EMPORIA, KAN. -- Steve Gordon, who won two national indoor titles in the triple jump while competing for South Dakota in 1997-98, will be inducted into the U.S. Track and Field/Cross Country Coaches Association Division II Hall of Fame in Emporia, Kan., on May 24.

Gordon, originally of Omaha, Neb., will be part of a class of five that will join the 56 other members of the USTFCCA Hall of Fame. He competed for South Dakota in 1997 and 1998, finishing either first or second in the triple jump at the national indoor and outdoor meets. Other members of this year's class includes Jeff Sander of Central Missouri State; Brian Moorman of Pittsburg (Kan.) State; Sarah Parkey Meyer of Adams State and Deandra Doubrava of Emporia State.

South Dakota head men's track and field coach Dave Gottsleben is a member of the Hall of Fame Committee and will introduce the inductees.

Gordon, who transferred to USD from Nebraska in 1997, is just the fourth NCC athlete honored. The others include Doug Hanson, North Dakota State, 1999; Mike Bennett, Northern Colorado, 1998; and Norm McGee, North, 1997.

Gordon was a two-time NCAA Division II indoor champion in the triple jump and he also finished second twice at the national outdoor meet. A five-time All-American, Gordon is a former NCAA Division II national meet record holder in the triple jump. He twice won the Drake Relays and was the number-two ranked collegiate triple jump athlete in all of the NCAA divisions in 1998 (behind only Olympian Robert Howard of Arkansas).

He was undefeated in two years of regular season competition, including NCAA Division II and non-collegiate opponents. He finished his junior year ranked third in the U.S. and was fifth-ranked as a senior in 1998. From 1997-2000, he was ranked in the top-15 in the U.S. He was ranked as high as 12th in the world (indoor, triple jump) in 1997. Gordon was a member of the 1997 World University Games Team in the triple jump.

As a senior, Gordon was named the North Central Region Male Outdoor Athlete of the Year. He won the indoor triple jump national title by going 52-8. As a senior he won the triple jump and long jump and finished second in the high jump at the NCC meet. At the D-II outdoor meet, Gordon was second with a leap of 52'09.5. Jonathon Gordon of Cal State-LA won the competition at 54-1.25. In 1997, he won the indoor national title by going 53'07 while Sergei Bykov of Wheeling Jesuit was second at 51'11.75. Gordon finished second at the 1997 D-II outdoor meet with a jump of 53'03. Bykov won the title at 54'03.25.

Overall, Gordon was a four-time NCC titleholder in the long jump and triple jump. He was named the U.S. Track Association's 1998 Division II Male Athlete of the Year.

He remains the record holder in the triple jump at the DakotaDome, going 53'06 in 1997. He owns the NCC's triple jump mark both indoors (51'10.5) and outdoors (52'01). He is USD's record holder in the triple jump outdoors with his 53'07 at the 1997 national meet. He also owns the indoor triple jump mark of 54'03.75 in 1997, which was his personal-best.

He also had bests of 24'07 in the long jump and 6'11.75 meters in the high jump.

Gordon is married to the former USD heptathlete Tonya Kneifl.