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Tuesday, December 26, 2006 10:44 PM CST
Former track great Armer dies



URBANA -- Those involved in high school track today probably know of the Gene Armer Invitational.

Those a bit older know about the man Gene Armer, a Mattoon graduate and former Urbana cross country and track coaching great who died at age 97 on Sunday.

“He was an interesting guy,” said Dike Stirrett, a former Eastern Illinois distance running All-American who then coached at Champaign Central. “He was quite outgoing. I know he was really respected by his athletes and liked by his athletes. I just knew him as a gruff, tough coach. After I got to know him I saw he was a really nice guy. He had already retired by the time I started coaching, which was probably a good thing because he used to beat about everybody.”

Armer graduated from Mattoon High School and received a bachelor’s degree from Eastern Illinois University and a master’s degree from the University of Illinois in Urbana.

He retired from the Urbana school district, where he was a coordinator of health, safety, physical Education and athletics Director and coach until 1973.

“He had excellent teams,” Stirrett said. “I can’t even tell you how many district championships he won in cross country and track. He probably had one of the best track and cross country programs in Downstate Illinois. It’s tough for the Downstate schools to compete against the suburbs and yet Urbana did it.”


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