Walt Murphy’s News and Results Service (wmurphy25@aol.com)
This Day in Track & Field–May 20
1920—Albert “Whitey” Michelsen set a “World Record” of 2:25:23-4/5 in the Daily News Marathon, with the race being contested entirely inside the brand new Yankee Stadium (115 laps)! Michelson also got credit for records at 15-miles (1:31:21-2/5) and 23-miles
(2:25:23-1/5).
Firing the starter’s pistol in front of 25,000 fans was Argentine heavyweight boxer Luis Firpo, “resplendent in pink haberdashery and Oxford gray suit”. Firpo would return to the Stadium in 1923 and capture one of his 31 victories. (From the NY Times Archives)
Michelsen would go on to become a 2-time U.S. Olympian in the Marathon, finishing 9th in 1928 and 7th in 1932, and set a World Record of 2:29:21.8 in a traditional marathon in 1925.
(For Subscribers): https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1923/05/21/105914285.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&ip=0
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/78789
(Scroll Down): https://www.nyhistory.org/blogs/a-centennial-salute-to-the-daily-news
1949–Fortune Gordien threw 180-8 (55.06) at the Coliseum Relays in Los Angeles to set the first of his five American Records in the Discus. Gordien would set four World Records, win two Olympic medals (bronze-1948, silver-1956), win 3 NCAA and six U.S. titles in the Discus, and was a 3-time NCAA scorer in the Shot Put while at Minnesota (5th-1946, 3rd-1947, 2nd-1948). He was inducted into the National Hall of Fame in 1979.
USC set a World Record of 1:24.0 in the 880-yard relay.
(George Pasquali, Ron Frazier, Norman Stokes, Mel Patton)
1955—The featured event at the Coliseum Relays in Los Angeles, attended by 56,000 fans, was the Men’s ½-mile, which had one of the greatest fields ever assembled—Mal Whitfield, the 2-time reigning Olympic Champion at 800-meters, Lon Spurrier, the World Record holder in the ½-mile (1:47.5), Tom Courtney, who anchored Fordham to a World Record in the 2-Mile Relay at the previous year’s meet, Pittsburgh’s Arnie Sowell, who had beaten Courtney to win the 1954 NCAA title, San Jose State’s Lang Stanley, the 1953 NCAA Champion, and a relatively unknown Irishman from Villanova-freshman Ron Delany!
Sowell led through the 1st ¼-mile in a slowish 55-seconds, with the rest of the field bunched up behind him. He held off Courtney for a while down the backstretch, only to have his East Coast rival cut to the inside, forcing him into the infield. Sowell quickly recovered, but was then bumped by Whitfield, effectively taking him out of contention (he walked across the finish-line in 2:00.8).
Courtney went on to “win” in 1:50.3, followed closely by Delany (1:50.4) and Spurrier (1:50.5), with Stanley (1:51.0) edging past Whitfield (1:51.1) in the homestretch.
Courtney was later disqualified by officials for fouling Sowell, giving the win to Delany. Courtney protested to no avail, saying, “I thought I was far enough ahead”.
Delany (1500) and Courtney (800) would each become Olympic Champions the following year in Melbourne!
(From Track & Field News)
1961–Oklahoma State sophomore George Davies cleared 15-10 ¼ (4.83m) at the Big-8 Championships in Boulder,Colorado, to become the first man to set a World Record in the Pole Vault with a fiberglass pole. The previous record of 15-9 (4.80/steel pole) was set by Don Bragg at the 1960 U.S. Olympic Trials at Stanford. Bragg went on to win Olympic gold in Rome later that year.
WR Progression: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Men’s_pole_vault_world_record_progression
1961—Oregon’s Harry Jerome ran 9.3 for 100-yards at the Far-West Championships in Corvallis, Oregon, to equal the World Record that was held by 11 other sprinters!
1967–Tommie Smith, running twice as long as he normally did, set two World Records in one race in San Jose, running 44.5 for 400 meters and 44.8 for 440-yards. 2nd in 45.3y was his San Jose State teammate, Lee Evans. Smith would win the 200 a year later at the Mexico City Olympics, while Evans would win the 400 in the WR time of 43.86.
1979—Finishing 2nd in the Steeplechase to Villanova’s Amos Korir (8:30.3) at the IC4A Championships at Philadelphia’s Franklin Field, Georgetown freshman John Gregorek ran 8:33.8 to set the current American Junior Record in the event.
1984–Mike Tully set an American Record of 18-11 (5.77) in the Pole Vault at the Southern Pacific TAC Championships in Westwood,CA.
1986—Washington’s Mike Ramos set a Collegiate Record of 8,322 points in the Decathlon at the PAC-10 Championships in Los Angeles.
1990—Randy Barnes set a World Record of 75-10 ¼ (23.12) in the Shot Put at the Jack-in-the-Box meet at UCLA. Barnes collected a $50,000 bonus for his record toss, which held up for 31 years until Ryan Crouser threw 76-8 ¼ (23.37) in 2021.
2006—Competing for South Plains College, Sally Kipyego was a triple winner at the Junior College Championships in Coffeyville,KS—
1500 (4:22.63), 5000 (16:48.40), 10,000 (39:21.64/5-19).
The native of Kenya went on to have a brilliant Div.I career at Texas Tech, winning a record-tying nine NCAA individual titles at various distances, and won silver medals in the 10,000-meters at the 2011 World Championships and the 2012 Olympics. She became a U.S. citizen in January, 2017, and made the U.S. Olympic team with her 3rd-place finish at the Marathon Trials in February, 2020 (finished 17th at the Olympics).
2007—It was a day of records at the adidas Classic at the Home Depot Center in Carson,CA.
Ethiopia’s Meseret Defar set a new World standard in the seldom-run Women’s 2-mile, running 9:10.47 to break the previous mark of 9:11.97, set by Regina Jacobs in 1999.
Breaux Greer threw the Javelin 297-7 (90.71) in the 1st round to break Tom Petranoff’s 16-year old (1991) American Record of 292-6 (89.16). He also had a throw of 293-5 (89.44) in his series. He would improve his record to the current 299-6 (91.29) the following month at the U.S. Championships.
From the IAAF Report:” His effort was a long time coming for Greer, 30, a seven-time US champion, who said he is injury-free for the first time since 2001.The spiky-haired thrower’s injury list over his career included a dislocated shoulder, a torn ACL and ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow. He moved from Athens, Georgia to Scottsdale, Arizona in January to be closer to his sister and break up the monotony of training full-time.
“I feel like I get mended up again but whenever I go out and throw the first meet, you find out that you still hurt,” Greer said. “It generally takes a toll on you. It’s the most ridiculous event out there. If you are not hurt, you are not throwing out there. It’s essentially how it is. It is so hard to stay healthy.’’
Jenn Stuczynski(Suhr) got the first AR of her career by winning the Pole Vault with a clearance of 15-10 ½ (4.84) to break Stacy Dragila’s previous mark of 15-10 (4.83), set in 2004. The 35-year old Dragila finished 6th here with a jump of 14-3/4 (4.29).
https://www.worldathletics.org/news/report/defar-sets-world-2-mile-best-in-carson-adid-1
Results: https://flashresults.com/2007_Meets/outdoor/adidasTrackClassic/index.htm
Born On This Day*
Tara Davis-Woodhall 26 (1999) 2024 Olympic gold medalist—Long Jump…6th in 2021
After her final jump in Paris, she leaped into the arms of her husband, Hunter Woodhall, who would win his own gold medal in
Paris less than a month later in the 400/T62 at the Paralympics.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Uq7LGN5YoI
2024 World Indoor Champion
Silver medalist at the 2023 World Championships
2021 NCAA Indoor & Outdoor Champion–(Texas)
2-time U.S. Champion—2023, 2024-O.T. (3 fouls in the final in 2022
2024 U.S. Indoor Champion
2nd at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials
3rd in the Long Jump at the 2018 NCAA Championships—6th Indoors in the 60m-Hurdles
Set a Collegiate Indoor Record of 22-9(6.93) at the 2021 NCAA Indoor Championships (now #4 all-time).
Jumped 23-5 ¼ (7.14) at the 2021 Texas Relays to break the 36-year old Collegiate Outdoor Record of
22-11 ¼ (6.99) that was set by UCLA’s Jackie Joyner-Kersee in 1985.
Set the current National H.S. Indoor Record of 21-11 (6.68) in 2017
2015 World Youth Champion—Long Jump; 2017 New Balance Indoor Champion-60m Hurdles (Agoura H.S.,CA)
2017 U.S. Junior Champion-100m-Hurdles, Long Jump (also won LJ in 2018)
2017 Pan-American Games Junior Champion-Long Jump
Won the LJ, TJ. and 100m-hurdles at the 2017 California state meet.
Spent her freshman year (2018) at Georgia. Had to sit out the 2019 season after transferring to Texas (no release
given by Georgia)
PBs: 7.98i (2018), 12.75 (2021), 23-6 3/4i (7.18/2024/#2 All-Time U.S., #4 A-T U.S./ind-out), 23-6 1/4 (7.17/2024/=#4
U.S. Outdoor); 2025 SB: 22-1 ¾ (6.75)
H.S. PBs: 12.95(2017/=#4 All-Time), 22-1(6.73/2017/#4 A-T); Indoors: 7.56[55h]/2017/=#8 A-T),
8.14[60h]/2017/=#9 A-T), 21-11i(6.68/2017/NR)
Married to Hunter Woodall, a 3-time Paralympic medalist.
https://www.si.com/olympics/2022/02/24/tara-davis-track-and-field-relationship-racism-black-history-month
https://www.usatf.org/athlete-bios/tara-davis
Gold Medal Duo
’17 State Meet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAZquuNrGWA
Post NCAAi Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOGc8vB7WH4
Instagram(469k followers): https://www.instagram.com/_taarra_/?hl=en
w/Woodhall: https://www.instagram.com/team_taaruh_woodhall/?hl=en
Gaby Andersen-Schiess—Switzerland 80 (1945) 1984 Olympian—Marathon(37th)
Joan Benoit had made history 20 minutes earlier by becoming the winner of the first
Olympic marathon for women when Andersen-Schiess staggered into the L.A.
Coliseum, a victim of dehydration in the hot and humid conditions. As Andersen-
Schiess explains in the video linked below, her mind knew what she had to do, but her
muscles weren’t responding. With medical personnel monitoring her closely as she
shakily made her way around the track, the determined 39-year old crossed the finish
line and then collapsed(she was fine 2 hours later).
Video(commentary by Andersen-Schiess):
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lBasZWjd92k
https://www.clipsnation.com/2012/6/30/3128607/memorable-olympics-moments-gabrielle-andersen-schiess-finishes-the
Wiki Bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabriela_Andersen-Schiess
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/75721
Lynn Davies—Wales/Great Britain 83 (1942) 1964 Olympic gold medalist-Long Jump (1968-9th);
1966 European Champion
Member of the British 4×100 team that finished 8th at the 1964 Olympics
PB: 27-0 (8.23/1968)
http://welshathletics.org/about-us/our-history/hall-of-fame/lynn-davies.aspx
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/69002
Wiki Bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynn_Davies
Bobby Whilden 90 (1935)/Updated All-American at Texas—NCAA:100 (1956-7th), 200 (1955-5th[y]), 1956-3rd)
Member of three World Record relay teams at Texas:
440y-40.2 (1955) Dean Smith, Alvin Frieden, Jerry Prewitt, Bobby Whilden
440y-39.9 (1957) Hollis Gainey, Eddie Southern, Bobby Whilden, Wally Wilson
880y-1:22.7 (1957) Wally Wilson, Eddie Southern, Hollis Gainey, Bobby Whilden
Anchored Texas to wins in the 440y and 880y at the 1957 Penn Relays
Was 75 when he returned to the Relays as a Masters runner in 2011, winning the 75+ 100-meters in 13.68.
He also won in 2012 (76/13.74), 2016 (80/14.47) and 2017 (81/15.65).
Continues to have success in Masters competition, setting a World Record of 9.63 for 60-Meters in his age group at the 2022
U.S. Masters Indoor Championships!
https://pennrelays.com/honors/hall-of-fame/bobby-whilden/183
https://alcalde.texasexes.org/2022/11/longhorn-track-record-running
https://texaslonghorns.com/sports/general/roster/bobby-whilden/1505
2011 Penn Relays Interview:
