Hall of Fame
Bob Halberg was one of the pioneers of the cross country and track and field programs at St. Francis in the mid-1970's after the school went co-educational and started its athletics programs. He was an outstanding runner for the Saints as a student and later became the head coach of the St. Francis cross country team.
He first arrived on the St. Francis campus in January 1973 as the first recruit of Coach Tom Brunick who was putting together what became a short-lived but highly successful Distance/Marathon Team.
The team competed in NAIA cross country and Halberg was one of two individuals to qualify for the national championships in the fall of 1973. He placed second in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference meet, third at the NAIA District 20 Championship and then finished 110th at the national meet. In 1974, Halberg and the Saints team both qualified for the national meet, with Halberg placing 42ndindividually and the Saints garnering an 11th-place standing among 49 teams.
Both Halberg and the team reached their high water marks in 1975. The Saints' team won the NAIA District 20 title and earned a fourth-place finish at the NAIA Championships to earn All-America Team recognition. Halberg placed second at the District 20 meet and capped off his collegiate cross country career with a 39th-place finish at the national meet. He also earned All-America recognition.
Halberg also was a two-time NAIA national qualifier in the steeplechase and the 5000 meters in outdoor track and field.
He also coached the Saints' cross country team for one year in 1979 and led the team to an NAIA District 20 championship.
