As part of the buildup to the 75th Anniversary celebration for Claremont McKenna College (visit CMC's 75th Anniversary Countdown Page to learn more), we are reliving many of the great moments from CMS athletic department history over the 75-day countdown from April 17 to July 1. If you were a part of one of these great moments and would like to add to the memories, or if you would like to submit your memories of your own favorite CMS Athletics moment, fill out the form on our main 75th Anniversary page.

Some Great Moments from CMS Stadium/Track History
1955 Football: CMC Athletes Lead Pomona-Claremont to Third Straight SCIAC Title
2018 Football: Stags Win SCIAC, Earn First NCAA Bid
2019 Women's Lacrosse: Athenas Defeat PP 15-3 for Third Straight SCIAC Title
2019 Men's Track and Field: Picked Fourth, CMS Rolls to SCIAC Championship
2019 Women's Track and Field: Athenas Edge Redlands for Fifth Straight Title 

CLAREMONT, Calif. - By 1954, Claremont Men's College student-athletes had been competing with Pomona in athletics for seven years, but the wheels were already visibly in motion to allow CMC to split from from the Sagehens and form its own athletic department on the North side of Sixth Street.

The first step in that process was the construction of an outdoor stadium complex to eventually serve as the home of the football and track and field teams. By 1954, the facility was ready to go, although it would still take four more years to add the gymnasium, other home fields and the personnel to officially make the split. 

While construction was going on for the new stadium, CMC student-athletes were part of a football dynasty across the street, helping the Pomona-Claremont football team to three straight SCIAC titles. In 1954, the Sagehens had their only undefeated season in program history for their second straight title, behind CMS Hall of Famer John Whitham (CMC '55), who scored 11 touchdowns to set a Pomona scoring record that was not broken until 1996. 

The last of the straight championship seasons came in 1955, as the "Stags" from CMC (as they were informally known at the time before it became an official nickname), had major contributions in a 14-13 comeback win over Whittier to secure the three-peat. 

"The Whittier College coach at that time was the notorious George Allen, subsequently an NFL Hall of Fame Coach, inducted as such in 2002," said Rusty Grosse (CMC '57).  We were down six points with minutes to go Whittier was preparing to punt.  Either Jess Cone or Fuzz Merritt called time out, and we prepared to block the punt.  I believe Ernie Smith and Bill Van Horn were designated to block like offensive guards instead of defensive positions.  It was a planned play.  I was able to sprint through the hole they created to block the punt.  Hugh Martin kicked the extra point to win the game."

Once Claremont McKenna separated from Pomona and joined Harvey Mudd in a new athletic department in 1958, the complex immediately became the home for football and men's track and field. As the athletic department expanded, so did the facility's tenants, as women's track and field had its debut season in 1977, the first year of co-education at Claremont McKenna, while women's lacrosse played its inaugural season in 2003. 

The stadium is named the Fritz B. Burns Stadium and Track Complex, after local land developer and philanthropist Fritz B. Burns (1899-1979). The field was renamed Zinda Field after the passing of former football coach and athletic director John Zinda, who passed away in the summer of 1995. Zinda had served as the head football coach since 1968, leading CMS to its first-ever SCIAC title in 1970, adding another in 1979, and then capturing two in a row from 1986-87. He also became the second athletic director in CMS department history in 1983, after the retirement of Bill Arce, holding both roles until he passed away in 1995. 

The four teams that compete at the complex have combined for 52 SCIAC Championships during its history, including the most recent fully-completed academic year (2018-19), when all four teams who compete at Burns Stadium/Zinda Field won SCIAC titles on their home turf. The men's and women's track and field teams hosted the SCIAC Championships and swept, with the Stags upsetting second-ranked Pomona-Pitzer and the Athenas upsetting third-ranked Redlands by just three points for their fifth straight title. Football clinched its first SCIAC title since 1987, and earned its first-ever NCAA Division III Tournament bid, with a 16-9 win over Chapman in its home finale the fall, while women's lacrosse finished off its third straight unbeaten season in conference play with a 15-3 home win over Pomona-Pitzer in the SCIAC Championship game.

"My favorite memory from the championship season was beating Chapman to clinch the SCIAC championship on Senior Day," said Mackenzie Cooney (CMC '19). "My entire family was at the game and it was the last home game I was able to play with my brother on the field. Being able to share that moment and celebrate with the seniors who I had fought with for four years, will always remain as one of my favorite memories."

"The SCIAC Championship in 2019 was definitely one of my favorite memories competing as an Athena," said sprinter/jumper Carolyn Weisman (CMC '21). "The morning of the second day, I was actually really sick and could barely run the warmup lap around the track during our shakeout.  I think the adrenaline from the whole day kicked in because I ended up jumping better than I had in a while. I felt like we really came together as a team with each athlete stepping up and making every single point count. Having the SCIAC Championship at home and running the victory lap on the same track that we ran brutal workouts on was a pretty good feeling."

The 2018-19 sweep was the latest four in a long list of great moments that the 1954 stadium/track construction laid the groundwork for decades ago.