| Herb Wills |
Full Name: Herbert Wills, IV School: Leon High School in Tallahassee, Florida Legacy Bricks: Legacy Walk Map Link 1981 Cross Country AA - Loc 51 2006 Cross Country HOF - Loc 78 2006 Track & Field HOF - Loc 78 1980 Track & Field AA - Loc 85 |
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| FSU Career |
| Cross Country | |
Year Hgt Wgt Cl Ltr Hometown 1978 6-0 125 Fr * Tallahassee 1979 6-0 125 So * Tallahassee 1980 6-0 130 Jr * Tallahassee 1981 6-1 140 Sr * Tallahassee |
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| Track & Field | |
Year Pos Hgt Wgt Cl Ltr Hometown 78-79 D 6-0 125 Fr * Tallahassee 79-80 D 6-0 125 So * Tallahassee 80-81 D 6-0 130 Jr * Tallahassee 81-82 D 6-1 140 Sr * Tallahassee |
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| Conference Awards |
| Cross Country |
Year Award
1978 Metro Conference - Champion
Metro Conference - All-Conference
1979 Metro Conference - All-Conference
1980 Metro Conference - All-Conference
1981 Metro Conference - Champion
Metro Conference - All-Conference
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| Track & Field |
Year Award
1979 Metro Conference - Indoor - 5000 Meters - Champion
Metro Conference - Outdoor - 5000 Meters - Champion
Metro Conference - Outdoor - 10000 Meters - Champion
1981 Metro Conference - Outdoor - 5000 Meters - Champion
Metro Conference - Outdoor - 10000 Meters - Champion
1982 Metro Conference - Outdoor - 5000 Meters - Champion
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| All-American Awards |
| Cross Country |
Year Award 1981 NCAA - All-American - 16th place |
| Track & Field |
Year Award 1980 NCAA Championships - 10000 Meters (4th) - Outdoor 1981 NCAA Championships - 10000 Meters (11th) - Top 8 US-born 1982 NCAA Championships - 10000 Meters (11th) - Outdoor |
| Member of the FSU Hall of Fame |
| Elected into the FSU Hall of Fame in 2006 |
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Homegrown track star Herb Wills was one of the most accomplished distance runners in Florida State high school history and he wasted no time in getting his Seminole career started. Wills won four
individual Metro Conference Championships as a freshman in 1978 in one of the most dominating perfomances in Metro track history. He followed that by winning FSU's Outstanding Distance Runner honors
in 1979 along with the title of U.S. Junior 10,000 meter cross country champion. Wills would go on to set school records in the 5,000 and 10,000 meter outdoors and 3,000 and 5,000 meters and 2-mile indoors. He placed fourth in the 10,000 meters at the NCAA national championships in 1980 and followed that with a 16th place individual finish at the NCAA cross country championships in 1981. He finished his FSU career having earned All-American honors four times over the span of three years. However, his competitive career was not over as he became one of the top amateur distance runners in the country. He just missed making the U.S. Olympic Team as a marathoner in 1984, but bounced back at age 28 in 1989 to become the first American finisher at the Boston Marathon. Wills' name can still be found throughout the FSU record books including his school records in the indoor 3,000 meters (8:04.10) and 5,000 meters (14:00.10) that have stood for over 25 years. He has continued his close connection to both Florida State and Tallahassee over the years by combining his passion for mathematics and athletics as a tutorial specialist to current FSU student-athletes. |
| FSU Statistics |
| Cross Country |
Date Opponent/Meet Distance Place Time Points
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1978 Season
09/23/1978 Valdosta State Coll 4-Mile 1 25:26 1
09/30/1978 Florida State Invitational 5-Mile 2 24:34 2
10/14/1978 Azalea Invitational 5-Mile 6 24:36 6
10/21/1978 Florida Invitational 10K 5 31:19 5
11/04/1978 Metro Championship 5-Mile 1 24:05.2 1
1979 Season
09/22/1979 Troy State 10K 1 32:01 1
09/29/1979 Florida State Invitational 10K 1 31:11.0 1
11/03/1979 Metro Championship 5-Mile 9 25:20 9
1980 Season
10/18/1980 Florida Invitational 5-Mile 4 25:48 4
11/01/1980 Metro Championship 5-Mile 2 23:52 2
11/15/1980 NCAA Regional 32 30:48 32
1981 Season
09/07/1981 Macon Telegraph and News 1 29:59.7 1
09/26/1981 Florida State Invitational 1 30:17 1
10/10/1981 Notre Dame 1 30:16 1
10/23/1981 Florida Invitational 5-Mile 1 24:33 1
11/01/1981 Metro Championship 5-Mile 1 23:52 1
11/14/1981 Region III Championship 3 29:27 3
11/23/1981 NCAA Championship 16 29:44.9 11
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| Track & Field |
Date Opponent/Meet Event Place Results Points Comment
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1979 Season
01/14/1979 East Tennessee Invitational Three-Mile Run (I) 14:04.5
02/18/1979 LSU Indoor Invitational Two-Mile Run (I) 2 8:55.89 4
02/24/1979 Metro Indoor Championship 5000 Meters (I) 1 14:42.2 5
03/17/1979 Winter Haven Track Classic 5000 Meters 5 14:29.39 1
04/07/1979 Tennessee 5000 Meters 2 14:28.3 3
04/14/1979 Louisiana State 5000 Meters 1 14:24.05 5
04/16/1979 South Alabama Invitational 10000 Meters 1 31:12.56 5
04/28/1979 Domino Classic 5000 Meters 1 14:15.3 5
05/05/1979 Florida 5000 Meters 1 5
05/12/1979 Metro Outdoor Championship 5000 Meters 1 14:25.10 10
05/12/1979 Metro Outdoor Championship 10000 Meters 1 30:05.1 10
1980 Season
02/24/1980 Metro Indoor Championship Two-Mile Run (I) 4 3
02/24/1980 Metro Indoor Championship Three-Mile Run (I) 3 4
03/15/1980 FAMU Relays 5000 Meters 1 14:24.1 5
03/30/1980 Florida Relays 10000 Meters 8
04/12/1980 Florida 5000 Meters 1 14:12.3 5
04/26/1980 Domino Classic 5000 Meters 1 14:11.3 5
05/03/1980 Florida 5000 Meters 1 14:19.7 5
06/07/1980 NCAA Outdoor Championship 10000 Meters 4 30:06.01 4
1981 Season
01/31/1981 4-Way Indoor Meet Two-Mile Run (I) 2 8:59.51 4
03/22/1981 Sunshine Relays 10000 Meters 1 29:13.70 5
03/28/1981 Florida Relays 5000 Meters 3 14:00.3 3
04/11/1981 Georgia 5000 Meters 2 14:23.82 3
04/18/1981 4-Way Meet 5000 Meters 1 14:27.6 5
05/02/1981 Florida 5000 Meters 1 14:05.8 5
05/16/1981 Metro Outdoor Championship 10000 Meters 1 29:23.7 10
05/16/1981 Metro Outdoor Championship 5000 Meters 1 13:57.71 10
06/05/1981 NCAA Outdoor Championship 10000 Meters 11 29:42.7
1982 Season
02/13/1982 LSU Seven-Way Meet 3000 Meters (I) 8:03.44c
02/13/1982 LSU Seven-Way Meet Two-Mile Run (I) 1 8:42.13 5
03/06/1982 Florida Fasttimes Invitational 5000 Meters (I) 1 14:00.10 5
03/21/1982 Domino Relays 10000 Meters 1 29:59.4 5
04/03/1982 Florida 1500 Meters 3 3:53.65 1
04/03/1982 Florida 5000 Meters 1 14:19.3 5
04/10/1982 Dogwood Relays 10000 Meters 7 28:58.74
04/17/1982 Mississippi State Quad Meet 5000 Meters 2 13:53.26 4
05/01/1982 Florida 5000 Meters 1 14:05.1 5
05/16/1982 Metro Outdoor Championship 10000 Meters 2 30:00.1 8
05/16/1982 Metro Outdoor Championship 5000 Meters 1 14:18.27 10
05/29/1982 SE Athletics Congress Champs 5000 Meters 1 14:17.14 5
06/04/1982 NCAA Outdoor Championship 10000 Meters 11 30:04.69 2
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