MAKE IT SIX - YET ANOTHER HALL OF FAME INDUCTION FOR MARK COVERT - THIS TIME IT'S CSU FULLERTON ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME.
NUMBER SIX
Mark Covert, AVC's head Cross Country and Track and Field coach will be inducted into the sixth Hall of Fame of his career on Thursday, Oct. 15, this time to the CSU Fullerton Athletic Hall of Fame.
Covert ran for the Titans in 1970 and 1971 when he was the NCAA Div. II cross country champion and NCAA Div. I cross country All-America, a NCAA Div. II three and six mile All-America and NCAA Div. II cross country All-America.
He already has a Cal State Fullerton's Cross Country Meet named for him.
COVERT AND HALL OF FAMES
Covert had already been enshrined in the following Hall of Fames:
•Mt. San Antonio College Cross Country Hall of Fame - the first as both athlete and coach
•Nike's Hall of Fame in the "Pioneer" branch as one of the company's first employees in 1991
•The first member of the NCAA Division II Cross Country Hall of Fame
•LA Valley College Hall of Fame in 2009
•California Community College Cross Country/Track and Field Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2014
COVERT COACHING HISTORY
Covert began his Community College coaching career in 1974 at Glendale, where he coached Rick Steele - his first State Champion (400 IH). Also for the Vaqueros he coached his first Western State, Southern California and State Champions with the men's cross country team and was mentor for Bobby Thomas who was state, USA Junior, National and World Junior Champion in cross country.
He moved to coach his alma mater LA Valley College from 1976-1983. In that span Covert coached two conference track and field champions and two state individual state champions and the 1983 state women's cross country champions, along with four conference champions.
From 1983 to 1985 he coach at LA Trade Technical where he oversaw two Southern California Conference champions in track abnd field as well as two Southern California Conference champions in cross country.
Covert moved to AVC in 1990 and has coached seven cross country conference champions, Jean Harvey, who won the 1991 state cross country title, two conference track and field champions and nine individual state champions and 25 total conference athletes of the year. He has won numerous conference Coach of the Year honors and in 2010 was named State Track and Field Coach of the Year.
Also in 2010, Covert became the first Marauder coach to be honored with the CCCCA Coaching Achievement Award.
COVERT AND FIRSTS, OTHER SUPERLATIVES
Not missing a single day of running one mile in 45 years would be a significant accomplishment for just about anyone. But Mark Covert has had one significant accomplishment after another in addition to the above:
• The first to wear Nike "waffles" in competition
• Community college and Division II cross country champion as a runner
• Has a Cal State Fullerton's Cross Country Meet named for him.
•Two-time California Community College Cross Country Champion
•National record breaking 4 x 1 mile relay team
•Two-time national six mile cross country champion, 1969-70
•NCAA Div. II cross country champion
THE STREAK
Covert ended his world record running streak of running at least one mile (1.609 kilometers) every day on its 45th anniversary - Tuesday, July 23, 2013. On July 29, 2006 Covert's streak became the longest ever, eclipsing Bob Ray's 38 years, five day mark. On its 45th anniversary, the streak encompassed 16,436 days and 149,652 miles. That distance is nearly two-thirds of the way to the moon and the equivalent of six complete laps around the equator of the earth. In those 16,436 days, Covert put in his miles despite a broken foot, minor surgery, his wedding and the birth of his four children. The streak has been featured on NBC's Today Show as well as in various media throughout the country.