Forty-five years ago Monday, former Champaign High School star Mark Koster set an Illini varsity record in the 440-yard intermediate hurdles with a clocking of 51.3 seconds.
Koster had played safety and was the leading receiver for the undefeated 1966 Champaign football squad, but he was especially proficient on the track cinders, holding the school record in the 440-yard dash and running the anchor leg on the Maroons’ mile relay team that placed second at the ’67 state meet.
Illini coach Bob Wright and assistant coach Gary Wieneke helped turn Koster into a champion hurdler at Illinois.