The 2022 University of Maine Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place on Friday, Oct. 21 at Jeff's Catering in Brewer. To read about the full 2022 Induction Class, please click here. The 2022 Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be live streamed at www.YouTube.com/UMBlackBears/live.

Orono, Maine -- World War I raged in Europe, where the British ocean liner Lusitania was sunk by a German U-boat, killing nearly 2,000 people.

In the United States, the first stone for the Lincoln Memorial was laid in Washington, D.C., where Woodrow Wilson was the sitting president.

Later in the year, the one millionth car rolled off the assembly line at the Ford Motor Company.

It was 1915, a year that has a special place in the annals of University of Maine athletics.

The Black Bear men's cross country team, coached by Arthur Smith, UMaine ran to victory in the Intercollegiate Association of Amateur Athletes of America (IC4A) Championships in New York City.

By virtue of victory in that competition, which brought together the top teams in the country, the Black Bears were recognized as the men's national champions in cross country.

That accomplishment has earned the 1915 team a place of distinction in the University of Maine Sports Hall of Fame.

The IC4As remain one of the longest running annual track and field meets in the country, having first been held in 1876.

Frank Preti and Roger Bell spearheaded the effort for UMaine, finishing second and third overall, respectively. Ed Dempsey claimed eighth place and Al Wunderly finished 10th.

UMaine also captured the New England men's cross country title in 1915.

The 2015 Black Bears brought home top honors by unseating the powerhouse team of the early 20th century, Cornell University. The Big Red had not only annexed the previous two national titles, but had won 14 of the first 16 IC4A meets.

The NCAA did not begin sponsoring a national championship in cross country until 1938.