University of Nevada Athletics

Boxing, Track & Field, Cross Country (1960-65)
Skip Houk won 11 varsity letters in track and field, boxing and cross country between 1960 and 1965. In 1962, he was a second team All-America boxer, and by 1964, he was a national champion boxer in his weight division. He took up distance running as training for boxing but also excelled in that sport. In 1965, his senior year, Houk was the Far Western Conference and NCAA Western Regional individual cross country champion. He continued his distance running after graduation and compiled a long list of achievements. He won AAU 15 kilometer and 25 kilometer national championship races in 1968 and set the AAU American record in the 50-mile event (5 hours, 15 minutes) in 1972. He won the Denver Marathon (1978), the Lake Tahoe 72-mile run (1978), the Journal Jog (1969) and the Silver State Marathon twice (1982 and 1984). Houk remained a Reno resident as a health inspector for Washoe County and was involved in high school and collegiate football and basketball officiating for over 20 years.