CMC75 Moments: Laughton Wins 1960 SCIAC XC Title, Earns All-America for 1961 T&F

As part of the buildup to the 75th Anniversary celebration for Claremont McKenna College (visit CMC's 75th Anniversary Countdown Page to learn more), we are reliving many of the great moments from CMS athletic department history over the 75-day countdown from April 17 to July 1. If you were a part of this great moment and would like to add to the memories, or if you would like to submit your memories of your own favorite CMS Athletics moment, fill out the form on our main 75th Anniversary page.

Great Moments from 75 Years of Athletics

1960 Men's Cross Country: Laughton Becomes First CMC SCIAC Champion
1961 Men's Track and Field: Laughton Becomes First Claremont-Mudd All-American

As a member of the first Claremont Men's College graduating class that competed for four years in their own athletic department as Stags (never as Sagehens), Ed Laughton established an early standard for the program's distance runners during the 1960-61 academic year that would not be matched for some time.

In the fall of 1960, Laughton became the first Claremont Men's College student to win the individual SCIAC Cross Country Championship, either with the new Claremont-Mudd athletic department which began in 1958-59, or while competing for the Pomona-Claremont Sagehens from 1946-57. During the regular season, he set a course record at Redlands by finishing in 15:47 to win the race by four seasons. 

Laughton then made it a fall-spring sweep by winning the championship in the mile at the SCIAC Track and Field Championships, becoming the first track and field champion for the fledgling Claremont-Mudd athletic department (CMC students had previously won titles while competing for Pomona-Claremont in track and field, but never in cross country). He then went on to earn the distinction of becoming the first All-American in Claremont-Mudd history, capturing that honor in both the mile and the steeplechase at the 1961 NAIA National Championships. He also won the 880 at the NAIA District 3 Championships and went to nationals with the ninth-best time in the country.

When he graduated in 1962, Laughton held six school track and field records (including the Pomona-Claremont years): 880 yards (1:53.9), 1-mile (4:14.1), 2-mile (9:41.0), 3-mile (15:47.5), 3,000-meter steeplechase (9:47.5) and 10,000 meters (33:23.0).  He was also a three-time first-team All-SCIAC finisher in cross country, a feat which wasn't matched by a Stag for another 12 years.

Laughton was inducted into the CMS Hall of Fame in 1996.