Carl Lewis International Complex
Carl Lewis Track & Field and Soccer Complex Location: 3605 Elgin Street, Houston, Texas 77204 Built: 2001 Renovated: 2016 Renovation Cost $1.5 Million Capacity: 2,500 Lanes: 8 Long jump pits: 4 Pole vault pits: 3 (five runways) Javelin: infield – north to south Hammer: infield – northwest to southeast Shot put: 2 circles Discus: 2 circles, one between shot put and one shared with hammer Dedicated Plaques: Roy and Mary Cullen Dr. Jeff and Kathy Brown Victor Barcot & Family H.T Cornelius Sr. |
Address:
3604 Elgin Street
Houston, Texas 77204
The University of Houston continued enhancing its faciliities for Cougar student-athletes when it opened the Tom Tellez Track at the Carl Lewis International Complex. Named after two of the greatest individuals associated with the UH track and field program, the $4 million facility features a nine-lane European oval-shaped track. The wider turn radius was designed to allow faster turns for runners. The track also is equipped with dual jumping lanes, throwing areas and high jump aprons that will allow fans to watch all field events.
In addition, the complex includes a regulation-sized soccer field inside the new track that is used by the UH women's soccer team.
The track was named to honor former UH track and field coach Tom Tellez who spent 22 seasons at Houston and coached 17 athletes who won 30 NCAA individual championships. Tellez also led his men's and women's teams to 13 Southwest Conference and Conference USA championships between 1977 and 1998.
His most decorated pupil was Carl Lewis. UH honored Lewis by naming the complex as a momento of his illustrious career that included nine Olympic Gold Medals and five NCAA individual championships.
The construction of the faciliity was made possible through the generous donations of Roy and Mary Cullen, Mike Baker, Lewis, John and Julie O'Quinn, Tellez, the Cullen Foundation and the Houston Athletics Foundation.