Wabash College Athletics

Someone told me that there was once a country song with the lyric, “If it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all.”
 
When thinking about the track career of Garrett Tallman, it sounds like maybe the song was written just for him.
 
Garrett, you were the best hurdler in the decade of the 1980s for Coach Rob Johnson’s track team—and Coach had a lot of great hurdlers. You were both a four-time letterman and four-time national qualifier in the 400-meter hurdles. And you helped set a school record in the 4 x 400 relay as a sophomore.
 
But injuries and bad luck haunted you throughout your career.
 
In your junior season, you very nearly won the 400-meter hurdles at the 1986 National Championships, finishing second in the nation with a time of 52.45 seconds to become an All-American. Everything was set up for you to repeat and possibly win it all in your senior year. You had qualified for the finals in the 400 hurdles and were on pace to challenge for the title when a brutal injury kept you from completing the race.
 
But in true Wabash fashion, bad luck and injuries never kept you down. Over the course of your career, you were a two-time team captain and received the J. Owen Huntsman Award as the Most Valuable Runner in your senior year.
 
All of us on the track and field team are proud to join with the NAWM to induct you in the Wabash Athletics Hall of Fame. Garrett Tallman, you are Some Little Giant!