Browns and Rideouts

Track twins

Down the Corridor

For nearly 10 years, the North Texas track and field team has been seeing double. Since 1994, three sets of twins have sprinted across finish lines for the Mean Green: Candace and Cherri Rowe, here since 1999; Tramaine and Tramoine Baker, from 1995 to 1999; and Ricky ('98) and Gene Stover, from 1994 to 1998.

But the trend began more than 60 years ago when Elmer ('38, '49 M.S.) and Delmer ('39) Brown and Wayne ('40) and Blaine Rideout were recruited. In 1938, the two sets of identical twins set a world record in the indoor mile relay at the Millrose Games at Madison Square Garden before 16,000 spectators.

Elmer, now 88 and living in Fort Worth, says their success centered on their ability to work as a team. His relationship with Delmer complemented the relationship of the Rideout brothers, who he says were also very close.

"We all got along great," Elmer says. "We ran different distances — there was no real competition between us."

Elmer says he and Delmer, who died this May, experienced almost everything together, from going to the same schools to receiving the same degrees.

"Going to North Texas was the best decision we made," Elmer says.

		Sprinters Cherri (left) and Candace Rowe are the most recent twins to run for the Mean Green track team.

Carl Sheffield, assistant director of track and field at UNT, says the more recent incidence of finding twins "just happened" in the process of recruiting. He says all the twins are devoted to their counterparts and wouldn't have chosen to come to North Texas had their brother or sister not been accepted as well.

"We were coming to North Texas no matter what," Candace Rowe says. "It didn't matter if we were on the track team or not. It's a great school. But we were also excited about the track program. It was up and coming and we knew we'd get a lot of attention."

Are any more twins on the horizon for the Mean Green team?

"Now that the Rowe sisters are about to graduate, we have to find another set," Sheffield says, laughing. "We've just gotten so used to them."