Earl Bell, a former Arkansas State University track and field athlete, has been named as one of 12 inductees into the USTFCCCA Collegiate Athlete Hall of Fame Class of 2026. The announcement was made by the organization on Tuesday.
Bell competed for Arkansas State from 1974 to 1977. During his collegiate career, he won three NCAA Outdoor Pole Vault Championships in consecutive years (1975, 1976, and 1977) and two NCAA Indoor Pole Vault Championships (1975 and 1976). He received five First Team All-American honors and one second team distinction.
A native of Jonesboro, Bell also secured three Southland Conference titles in pole vault. His indoor personal best of 5.50 meters ranks fourth in program history, while his outdoor mark of 5.67 meters set in 1976 remained the school record until 2019.
In addition to his collegiate achievements, Bell won his first U.S. Championship in pole vault in 1976, which led to his participation at the Montreal Olympics that same year. He later competed at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 1984—where he earned a bronze medal—and again at Seoul in 1988. Bell is one of three Arkansas State athletes to win an Olympic medal.
After retiring from competition, Bell founded Bell Athletics near Jonesboro and coached several Olympians including Jeff Hartwig, Derek Miles, Kellie Suttle, and Jillian Schwartz. He served as a coach at the Olympics in 2004, 2008, and 2012. Along with Al Joyner—a fellow Arkansas State alumnus and Olympic medalist—Bell is among the few from the university to both compete and coach at the Games.
Bell was recognized as National Olympic Coach of the Year by the U.S. Olympic Committee in 1998. In 2004, athletes from Bell Athletics made up half of the U.S. Olympic Pole Vaulting team for the Athens Games.
The Collegiate Athlete Hall of Fame was created in 2022 to honor top performers in collegiate track & field and cross country who have had a significant impact on their sport during their college careers.
The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) is a non-profit group representing more than 11,000 coaches across all levels of cross country and track & field programs nationwide—including nearly all NCAA teams as well as NAIA, NJCAA institutions, and state high school associations.
For updates on Arkansas State track & field and cross country programs, fans can follow @AStateTrack on Twitter or @astatetfxc on Instagram or visit Facebook.com/AStateTrackAndField.
