14 Facts About Jack Bacheler

Jack Strangl Bacheler was born on December 30,1943 and is an American former long-distance runner and two-time US Olympian.

Jack Bacheler has two children, daughter Teresa, and son Matthew.

Jack Bacheler competed in track for the first time in the spring of his senior year and qualified for the Michigan state championships where he finished third in the mile with a time of 4:28.

At Miami University in Ohio, Jack Bacheler competed in the Mid-American Conference.

Jack Bacheler captured the three-mile run in the Mid-American Conference Track and Field Championships in both 1965 and 1966 and helped lead the Redskins to the All-Ohio and MAC Cross Country Championships in 1965.

Jack Bacheler broke the school record in the 3-mile run, which had been held by Bob Schul, who won the 5,000 meters at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

Jack Bacheler graduated in 1966 and, in 1981, he was inducted into the Miami Hall of Fame: at that time he was the only Miamian to have participated in two Olympics as an athlete.

Jack Bacheler then left Ohio and moved to Gainesville, Florida where he obtained a research assistantship that allowed him to pursue post-graduate studies in entomology at the University of Florida, eventually earning a master's degree and, later, a doctorate.

Once a true club was created, Jack Bacheler was inspired to design the club's famous Florida "orange" logo, to give Florida Track Club members their own identity.

That same year, Jack Bacheler trained for a spot on the US track team going to the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, where the high altitude and thinner air would present a challenge to distance runners.

At South Lake Tahoe he appeared to be less impacted by the altitude than most; Jack Bacheler said he was accustomed to the difficulty of running in Gainesville in the summer, when it is extremely humid.

Shorter won in near Olympic record time of 2:12:19.8, Moore finished fourth, and Jack Bacheler who had faded from fifth place in the final miles, crossed the line in ninth place.

Between Olympic performances Jack Bacheler captured National AAU Championships in cross country and the 10,000 meters in 1969 and the six-mile run in 1970 while running for the Florida Track Club.

Jack Bacheler continued his association with running by working with the distance runners.