Olympic 400m hurdler Eric Thomas died December 30 in Houston, Texas. He was 49. Thomas was one of the top intermediate hurdlers in the world from 1993-2003 and was a semifinalist at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney after finishing as the runner-up at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Sacramento. He won silver medals at the Pan American Games in 1999 and 2003 and recorded his lifetime best of 47.94 at Rome in 2000. A native of Garrison, Texas, Thomas was born Dec. 1, 1973, and first competed at the USATF Championships in 1993, finishing sixth in 49.83. In 1994 he won the National Junior College title for Blinn College with a JUCO record time of 49.29. He then attended Abilene Christian University, placing second at the NCAA Division II Championships in 1995. Following his retirement from competition, Thomas remained very active in the sport. He founded Champion Trainers, LLC, in 2005 to provide individualized training programs for young athletes and set up the Eric Thomas Foundation to assist high school athletes and/or students who would otherwise be unable to acquire financial assistance and support to attend college. Thomas actively supported USATF Alumni efforts and was a frequent participant in the RunJumpThrow program.
Evelyn (Lawler) Lewis, mother of track and field legends Carl & Carol Lewis, died Jan. 4 at age 93. Born in Gadsden, Alabama, on Oct. 18, 1929, Lewis was a member of the United States team for the inaugural Pan American Games, held in 1951 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She competed in the 80m hurdles, high jump and long jump at that meet, placing sixth, sixth and eighth, respectively. At the 1950 AAU Championships in Freeport, Texas, Lewis tied the American record in the 80H with an 11.7 clocking in the prelims, and then won the U.S. title at 11.9. She also helped the Tuskegee 4x100m relay to gold and tied for third in the high jump. The following year she was runner-up in the hurdles and third in the long jump. She later helped found the Willingboro Track Club in New Jersey and helped guide the Willingboro girls high school track team to state titles in 1980 and 1981. Photo credit: Carl Lewis via Twitter.