New Oklahoma Running Legends Inducted Onto Oklahoma Long Distance Running Wall of Fame

On the last Sunday in May, over one hundred runners of the past and present gathered at Hardesty Regional Library in Tulsa to celebrate the newest inductees onto the USATF Oklahoma Long Distance Running Wall of Fame. These new members of the Wall of Fame are: Mike Kelly of Stillwater, OK; Jeannie McDaniel of Tulsa, OK; Kathy Moffitt of Oklahoma City, OK; John Stukey of Broken Arrow, OK; and Terry Ziegler of Richardson, TX.

The afternoon began with a food reception and time of fellowship, followed by the induction ceremony where a speech by each inductee was preceded by a special, personal introduction by a close friend or family member. Following the speeches, these five inductees were presented special Wall of Fame Rings, jackets, shirts, and custom trading cards including their running highlights and statistics.

"Not only are these people fantastic runners, but they are great leaders in the community," USATF Oklahoma Long Distance Running Chair Brian Hoover said. "They embody what a runner is, and they are great ambassadors for our sport. It is amazing to honor them today."

Among those in attendance was Oklahoma Running Legend Pete Orban, who holds 51 single age Oklahoma long distance running records in various distances.

"It was numbing to me to be considered to the Wall in 2006. Of course I was still an active runner and considering what I was going to do next. It was mind-blowing," Orban recalled. "I'm excited about this new class; for example, a guy like Mike Kelly, someone I've been butting heads with for years -- it is exciting to see all of them receive this honor. They are all special people."

With the addition of the 2015 Wall of Fame class, there are now 19 total members of the USATF Long Distance Running Wall of Fame.

Above (left to right): Theresa Smith hugs her mother Jeannie McDaniel after introducing her to the audience; Inductee John Stukey entertains the crowd with a humorous dialogue; Many Oklahoma running legends were in attendance, including 2006 Wall of Fame inductee, Donna Spencer.

Mike Kelly | Stillwater, OK

Mike Kelly ranks with the best ever to run in Oklahoma. He has two performances over 90% and several in the high 80's. His 90.87 is the best performance among Oklahoma Runners. He is listed six times in the 5 km single age records. "I remember thinking, 'this guy just keeps getting faster and faster!'" 1999 inductee Jerry Crockett recalled. "He would ride a bike every other day, and I'd see him running, and running and running!" Kelly is a member of the USATF Oklahoma two mile sub eleven club, posting a 10:32 at age 49. The number of age group wins and WMA performances by Kelly are unmatched.

Dist.	Age	ACTime	AGTime	Op%	Date	Place/Race
5 km	58	17:21	14:12	90.87*	9-11	Perkins/Pistol Pete
8 km	53	28:26	24:17	87.34	3-07	OKC/St. Paddy's
10 km	51	35:15	30:36	87.76	5-05	OKC/Andy Payne
12 km	48	43:51	39:05	83.30	9-99	OKC/OKCRC
15 km	56	54:44	45:45	89.95	10-09	Tulsa/Tulsa Run
15 km	54	53:13	45:16	90.92	10-07	Tulsa/Tulsa Run
25 km	51	1:33:39	1:22:21	86.21	3-05	OKC/Beacon on the Bay
Half Mara.	58	1:20:07	1:07:15	88.08	4-10	OKC/OKC Mem. Half
Marathon	51	2:50:13	2:31:07	82.67	4-05	OKC/OKC Mem. Mara.
2 mi	49	10:32	9:18	85.28	9-02	OKC/Turtle Run

*All-time best performance

Above: Each new inductee was awarded the Oklahoma Wall of Fame ring.

Jeannie McDaniel | Tulsa, OK

Jeannie McDaniel is the only runner in Oklhoma to hold more than one national record. She has help national age group and single age group records in both 12-hour and 24-hour categories. She is one of three runners to be inthe long distance running state record book at every standard distance. At the induction ceremony, her daughter Theresa Smith shared some kind words. "Jeannie is recognized today because she is a great runner, but she is a hall of famer in all that she does; a great model for all of us," Theresa said. McDaniel has competed in multiple ultra marathons, and has run the Pike's Peak ascent four different times, winning her age group in 1995. She is a member of the USATF Oklahoma Sub 20 Club.

Dist.	Age	ACTime	AGTime	Op%	Date	Place/Race
5 km	40	19:59	19:21	76.56	5-89	Stilwell/Run for Berries
5 km	38	19:13	18:47	78.75	3-87	Tulsa/C.Mitchell's
8 km	40	32:42	31:39	76.10	4-89	Sapulpa/All-American
10 km	40	40:06	38:49	78.18	5-89	Tulsa/River Run
12 km	59	1:04:00	50:14	73.02	11-08	Tulsa/Glen's Run
15 km	60	1:18:28	1:00:44	76.08	10-09	Tulsa/Tulsa Run
20 km	40	1:25:48	1:23:03	75.02	12-99	Tulsa/Mohawk Run
25 km	41	2:04:43	1:47:30	76.08	12-00	OKC/Beacon on the Bay
30 km	42	2:25:03	2:16:08	69.28	1-91	Tulsa/Run Long
Half Mara.	64	1:59:50	1:27:09	75.55	4-13	OKC/OKC Mem. Half
Marathon	64	4:14:45	2:55:38	77.11	11-13	Tulsa/Route 66
12-Hour	65	52.001 mi			1-14	Phoenix/Accross the Years
24-Hour	60	101.5142 mi *#			11-09	Cleveland/Northcoast
Half Mara. (Ascent)	46	3:35:58 #			8-95	CO Springs/P.Peak Ascent

*All-Time Best Performance
* National Record

Above (left to right): 1999 Wall of Fame inductee Michael Hairston stands as runners recognize and applaud Wall of Fame members; 1999 Wall of Fame inductee Jerry Crockett and new inductee Mike Kelly.

Kathy Moffitt | Oklahoma City, OK

Kathy Moffitt is listed in the state record single age distance 17 times. She has competed in the National Senior Games multiple years, placing in the 5 km, 10 km and 1500 m distances. She is included in the top ten all-time in the 1500 m, and has been the age group winner many times in the past three decades. "Kathy has had some amazing accomplishments," said fellow OKC Landrunner running club member Jim Roblyer. "Perhaps one of the most impressive is completing the 5K race this past April in the middle of medical challenges and chemotherapy treatment." Moffitt's name is listed in the USATF Oklahoma Long Distance Running records in none of the ten standard distances.

Dist.	Age	ACTime	AGTime	Op%	Date	Place/Race
5 km	70	28:01	18:38	79.48	8-07*	OKC/Run with the Bulls
8 km	71	48:23	31:39	76.13	5-09	OKC/Dog Jog
10 km	68	58:10	39:57	75.96	10-05	OKC/Trolley Track
12 km	73	1:20:00	50:35	72.50	11-10	OKC/Race for Hope
15 km	71	1:32:13	1:00:19	76.61	10-08	Tulsa/Tulsa Run
20 km	57	1:52:12	1:30:30	68.84	12-89	Tulsa/Mohawk Run
25 km	65	2:38:20	1:52:19	69.93	3-03	OKC/Beacon on the Bay
30 km	53	2:58:20	2:26:14	64.19	1-91	Tulsa/Run Long
Half Mara.	71	2:17:21	1:29:49	73.30	11-08	Tulsa/Route 66

*All-Time Best Performance

Above: Members of the Oklahoma City Running Club (Landrunners), gather around and show their support for 2015 inductee Kathy Moffitt.

John Stukey | Broken Arrow, OK

John Stukey' finished 17th overall and posted a 90.43% with his 2:18:08 performance at the 1982 Boston Marathon. His name is in the long distance running state record book multiple times including a very impressive AG 47:49 at age 45 in the 1998 Tulsa Run. "For John, it is always about the fellowship of other runners," his wife Brenda Stukey said. "He is always ready and willing to help another runner." John has been racing in Oklahoma for nearly 40 years, and has won his age group or finished at the top in a large majority of the races in which he has participated.

Dist.	Age	ACTime	AGTime	Op%	Date	Place/Race
5 km	45	16:29	15:00	86.05	8-98	Tulsa/Night
5 km	44	16:10	14:50	87.07	3-98	Tulsa/Schlotzsky's
8 km	47	27:42	24:49	85.44	10-99	Tulsa/Run to Read
10 km	47	34:43	31:06	86.32	10-00	Tulsa/Zoo Run
12 km	55	47:00	39:32	82.27	11-08	Tulsa/Glen's Run
15 km	45	52:11	47:49	86.08	10-98	Tulsa/Tulsa Run
20 km	41	1:09:34	1:06:11	84.57	2-95	Tulsa/Red Deer
25 km	26	1:25:42	1:25:42	82.83	2-77	Tulsa/Nat'l Championship
30 km	53	2:05:21	1:48:38	79.46	2-07	Tulsa/Mohawk 30
Half Mara.	41	1:16:09	1:12:32	81.66	11-94	Tulsa/Half Marathon
Mara.	28	2:18:08	2:18:08*	90.43	4-82	Boston/Boston Marathon

*All-Time Best Performance

Above: A special plaque and framed trading card for each new inductee will join the other members of the USATF Long Distance Running Wall of Fame on display at RunnersWorld Tulsa.

Terry Ziegler | Richardson, TX

Terry Ziegler's amazing running career covers over 45 years (and counting). He holds several state age group and open records. His 2:18:20 mark at the 1975 Oil Capital Marathon in Tulsa has been at the top 40 years, and his WMA percentage of 90.41 is one of the highest ever in Oklahoma. Terry's daughter, Jane Ziegler, recalled how humble his father has always been about his race times. "He never talked about his race times. I would have to ask him," Jane said. "He was most proud when he could run a race with his children. My father is a true ambassador of the sport." In the 1970s, Terry was unbeatable, including three marathon wins in a three month span in 1974.

Dist.	Age	ACTime	AGTime	Op%	Date	Place/Race
5 km	32	15:32	15:25	83.69	7-85	Tulsa/Mohawk Run
8 km	50	29:26	25:45	83.33	11-00	OKC/Turkey Trot Classic
10 km	24	31:41	31:41	84.75	11-74	Tulsa/Mohawk Run
15 km	32	48:10	48:02	85.67	10-82	Tulsa/Tulsa Run
20 km	25	1:03:57	1:03:57	87.52	9-75	Tulsa/Mohawk Run
25 km	23	1:23:40	1:23:40	84.84	1-74	Tulsa/Mohawk Run
30 km	22	1:43:32	1:43:32	83.38	11-72	Tulsa/Mohawk Run
Half Mara.	54	1:24:05	1:11:45	93.30	11-04	Dallas/XC Club Half
Marathon	24	2:18:20	2:18:20	90.41*	3-75	Tulsa/Oil Capital Marathon

*All-Time Best Performance





Above (left to right): 2015 USATF Oklahoma Wall of Fame inductees Jeannie McDaniel, Mike Kelly, Terry Ziegler, Kathy Moffitt, and John Stukey.