<< Rewind: Read McMurry's 10th anniversary article on cross country written in 2006

ABILENE, Texas – The founding father of the McMurry University cross country program will now have an annual meet that carries his name sake. Former head cross country coach, athletic director and current professor at McMurry, Bill Libby, was honored by the athletic department as the school's annual cross country meet will be named the “Bill Libby Invitational” beginning in 2010.

Libby, who began the cross country team beginning in 1995 as a club team, then in 1996 as a competitive team, funded the program entirely from his own wallet for the first five years of its existence. He helped McMurry to two consecutive men's American Southwest Conference championships in 1999 and 2000. He guided McMurry's first ever male runner at the national meet in 1999 when Josh Hufstedler advanced beyond the regionals.

Libby stepped down following the 2002 season as head coach and handed the reins to one of McMurry's charter runners, David Chandler. Since his departure as head coach, Libby ensured the stability of the McMurry cross country program by beginning an endowment in 2004 that has now grown to larger than $90,000.

Chandler and head track and field coach Barbara Crousen cooked up the idea during the 2009 season and presented it to Libby as they made plans for the 2010 meet. Libby said the news was humbling.

“I initially laughed,” he said. “But, at the same time I felt very honored and was caught off guard. I didn't really know that they were thinking about something like that.”

Chandler said that it was something small to honor all that Libby had done for the program.

“Coach Libby had a vision of bringing cross country to McMurry back in 1995 and that vision is now reality,” Chandler said. “This is our way of thanking him for pouring out his mind, body and spirit for the McMurry cross country program.”

Libby served as McMurry's athletic director from 2006-2008 and remains as a professor in the bible department and the director of the McMurry's division of the NCAA Champs Life Skills.

However, cross country still holds strong memories, and the program is a source of pride for Libby.

“I consider it a major element in my time here,” said Libby who will begin his 16th year with the university in the fall. “It was a time where I was able to develop special relationships with students and encourage them both athletically and academically.”

The first annual Bill Libby Invitational will be Sept. 11 at Abilene's Grover Nelson Park. The women's teams will run a 5K race while the men's race will be a 4-mile run.