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'''Roy Griak''' (October 5, 1923 – July 9, 2015) was a [[Cross Country Running|cross country]] and [[track and field]] coach.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.gophersports.com/sports/m-xc/mtt/roy_griak_760491.html|title=GOPHERSPORTS.COM Roy Griak Bio :: University of Minnesota Official Athletic Site :: Men's Cross Country|website=www.gophersports.com|access-date=2016-04-06}}</ref> He was the head [[Cross Country Running|cross country]] and [[track and field]] coach at the [[University of Minnesota]] from 1963–1996. In 2001, he was inducted into the [[National Track and Field Hall of Fame]].
==Roy Griak==


==Early life==
Roy Griak lived a long life. He passed away on Thursday, July 9, 2015 in his home. He accomplished many different things throughout the 92 years of his life including, serving in the military, specifically the army, earning his degree, and eventually went on to coach at the high school level and the the collegiate level.
Griak was born in [[Montana]] but raised in [[Duluth, Minnesota]]. He served three years in the [[US Army]] [[Infantry]] during [[World War II]]. After the war, he enrolled at the [[University of Minnesota]], where he was a [[Letterman (sports)|letter-winner]] in both cross country and track and field.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.gophersports.com/sports/m-xc/spec-rel/092611aaa.html|title=A Truly Golden Gopher|website=www.gophersports.com|access-date=2016-04-06}}</ref> Griak earned his [[bachelor's degree]] in education and later also obtained his [[master's degree]].


===Personal Life===
==Career==
Griak taught at Nicollet High School in [[Nicollet, Minnesota]], where he started a track and field program and coached 5 sports.<ref name="DNT">{{cite web |title=Longtime Gophers track and field coach Griak dies at 91 |url=https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/sports/longtime-gophers-track-and-field-coach-griak-dies-at-91 |website=Duluth News Tribune |access-date=3 April 2023}}</ref> He later went on to teach and coach at [[Mankato, Minnesota|Mankato]] Public Schools<ref name=":0" /> and [[St. Louis Park High School]].<ref name="DNT" />
Roy Griak (1923-2015) grew up in [[Duluth]], Minnesota where he attended elementary school at Stowe Elementary School and high school at Morgan Park High School. He worked as a paper boy for the News Tribune while in middle school and high school. He was also an athlete on the basketball team as well as ran on the track and field team at Morgan Park High School since they did not have a cross country team at that time. He set the school's 800 meter or half mile record that remained under his name until the school closed down. After earning his high school degree and graduating from Morgan Park High School, he decided to join the military. Always supporting [[military]] he joined the U.S. Army. He then was deployed where he served his country proudly in the [[U.S. Army]] Infantry. He served during [[World War II]] for two years (1944-1946) in the South [[Pacific]][http://www.startribune.com/obituaries/detail/90398/?fullname=roy-griak]. Once he was done serving in the military he moved home to what he called "[[paradise]]." He then attended the [[University of Minnesota-Duluth]] in 1946 where he studied education. Two years later he transferred to the [[University of Minnesota-Twin Cities]]. While a student at the University of Minnesota, he ran on the cross country and track and field teams as a division one [[athlete]]. He earned letters in both cross country and track and field. He graduated in 1940 with a [[Masters Degree]] in Education from the University of [[Minnesota]]-Twin Cities.He eventually married his love, Kay Richardson and had two sons, Seth and Jason who gave him three grandchildren. Roy Griak always stayed physically fit, even until his later years in life. His work out consisted of 80 sit-ups, 15 minutes of stationary [[bicycle]] riding, 100 barbell curls with 20 pounds, and 100 two-handed press lifts with 20 pounds[http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/sports/running/3783396-longtime-gophers-track-and-field-coach-griak-dies-91]. He eventually needed [[oxygen]] to assist his breathing and after turning 92 years old, he passed away in his plymouth home surrounded by his family in 2015.


In 1962, [[Jim Kelly (coach)|Jim Kelly]] retired from the [[University of Minnesota]] and Griak filled his vacancy, taking a pay cut from $12,000 to $8,500. He spent 33 years as the head coach, and continued for 19 years as an assistant coach. On July 9, 2015 Roy Griak died at the age of 91.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=http://www.startribune.com/longtime-u-track-coach-griak-dead-at-91/313092911/|title=Roy Griak, longtime Gophers track and field coach, dies at 91|website=Star Tribune|access-date=2016-04-06}}</ref> Gophers athletics director [[Norwood Teague]] said in a statement that "Roy went to Minnesota, coached here for more than 30 years, worked here for more than 50 years and impacted more lives than almost anybody in the history of athletic department."<ref name="DNT" />
===Career===
In 1950, Roy Griak started his first teaching and coaching job at Nicollet High School, in Nicollet, Minnesota. He coached a total of five sports while working at Nicollet High School. After a year, he worked at Mankato Public Schools and eventually St. Louis Park High School. While working at St. Louis Park High School from 1952-1963, his cross country team won two state titles in 1955, and 1961. His track and field team won three state titles in 1958, 1962, and 1963. In the year of 1963, Roy Griak earned himself a job as a coach for the University of Minnesota's mens cross country and track and field teams. He led the [[Golden Gophers]] for 33 years (1963-1996). After coaching the mens cross country and track and field teams, he work as an [[administrative assistant]] until the time of his death. He celebrated his 50th year of working with the University of [[Minnesota Golden Gophers]] in 2013. In total he spend 52 years working for the University of Minnesota.


===Coaching accomplishments===
Roy Griak led his cross country teams to Big Ten conference titles in 1964 and 1969. In 1968, his cross country team placed second in the Big Ten conference meet and ended up placing fourth in the NCAA finals for cross country. In 1968, he also led his mens track and field team to a Big Ten conference championship. In total, he coached 59 [[cross country]] and track and field All-Americans, which included three [[NCAA Division I]] champions, and 61 [[Big Ten]] individual conference titles during his time at the University of Minnesota[http://www.flotrack.org/article/32453-remembering-minnesota-legend-roy-griak]. The national champions that Roy Griak coached included Gary Bjorcklund in 1971, Ron Backes in 1986, Martin Erickson in 1993, Vesa Rantanen in 1998, and Luca Weiland in 2015. Even though he was no longer a coach at the University of Minnesota when Vesa Rantanen and Luca Weiland were named national champions, he helped in assistance with the head coach Steve Plasencia. Gary Bjorcklun went on the run in the [[Olympic Games]].
* 10 years, St. Louis Park High School
* 33 years, head coach, University of Minnesota
* 19 years, assistant coach, University of Minnesota
* [[Big Ten Conference]] cross country titles in 1964 and 1969, and runners-up in 1968
* Fourth place finish at [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]] cross country finals
* Big Ten Conference Conference title, 1968
* Coached 47 cross country and track and field All-American athletes, including three NCAA champions and 60 Big Ten individual champions.<ref name=":2" />


===Other accomplishments===
Roy Griak was part of over ten different coaching staffs for U.S. international teams. These teams included the 1972 U.S. Olympic team in [[Munich]], and head manager of the 1980 and 1984 U.S. Olympic track and field teams. In 1993, Roy Griak was inducted into the Drake Relays Coaches Hall of Fame. In 1996, Griak was inducted to the University of Minnesota "M" Club Hall of Fame. Then finally in 2001, Griak was inducted into the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association [[Hall of Fame]]. The University of Minnesota honored [[coach]] Roy Griak in 1996 by naming the the nation's largest annual cross country meet after him. The Roy Griak cross country meet is for both [[college]] and [[high school]] cross country runners and takes place at the university's Les Bolstads Golf Course in Falcon Heights. He left a major impact on the [[University of Minnesota]] from all the time he spend coaching and working at the institution.
* Roy Griak co-founded the Twin Cities Race for the Cure, which over the years, has raised millions of dollars towards breast cancer research.<ref name=":2" />
* Over his time coaching at the U of M, Griak raised more than two million dollars for the Gopher cross country and track and field teams.<ref name=":2" />


===References===
===Roy Griak Invitational===
The Roy Griak Invitational was named in his honor and has become one of the nation's largest cross country events. The meet consists of six collegiate races (Division I-III) and four high school races ([[Varsity team|varsity]] and [[Junior varsity team|junior varsity]]) totaling over 4,000 runners.<ref name=":1" />

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}
# "Roy Griak." Star Tribune. Star Tribune, 11 July 2015. Web. 8 Apr. 2016.
# "Longtime Gophers Track and Field Coach Griak Dies at 91." Duluth News Tribune. Duluth News Tribune & Forum Communications Company, 10 July 2015. Web. 8 Apr. 2016. *
# Shryack, Lincoln. "Remembering Minnesota Legend Roy Griak." FloTrack. Flotrack Sports, 15 July 2015. Web. 08 Apr. 2016.


===External Links===
==External links==
*[http://www.gophersports.com/sports/m-xc/mtt/roy_griak_760491.html Roy Griak Bio on Gopher Sports]
* The Griak [https://www.facebook.com/TheGriak]
*[https://www.facebook.com/TheGriak Roy Griak Invitational]
* Roy Griak Invitational [http://www.gophersports.com/sports/m-xc/spec-rel/roy-griak-invitational.html]

{{Authority control}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Griak, Roy}}
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[[:Category:Minnesota Golden Gophers]]
[[:Category:Olympic Games]]
[[Category:1923 births]]
[[:Category:Track and field]]
[[Category:2015 deaths]]
[[:Category:Cross country running]]
[[Category:Minnesota Golden Gophers men's cross country runners]]
[[Category:Minnesota Golden Gophers men's track and field athletes]]
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[[Category:Minnesota Golden Gophers cross country coaches]]
[[Category:Minnesota Golden Gophers track and field coaches]]
[[Category:American track and field coaches]]
[[Category:Sports coaches from Minnesota]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Duluth, Minnesota]]
[[Category:United States Army personnel of World War II]]

Latest revision as of 19:47, 6 November 2023

Roy Griak (October 5, 1923 – July 9, 2015) was a cross country and track and field coach.[1] He was the head cross country and track and field coach at the University of Minnesota from 1963–1996. In 2001, he was inducted into the National Track and Field Hall of Fame.

Early life

[edit]

Griak was born in Montana but raised in Duluth, Minnesota. He served three years in the US Army Infantry during World War II. After the war, he enrolled at the University of Minnesota, where he was a letter-winner in both cross country and track and field.[2] Griak earned his bachelor's degree in education and later also obtained his master's degree.

Career

[edit]

Griak taught at Nicollet High School in Nicollet, Minnesota, where he started a track and field program and coached 5 sports.[3] He later went on to teach and coach at Mankato Public Schools[1] and St. Louis Park High School.[3]

In 1962, Jim Kelly retired from the University of Minnesota and Griak filled his vacancy, taking a pay cut from $12,000 to $8,500. He spent 33 years as the head coach, and continued for 19 years as an assistant coach. On July 9, 2015 Roy Griak died at the age of 91.[4] Gophers athletics director Norwood Teague said in a statement that "Roy went to Minnesota, coached here for more than 30 years, worked here for more than 50 years and impacted more lives than almost anybody in the history of athletic department."[3]

Coaching accomplishments

[edit]
  • 10 years, St. Louis Park High School
  • 33 years, head coach, University of Minnesota
  • 19 years, assistant coach, University of Minnesota
  • Big Ten Conference cross country titles in 1964 and 1969, and runners-up in 1968
  • Fourth place finish at NCAA cross country finals
  • Big Ten Conference Conference title, 1968
  • Coached 47 cross country and track and field All-American athletes, including three NCAA champions and 60 Big Ten individual champions.[4]

Other accomplishments

[edit]
  • Roy Griak co-founded the Twin Cities Race for the Cure, which over the years, has raised millions of dollars towards breast cancer research.[4]
  • Over his time coaching at the U of M, Griak raised more than two million dollars for the Gopher cross country and track and field teams.[4]

Roy Griak Invitational

[edit]

The Roy Griak Invitational was named in his honor and has become one of the nation's largest cross country events. The meet consists of six collegiate races (Division I-III) and four high school races (varsity and junior varsity) totaling over 4,000 runners.[2]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "GOPHERSPORTS.COM Roy Griak Bio :: University of Minnesota Official Athletic Site  :: Men's Cross Country". www.gophersports.com. Retrieved 2016-04-06.
  2. ^ a b "A Truly Golden Gopher". www.gophersports.com. Retrieved 2016-04-06.
  3. ^ a b c "Longtime Gophers track and field coach Griak dies at 91". Duluth News Tribune. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d "Roy Griak, longtime Gophers track and field coach, dies at 91". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2016-04-06.
[edit]
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