The Jay Dirksen Papers document his tenure as Track and Field and Cross Country coach at South Dakota State University from 1969 to 1977. The collection is composed primarily of files on student-athletes coached by Dirksen, containing record sheets of training programs, correspondence, clippings, photographs, and data related to the running careers of individual athletes. These records provide detailed insight into the development, performance, and achievements of numerous SDSU runners during this period.

In addition to athlete files, the collection includes extensive materials from Dirksen’s research on cross country running, spanning from 1957 to 1981. This research encompasses training methods, physiological data, and evaluations of performance, reflecting both experimental and applied approaches to distance running. The presence of running articles compiled between 1979 and 2008 further demonstrates Dirksen’s long-term engagement with the field of cross country and track.

The collection is a resource documenting collegiate athletics at South Dakota State University during the 1960s and 1970s, as well as its contribution to the study of endurance training and cross country running. The athlete files illustrate the careers of numerous individuals who competed under Dirksen’s guidance, while the research files highlight his role in advancing training practices that influenced distance running programs at SDSU and beyond.