By Eric Trainer, Associate Director of Media Relations

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Runner. Pioneer. Champion. Friend. Vol for life. Former Tennessee cross country and track standout Alf Holmberg was all of those things. He also was the kind of guy his teammates would want to stay closely-connected to for more than 60 years, despite the many miles and deep blue sea that separated them.

That earthly connection between long-time comrades sadly came to an end Sunday, as Holmberg, the first All-America cross country runner in Vol history, passed away at the age of 83 in Stockholm, Sweden, after a lengthy illness. His legacy and the memories of his three-year stay at UT, however, will live on.

After learning and inquiring about an opportunity to get an education and run at an American university, Holmberg was told by a Swedish National Team coach that he might be able to handle reading books, but he wasn't good enough as a runner to earn the attention of American coaches. After defeating 1948 Olympic 1500-meter gold medalist Henri Eriksson late in the summer of 1949, though, Holmberg soon found himself on a plane to the United States with the promise of a scholarship to the University of Tennessee.