Lamar University Athletics

Thirteen years after his blazing achievements, Randy Clewis’ marks are still chiseled at the peak of various Lamar University record entries.

The Clewis monument is the steaming time of 46.4 seconds eastablished in the 440-yard dash in 1968 when he burned the nation’s elite into the Border Olympics cinders.

Most of Clewis’ great performances are connected to his teammates in various relays, but especially the one-mile and sprint medley relay teams. Clewis followed his 440-yard dash victory at the Border Olympics by anchoring the one-mile relay unit to a world-leading 3:07.5 win. Clewis anchored a great one-mile triumph in the Sugar Bowl Meet and his 46.3 lap spurred the all-time Lamar record of 3:07 in a postseason national meet in 1967.

Clewis’ finest day came in the 1968 Southwestern Relays as he helped the Cardinals to sweep to wins in the one-mile, two-mile and sprint medley relays. The two-mile unit ran a record 7:35.2 that afternoon.

Clewis was the Southland Conference freshman 220-yard dash champion in 1967 as Lamar won the championship. Clewis, four teammates and coach Ty Terrell died in a plane crash April 28, 1968, at the Beaumont Municipal Airport.