|
As a cross country runner at
Centralia High School in 1972, he finished
second individually in the State Cross
Country meet behind the great Craig Virgin.
Vannier was second in the Sectional meet (to
Virgin) as the team placed first. He, as
well as the team, captured South Seven
championships that year. In 1971, he was a member of the CHS team
that placed second at the state meet. He
placed sixth in the Sectional helping the
team to the title. His fifth place finish
also helped the team to a South Seven title
as well.
In 1972 he teamed with Mike Heitkamp,
Charlie Simpson and Paul Reynolds to set the
CHS record in the 2-mile relay at
7:49.5. That record still holds today.
In track at CHS, Vannier still holds records
in the 1600 meters (mile) 4:11.0, and 3200
meters (2-mile) 9:11.3. He placed third in
the mile at state in 1972 (4:14.0) and was
fifth in the two-mile at state in 1973
(9:13.7).
In District (now Sectional) meets, he
grabbed mile titles in 1972 (4:21.8) and
1973 (4:21.4) and was two-mile champ also in
1973 (9:14.7). He was South Seven Mile
Champion in 1971 (4:34.4), 1972 (4:23.8), and
1973 (4:25.6) and South Seven two-mile (9:18.1) champion
in 1973.
After high school, Vannier attended the
University of Missouri competing in the
Kansas and Drake relays, as well as the Big
Eight Conference cross country and track
meets. While there, he set personal bests in
the mile and two mile run.
In 1975, he
transferred to SIU-E and while waiting out
his eligibility year, he competed in the
open division of the mile run at the Kansas
Relays. He set personal and school records
in cross country (5 mile) and track (1500m
3:50.6 1977) and also qualified for and
competed in national championship meets in
both cross country and track (1500m).
|