1972 – Men’s State Track Champions

After the split and forming of Wauwatosa East and West High Schools, it took East some time to get a state championship – 11 years to be exact. The 1972 boys track and field team was led by Head Coach John Richmond and staff that fine-tuned the exceptional athletes that were on the team.

Led by senior Dennis Brown, who won the state championships in both the 120yd high hurdles and the 180yd low hurdles, the team had multiple athletes who contributed throughout the season to the team’s success. The team won all but one meet the entire season, capturing the Suburban Conference Relay, winning four out of eleven events, and Outdoor Championships, capturing titles to seven of the fifteen events. They then proceeded to win the Regional Championship hosted at Milwaukee North High School and the Sectional meet at Nicolet High School.

At Sectionals, five individuals qualified to compete at the state meet. Team member Craig Nolinske took second in both hurdles races and went on to a 5th place finish at the state meet. Long distance runner, Dennis McBride, took first place at sectionals in the mile run; however, was disqualified at state for bumping into another runner. But it was not only on the track that the team was successful.

In the discus circle, Chuck Buesing finished in first place at sectionals and took 4th place at state. John Morgan, another field athlete, threw the shot put and also finished first at sectionals. He qualified for state but did not place.

The team is more than just those five individuals, several others competing in different events throughout the year, which created that team, who they were, and what they accomplished.