USA Track & Field on Friday announced the finalists for the "Class of 2008" for the National Track & Field Hall of Fame.

In conjunction with USATF's 2008 Annual Meeting in Reno, NV, this year's Hall of Fame Inductions will take place Saturday, December 6, at the Silver Legacy Resort in Reno.

Starting in 2003 the Hall of Fame Steering Committee and Board of Directors modernized the screening, nomination and voting processes, creating four categories in which individuals may be voted into the Hall of Fame. Those categories are: Modern athletes, retired 5 to 25 years; Veteran athletes, retired more than 25 years; Coaches; and Contributors. Each category has its own selection committee that chooses the finalists from a list of nominees. Members of the selection committees examine the nominations and evaluate their merit based on objective criteria. This year's election will include the three categories seen below.

*Modern athletes retired 5 to 25 years

*Veteran athletes, retired more than 25 years

*Contributors

Elections for Modern and Veteran athletes are held each year. Beginning in 2005, elections for Coaches are held in odd numbered years, with Contributors elections in even numbered years. Hall of Fame inductees, members of the National Track & Field Hall of Fame Board and Committees and members of the media comprise the National Track & Field Hall of Fame electorate.

The 2008 finalists for election to the National Track & Field Hall of Fame are as follows, in alphabetical order:

Modern Athletes
JOETTA CLARK: Four-time Olympian ('88, '92, '96, '00), best finish 7th in 1992. Five-time World Outdoor Championships team member ('87, '91, '93, '95, '97) best finish 7th in 1997. Five-time World Indoor Championships team member ('87, '89, '91, '93, '97), bronze medalist & medley relay gold medalist in1993. Four-time World Cup team member ('85, '89, '92, '94), silver medalist in 1992. Five-time USA Outdoor champion, five-time USA Indoor champion, two-time NCAA Outdoor champion, three-time NCAA Indoor champion. Ranked top 10 in the world by Track & Field News seven times.

HOLLIS CONWAY: Two-time Olympic medalist in the men's high jump, silver medalist in 1988, bronze in 1992. Two-time World Outdoor Championships team member, bronze medal in 1991. 1991 World Indoor champion, 8th in 1993. Five-time USA Outdoor champion. Four-time USA Indoor champion. 1989 NCAA Outdoor champion. 1988-'89 NCAA Indoor champion. Two-time U.S. Outdoor record holder. Three-time U.S. Indoor record setter (one tie). Ranked top ten in the world by Track & Field News six times (#1 twice).

LANCE DEAL: Four-time Olympian, silver medalist in hammer in 1996. Four-time World Outdoor Championships team member, best finish 5th in 1995. Three-time World Cup team member, 2nd in 1989, 3rd in 1992, 2nd in 1994. Nine-time USA Outdoor hammer champion. 12-time USA Indoor 35-lb. weight throw champion. Three-time (and current) USA hammer throw record holder (one tie). 13-time (and current) USA Indoor 35-lb. weight throw record holder. Ranked top ten in the world by Track & Field News on six occasions (#1 in 1996).

JOHNNY GRAY: Four-time Olympian, 800m bronze medalist in 1992. Three-time World Championships team member, best finish sixth in 1991. Seven-time U.S. 800M champion. 1986 USA Indoor 1,000 yard champion. Five-time (and current) USA 800M outdoor record holder (one tie). Five-time (and current) USA 800M indoor record holder. Set U.S. 1,000 yard indoor record in 1986. World ranked top ten 11 times by Track & Field News.

KENNY HARRISON: 1996 Olympic triple jump gold medalist. Three-time World Outdoor Championships team member ('91, '93, '97) and 1991 gold medalist. Four-time USA Outdoor Champion, two-time USA Indoor champion, 1986 NCAA Outdoor champion, 1986 NCAA Indoor long jump champion, 1988 NCAA Indoor triple jump champion. Two-time and current U.S. triple jump record holder, six times ranked top ten in the world by Track & Field News, #1 in 1990 & 1991. Finished #4 in T&FN Men's World Athlete of the Year voting in 1990.

STEVE LEWIS: 1988 Olympic 400M gold medalist. 1992 Olympic 400M silver medalist. 1988 Olympic 4x400M relay gold medalist (2nd leg) = world record 2:54.16. 1992 Olympic 4x400M relay gold medalist (anchor) world record 2:55.74. 990 USA Outdoor 400M champion.1990 NCAA Outdoor 400M champion. Seven times ranked top ten in the world by Track & Field News, #2 in 1989 & 1992.

ANDRE PHILLIPS: 1988 Olympic 400M hurdles gold medalist. 5th at 1983 World Outdoor Championships. 1st at 1985 World Cup. 1985 USA Outdoor 400M hurdles champion. 1981 NCAA Outdoor 400M hurdles champion. World ranked nine times top ten at 400M hurdles by Track & Field News, ranked #1 in world in 1985, 1986, 1988. World ranked #3 in 110m hurdles in 1985.

RANDY WILLIAMS: Olympic long jump gold medalist in 1972, silver medalist in 1976. Qualified for 1980 Olympic Team, but did not compete because of U.S. boycott. USA Outdoor long jump champion in 1973. USA Indoor champion in 1973. NCAA Outdoor champion in 1972. NCAA Indoor champion in 1973. World ranked four times by Track & Field News (#1 in 1972).

Veteran Athletes
AL BLOZIS: Three-time USA Outdoor shot put champion. Three-time USA Indoor shot put champion. Three-time NCAA champion. Three-time IC4A shot put and discus champion. Three- time IC4A Indoor shot put champion. Four-time shot put indoor world record holder. World ranked in shot put four times, ranked #1 in world in 1940, 1941, 1942. World ranked in discus throw three times. Helms Track & Field Hall of Fame inductee.

DON BOWDEN: 1956 Olympian in 1,500M. 1957 NCAA Outdoor 880 yard champion. U.S. mile record holder (3:58.7, 1957) as first American to break four minutes in the mile. World ranked #3 in 800 meters by Track & Field News in 1957.

BILL CARR: 1932 Olympic 400M gold medalist. 1932 Olympic 4x400M relay gold medalist in world record time of 3:08.2. 400M world record of 46.28 set in 1932. 1932 Olympic Trials and AAU national 400M champion. 1931 AAU Indoor national 300 yard champion. 1932 IC4A 440-yards champion. Ranked #1 in 400M in world in 1932...named men's #1 400M runner for 1925-49 by Track & Field News World Athletes of the Century.

CLARENCE DeMAR: Bronze medalist in 1924 Olympic Marathon. 12th at 1912 Olympic Marathon. 27th at 1928 Olympic Marathon. U.S. Marathon champion in 1926, 1927, 1928. 10 times ranked top five in the world in marathon over a span from 1910 to 1930, ranked #1 in world three times (1911, 1922, 1930). Helms Track & Field Hall of Fame inductee.

PAT McDONALD: 1912 Olympic shot put gold medalist. 1920 Olympic 56-pound weight throw gold medalist. 1912 Olympic shot put (both hands) silver medalist. 4th place in shot put at 1920 Olympics. Six-time U.S. Outdoor shot put champion. 1920 Olympic Trials shot put champion. 10-time U.S. Outdoor 56-pound weight throw champion. 11-time AAU Indoor shot put champion. Ranked top ten in the world in shot put each year from 1909-1923, #1 in world 1911, 1912, 1917, 1918, 1921. Ranked top ten in the world in hammer throw three times. 1952 Helms Track & Field Hall of Fame inductee.

ELEANOR MONTGOMERY: Two-time Olympic women's high jumper...six-time USA Outdoor champion...six-time USA Indoor champion...two-time U.S. outdoor record holder...four-time U.S. indoor record holder...world ranked in women's high jump five times, including #2 in 1967.

WILLIE STEELE: 1948 Olympic long jump gold medalist. Two-time USA Outdoor champion. 1948 Olympic Trials champion. Two-time NCAA long jump champion. World ranked four times, #1 on three occasions: 1946, 1947, 1948.

BERNIE WEFERS: Three-time USA 100 yard and 220 yard champion. Two-time IC4A 100 yard champion. 1896 IC4A 220 yard champion. Tied 100 yard world record three times. Two-time 220 yard straight world record holder. 220 yard turn world record holder. Four times world ranked in 100M/100 yard, three times #1. Four times world ranked in 200M/200 yard, three times #1. Two times world ranked at 400M/440 yard. Won 100 yard (=WR) and 220 yard (WR) at 1895 New York A.C. vs. London A.C. dual meet, the first major international dual meet. He is the only sprinter other than Hall of Fame inductee Ralph Metcalfe to win three consecutive national championships 100/200 doubles.

Contributors Bios
JIMMY CARNES: The founder of the Florida Track Club, whose members included Hall of Fame inductees Frank Shorter and Marty Liquori, as well as Jack Bachelor and Steve Williams among others, Jimmy Carnes later served as the Executive Director of the United States Track Coaches Association and as a member of the Board of Trustees of the United States Sports Academy. The former President of The Athletics Congress (now USA Track & Field) Carnes served as an assistant coach for the 1976 U.S. Olympic track & field team in Montreal, and was selected the head coach for the U.S. Olympic men's team for the 1980 Olympic Games. Carnes was head track coach at Furman University from 1962-1964, and at the University of Florida from 1964-1976. Two of the track teams he coached at Furman won both the Southern Conference Indoor and Outdoor titles, and his Florida teams captured two SEC Indoor Championships.

TED CORBITT: A leading proponent of long distance running in the U.S., Ted Corbitt served as a founder and the first president of the New York Road Runners Club from 1958- 1960. The president of the Road Runners Club of America from 1960-1961, Corbitt was the chairman of the AAU National Long Distance Running Committee from 1965-1968. The original standard bearer for long distance running road course certification, Corbitt published a book on the subject through the Road Runners Club of America in 1960. As the founder of USA Track & Field's Road Running Technical Council, Corbitt managed a national program for accurate road measurement and certification, established and maintained a national list of certified courses, and selected, trained and supervised road course certifiers. He died December 11, 2007.

PATRICIA RICO: Active in track and field as an athlete and administrator, Pat Rico served as the president of USA Track & Field from 1996 through 2000, where during her tenure she was the architect of a two-year restructuring of the governing body. A competitor in the discus throw at the 1960 U.S. Olympic Trials, Rico has served the sport in many capacities. Shortly after retiring from competition, she co- founded Track Mirror, the first American publication for women's track and field. She also began an association with the sport's national governing body, where she served as USATF's chair of the women's track and field committee for two terms (1971-75, 1984-88). Elected to the IAAF Women's Committee in 1976 through 1999, Rico fought to broaden women's events in the Olympic program. She has been on several international staffs, including the 1984 Olympics as women's head manager and as Chef de Mission for the 1986 Goodwill Games. She also was assist ant director of the USA/Mobil Indoor Track & Field Championships from 1979-1995, working with her husband, Heliodoro, on the event.

BROWNING ROSS: In 1957, Ross formed the Philadelphia Road Runners Club, which expanded into a national organization a year later and became what is today the 180,000-member Road Runners Club of America. With many special prizes and age-group awards presented annually, the RRCA competitions gave runners at every level a sense of accomplishment. Ross also single- handedly produced the "Long Distance Log" for nearly 20 years, the first publication in the United States devoted to distance running. Ross used the pages of LDL to lay out the plan for a nationwide running club that would be divided into various geographic districts. He started with Philadelphia, added New England, and then opened a New York chapter, which openly confronted the Amateur Athletic Union and paved the way for women to participate and for the sport to eventually be accepted at all levels. Ross died of a heart attack on April 27, 1998 in Woodbury, N.J. He was 74.

FRED SCHMERTZ: A charter member of the Millrose A.A. of John Wanamaker from the club's inception in 1907, Schmertz became the assistant meet director of the Millrose Games in 1920 and the meet director in 1934, and served in that position until 1974. During the many years of his stewardship, Schmertz attracted innumerable domestic and foreign stars to compete at the Millrose Games, which continued to grow in stature during his tenure to become the longest running sporting event in Madison Square Garden history, and the premier annual indoor invitational track meet in the world. An assistant manager for the 1952 U.S. Olympic Team, Schmertz died in 1976 at age 87.

For more information on the National Track & Field Hall of Fame, visit: www.usatf.org.