Cliff Abel (2014) - CSUN Athletics Hall of Fame

Cliff Abel

Induction:
2014

Cliff Abel was inducted into the CSUN Athletics Hall of Fame in 2014. Abel served as the CSUN track & field head coach from 1972-78, leading the Matadors to the 1975 NCAA Division II National Championship.
Cliff Abel - HOF

In Abel's tenure in Northridge, CSUN posted five top-10 team finishes at the NCAA Championships while the Matadors also won three consecutive CCAA championships from 1974-76. Matador athletes would win six national championships under Abel, beginning with Sylvester Marshall winning the discus title in 1972.

As a team, Northridge would finish in seventh place at the NCAA Championships in each of Abel's first two seasons as head coach in 1972 and 1973.

In 1974, Clarence Frazier captured the high jump national championship while the 440m relay team finished first at the NCAA Championships. As a team, the Matadors finished fourth overall at the national meet, only three points behind the national winner.

Cliff Abel - HOF 2014 Ceremony

A year later, Abel would lead the Matadors to the team national championship with both Ed Chaidez (six-mile-run) and Steve Albright (shot put) winning individual national titles. In total, seven Matadors earned All-American honors along with one relay team. Abel was named NCAA Division II Coach of the Year following the Matadors' historic season.

CSUN would finish tied for third at the 1976 NCAA meet, highlighted by Albright repeating as national champion in the shot put. Frazier was the national runner-up in the high jump and Bruce Rothschild was second in the shot put.

Currently, over 50 top-10 performances from Abel's years as head coach remain in the CSUN Track & Field record book.