![discus track and field discus track and field](https://www.stackhouseathletic.com/Content/img/products/THSCAN14-z.jpg)
He became interested in track and field as a child (tossing bales of hay, perhaps?). Ken Stadel was born in 1952 in Topeka although he was raised in nearby Quenemo, Kansas where his dad owned a farm. He also won the Emmett Brunson Award in 1974. While still at Rice, Stadel gained the coveted Bob Quin Award, the greatest honor that can come to a Rice athlete, in 1974. His SWC winning-toss of 202’11” in 1973 still stands as the SWC meet record nearly 17 years later, while he also remains as the school record-holder in both the discus (209’2”) and shot put (60’11”). Although he had to settle for second at the NCAA’s twice, Stadel won plenty of other major titles including the Kansas Relays, Texas Relays and the afore-mentioned SWC Championships.
#Discus track and field mac#
He was also a two-time NCAA all-America, finishing second in the nation in both 19 to the legendary Mac Wilkins. He repeated that title the next three years becoming a rare four-time SWC track champion. Under their guidance, Stadel soon became a young phenom in the discus, winning the SWC titles as a freshman in 1971.
![discus track and field discus track and field](https://img.livestrong.com/640/clsd/getty/cache.gettyimages.com/f3f7d793f6d2471f942bccc6f3dffec2.jpg)
But his interest lied more in track than round ball, a fact that greatly pleased track coach Augie Erfurth and young assistant Bobby May. In fact, he was almost skinny at about 195 on a 6’6” frame and about as well regarded for his basketball background as he was in track for his discus exploits. But Stadel wasn’t really that big when he got to Rice. Those are pretty hefty numbers for a big old country boy from Kansas who came to Rice in the fall of 1970, the same year that Solomon also matriculated to Rice. Including some of his years at Rice, Stadel was also ranked among the top 10 discus throwers in the United States a grand total of 11 years. Consider that well after his Rice years Stadel was ranked among the top five in the world in the discus (1977-79). Nevertheless, Stadel is probably one of the most decorated Rice athletes of all, if not one of the biggest as well. But that’s kind of an unfair comparison to make because Stadel is about twice the size of Solomon and many other Rice athletes for that matter. Caption reads: No way can we say, as for fellow inductee Harold Solomon, that Ken Stadel is “inch for inch or pound for pound” the greatest Rice athletic of all time. Black and white photograph of Rice University Owls track and field athlete Ken Stadel, headlining his achievement into the Rice Athletic Hall of Fame.