Athlete 1975 - 1979
For regular and even casual observers of track and field, it seems as though all-time records fall with almost alarming frequency. Yet in a day of ever-evolving technologies and training methods that produce increasingly faster and stronger competitors, one performance at Linfield College has stood the test of time, and that’s Bruce Lundquist’s mark in the 110-meter high hurdles.
Setting a program record and achieving success at the individual level while helping the Wildcats attain a pair of league titles, Lundquist, a 1978 graduate, has all the credentials worthy of induction into the Linfield Athletics Hall of Fame.
Recruited from David Douglas High School in Portland, Lundquist competed four seasons in track & field at Linfield, specializing in the hurdles, long jump and relays. He was part of Northwest Conference championship teams in 1975 and 1976, capping a run of four straight titles for Linfield.
Lundquist’s “standard trio” of events included both the 110 and 400 hurdles plus the long jump. He was a four-time all-conference and three-time all-district performer in the high hurdles and three-time all-league achiever in the long jump. Lundquist was also a regular on the 440-yard relay, and occasionally lent his talents to the mile quartet. He combined for a first-place finish in the short relay at the 1977 NWC Championships, clocking 42.8 seconds.
Later that spring, at the NAIA District 2 Championships, Lundquist was steps away from claiming the 110-meter hurdle title. Holding a slight edge as he neared the finish line, Lundquist came off the final hurdle too quickly and banged his trail leg on the obstacle, a brief stumble that cost him the crown, but not a school record. As runner-up, he clocked 14.44 seconds, beating the previous all-time best performance by 24-hundredths of a second.
Lundquist qualified for the NAIA Championships that season, held in Arkadelphia, Ark. There, he had no trouble with the hurdles, but the overstretched arm of a competitor in the neighboring lane constantly stunted his momentum, and Lundquist missed on advancing to the semifinals by no more than a tenth of a second.
To put Lundquist’s record-breaking performance into perspective, the closest any Wildcat has come to breaking his long-standing record is 48-hundredths of a second. And no one has surpassed the 15-second barrier since the turn of the century.
Outside of track & field, Lundquist stayed active in many areas of campus life, including choir, theater and the Greek system, while pursuing a bachelor’s degree in accounting and business.
To supplement his undergraduate studies, Lundquist obtained an MBA from the University of Portland in 1980. His early professional career experiences include roles as controller and treasurer at the Tillamook Cheese Factory and as CFO of California Dairy Gold. Lundquist switched career paths in the late 1990s and now works in the wine industry, where he is co-owner of Rack & Riddle Custom Wine Services.
He and wife Denise are proud parents of six children, including daughter Amie, a 2009 Linfield graduate. Bruce, Denise and their two high school-aged children live in Petaluma, Calif., where Bruce has contributed to the community through service with several youth sports organizations and the school district.
