Walt Murphy’s News and Results Service (wmurphy25@aol.com)
This Day in Track & Field–June 21
1947—Legends-to-be were all over the place at the NCAA Championships in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Wiki bios linked)
Mel Patton (USC)—won the 100y in 9.7. Set two World Records in the 100y (9.4, 9.3), 1948 Olympic gold medalist in the 200.
Herb McKenley (Illinois)—won the 220y (20.7) and the 440y (46.2-one turn), led Illinois to the team title. World Record holder in the 400m/440y, 2-time Olympic silver medalist in the 400.
Harrison Dillard (Baldwin-Wallace)—won the 120y (14.1) and 220y (22.3) Hurdles. World Record holder, Olympic gold medalist in the 100 (1948) and 110-hurdles (1952). 2nd to Dillard in the 120y-hurdles was Bill Porter, the 1948 Olympic gold medalist in the 110-hurdles (Dillard failed to make the team in the hurdles)
Irv Mondschein(NYU)-won the High Jump(6-6 ¾ [2.00]). “Moon”, who passed away in 2015 at the age of 91, was an Olympian in the Decathlon and was a college coach for decades.
Bob Richards (Illinois)-won the Pole Vault (14-2 [4.32]). 2-time Olympic gold medalist (1952, 1956). First athlete to appear on the cover of a box of Wheaties!
Willie Steele (San Diego State)-won the Long Jump (26-6 [8.075?]). 1948 Olympic gold medalist
Fortune Gordien (Minnesota)—won the Discus (173-3 [52.80?]). World Record holder, 2-time Olympic medalist (bronze-1948, silver-1956.
NY Times(for subscribers):
https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1947/06/22/110055042.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&ip=0
Results: https://trackandfieldnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/1947.pdf
1954–Roger Bannister beat Australia’s John Landy to the first sub 4-minute mile (see May 6), but Landy exacted a small amount of revenge by breaking his British rival’s World Record with his winning time of 3:57.9 in Turku, Finland (rounded up to 3:58.0 under the rules of the day). Just as he did in Bannister’s historical race, Brit Chris Chataway set the pace through the 3/4-mile split (2:57.0) and held on to finish 2nd (4:04.4).
Landy earned a 2nd WR in the race, clocking 3:42.8 for 1500-meters to break Was Santee’s previous mark of 3:43.8.
(2004 article): http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/04/30/1083224580028.html?from=storyrhs
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/2905670
https://www.scootle.edu.au/ec/viewing/R10120/transcript.html
Australia Hall of Fame: https://sahof.org.au/hall-of-fame-member/john-landy/
WR Progressions
Mile: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mile_run_world_record_progression
1500: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1500_metres_world_record_progression
1958—Australians Herb Elliott (3:57.9) and Merv Lincoln (3:58.5) finished 1-2 in the Mile at the U.S. Championships in Bakersfield(CA). With 2 berths on the U.S. team that would face the Soviet Union on the line, Ed Moran finished 3rd in a blanket finish over Jim Grelle and Jerome Walters, with all 3 being timed in 4:01.7. 6th was American Record holder Don Bowden (4:02.9).
Bobby Morrow, a triple gold medalist at the 1956 Olympics, won the 100y (9.4) and 220y (20.9) on the fast crushed brick track. As noted yesterday, World Records were set by Hal Connolly (hammer) and Glenn Davis (440y-hurdles) on the first day of competition. (From T&F New)
Top 3: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1958_USA_Outdoor_Track_and_Field_Championships
1960–Germany’s Armin Hary, one of the quickest starters in history, became the first man to run 10-flat for 100-meters, doing so at the Weltklasse meet in Zürich. Hary broke the logjam at 10.1, a record that was held by 4 men (Willie Williams, Ira Murchison, Leamon King-twice, and Ray Norton). Hary went on to win gold medals in the 100 and the 4×100 relay at the Olympic Games in Rome later in the year.
race video)
1963–A combination of quick timers and a brand new rubber track enabled “Bullet” Bob Hayes to set a World Record of 9.1 for the 100-yard dash in the semi-final round at the AAU Championships in St.Louis. (The Bulova phototimer had him in 9.40). Finishing 8th in the race was John Moon, the long-time coach at Seton Hall, which discontinued the sport after the 2010 season (while retaining x-country). Hayes followed up his record run with a wind-aided 9.1 to win the final.
Top 3: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1963_USA_Outdoor_Track_and_Field_Championships
St.Louis History: http://tinyurl.com/HayesStLouis
Sports Illustrated Vault https://vault.si.com/vault/1963/07/01/our-swiftest-are-the-best-anywhere
https://vault.si.com/vault/1964/12/14/the-fastest-human-in-spikesor-cleats
1968—As reported yesterday (June 20), Charlie Greene (10.0w) edged Jim Hines (10.0w) in the 100-Meters to finish off the “Night of Speed” at the U.S. Championships in Sacramento,CA(June 19-21).
Other notable events
200-1.Tommie Smith (20.3), 2.John Carlos (20.4)
400-1.Lee Evans (45.0), 2.Vince Matthews (45.0)
Steeplechase-1.George Young 8:30.6 (American Record)
Long Jump-1.Bob Beamon (27-3 ¾ [8.33]), 2.Ralph Boston (26-7 ½ [8.12])
Shot Put-1.Randy Matson (67-5 [20.55])
Discus-1.Jay Silvester (203-8 [62.10]), 2.Al Oerter (194-5 [59.28]).
Decathlon-1.Bill Toomey (8037).
Results
Top3: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1968_USA_Outdoor_Track_and_Field_Championships
Men: http://trackfield.brinkster.net/USATournaments.asp?TourCode=N&Year=1968&Gender=M&TF=T&P=R&By=Y&Count=
1969—It seemed like a dream matchup heading into the NCAA Championships in Knoxville,Tennessee. San Jose State’s Lee Evans and Villanova’s Larry James, the gold and silver medalists in the 400-meters at the previous year’s Olympics in Mexico City, battling it out for the 440-yards title.
But someone forgot to tell Texas A&M sophomore Curtis Mills how the script was supposed to play out as he not only won the race, he set a “World Record” of 44.7! (inferior to Evans’ 43.86 for 400-meters). Evans finished 2nd in 45.2, while James placed 5th in 45.8.
Other highlights:
John Carlos led San Jose State to the team title over Kansas (48-45) by beating USC’s Lennox Miller in the
100y (6-20/9.2 for both), winning the 220y in 20.2, and anchoring the winning 440y-relay (39.1)
NYU’s Byron Dyce set a Collegiate Record of 1:45.8 in the 880y.
Villanova’s Marty Liquori (3:57.7) beat Kansas’ Jim Ryun (3:59.3) in the Mile. Kansas was hoping that Ryun could
come back in the 3-mile to help them win the team title, but the heat and humidity forced him to drop out of the race. Ryun was consoled by John Carlos after the race (see the SI Vault article).
Not yet a household name, Yale’s Frank Shorter won the 6-mile in 29:00.2 on Thursday (6-19), then finished 2nd in
the 3-mile two days later.
USC’s Bob Seagren set a meet record of 17-7(5.36) in the pole vault
Results: https://trackandfieldnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/1969.pdf
Sports Illustrated Vault: https://vault.si.com/vault/1969/06/30/the-way-to-san-jose
Carlos: http://www.ustfccca.org/ncaa-100/john-carlos-san-jose-state-1969-ncaa-championships-three-titles
1969–John Pennel won the Pole Vault with a leap of 17-10 ¼ (5.44) at the Sacramento(CA) Inv. to break Bob Seagren’s previous American Record of 17-9 (5.41).
1976–Norway’s Grete Waitz ran 8:45.4 in Oslo to break her own World Record (8:46.6) in the 3000-meters.
WR Progression: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women’s_3000_metres_world_record_progression
1976—Virtually unheard of before the season began, Edwin Moses began his era of dominance in the event by winning the Men’s 400-meter hurdles at the U.S. Olympic Trials (June 19-27) in Eugene, Oregon, and set the first of his six American Records—48.30. Joining him on the Olympic team were San Diego State’s Quentin Wheeler (48.65) and Penn State’s Mike Shine, who had finished 1-2 at the NCAA Championships. Moses and Shine would go on to win gold and silver, respectively, at the Montreal Olympics.
Rick Wohlhuter (1:44.78) won the 800-meters, followed by James Robinson (1:45.86) and Mark Enyeart (1:46.28). A close 4th was Villanova’s Mark Belger (1:45.36), while Bucknell’s Tom McLean (1:47.38), who had beaten Belger to win the NCAA title, finished 7th. Wohlhuter would win the bronze medal in Montreal.
Millard Hampton (20.10) won the Men’s 200 over prep Dwayne Evans, who set a H.S. Record of 20.22, and Mark Lutz (20.42), who edged Steve Riddick (20.45) for the 3rd spot on the team. Hampton and Evans would win silver and bronze in Montreal.
Three of the legends in the event swept the top three places in the Men’s Discus, with Mac Wilkins (224-02 [68.32]) beating John Powell (220-11 [67.34]) and Jay Silvester (212-05 [64.74]). Wilkins was the current world record holder at the time, while Powell and Silvester previously held that honor. Wilkins and Powell would win Olympic gold and bronze, respectively.
It was a teenager sweep in the Women’s 100-meters, with Tennessee State’s Brenda Morehead (18/11.08) leading Chandra Cheeseborough (17), who set a High School Record of 11.13, and UCLA’s Evelyn Ashford (19/11.22) onto the Olympic team. Results: https://trackandfieldnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/1976.pdf
1981—Willie Banks broke his own American Record in the Triple Jump (56-9 ½ [17.31]) twice at the U.S. Championships in Sacramento, first leaping 56-11 ¼ (17.35), then 57-7 ½ (17.56).
https://trackandfieldnews.com/u-s-national-championships-history/
1983–Russia’s Sergey Litvinov bettered his own World Record in the Hammer Throw (275-6 [83.98]) with his toss of 276-0 (84.14) in Moscow.
WR Progression: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Men’s_hammer_throw_world_record_progression
1984—Mike Tully cleared 19-3/4 (5.81) at the U.S. Olympic Trials in the L.A. Coliseum to break Earl Bell’s American Record (19-1/4 [5.80) in the Pole Vault. Bell finished 3rd here to make his 2nd Olympic team (1976). Tully and Bell went on to win the silver and bronze medals, respectively, at the L.A. Olympics later in the year.
The field also included past and future American Record holders Joe Dial (=4th), Brad Pursley (=4th), Billy Olson (7th), Jeff Buckingham (nh), and Dan Ripley (nh). The final was delayed 40 minutes while the run-up direction was reversed to take advantage of a following wind.
Judi Brown won the Women’s 400-hurdles in 54.93 to break her own 12-day old American Record of 54.99. She would win the silver medal at the Olympics. A surprising post-race quote from Brown: “I had an awful race. My steps weren’t right..I haven’t eaten right in the last 4 days…it’s just good to get it over”! Joining her on the team were Angie Wright (55.33) and Sharrieffa Barksdale (55.58)
Making the team in the Men’s 400-Meters were Antonio McKay (44.71), Alonzo Babers (44.86), and Sunder Nix (45.15). Babers and McKay would win Olympic gold and bronze, respectively.
Carl Lewis, who had already made the U.S. team in the 100 and Long Jump, won the 200-meters in 19.86, setting the stage for his 4-gold medal winning performance at the Olympics. Finishing behind Lewis in the 200 were Kirk Baptiste and Thomas Jefferson, and that would be the same order at the Olympics!
Sports Illustrated Vault: https://vault.si.com/vault/1984/07/02/trials-and-jubilation
Results: https://trackandfieldnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/1984.pdf
1986–Germany’s Heike Drechsler leaped 24-5 ½ (7.45) in Tallinn,Estonia, to break her own World Record by 1/2-inch.
WR Progression: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women’s_pole_vault_world_record_progression
1992-—Kevin Young (47.89) won the Men’s 400-meter hurdles at the U.S. Olympic Trials (June 19-28) in New Orleans and was joined on the U.S. team by David Patrick (48.10) and McClinton Neal (48.52), who passed fast-starting Derrick Adkins (48,87) off the final hurdle to secure the 3rd berth on the team.
Young went on to the gold medal at the Barcelona Olympics and set a World Record of 46.78. Adkins would gain redemption in 1996 when he won Olympic gold in Atlanta.
Jackie Joyner-Kersee qualified for her 3rd Olympic team with her win in the Heptathlon (6695). Also making the team were Cindy Greiner (6223) and Kym Carter (6200). JJK would win her 2nd Hep gold medal in Barcelona.
Charles Simpkins (58-7 1/4w [17.86]) and Mike Conley (58-1/4 [17.68) finished 1-2 in the Men’s Triple Jump, but it would be Conley winning the gold in Barcelona, with Simpkins taking the silver. The 3rd member of the team was John Tillmaan (56-7 1/4w [17.25]).
Sandra Farmer-Patrick, who had represented her native Jamaica at the 1984 Olympics, made her 2nd team by winning the Women’s 400-meter hurdles over Illinois’ Tonja Buford (54.75) and Janeene Vickers (54.80), who edged Kim Batten (54.89) for the final Olympic berth.
Joetta Clark (1:58.47) won a fast Women’s 800-meters over Julie Jenkins (1:59.15) and Meredith Rainey (1:59.18), with Celeste Halliday (1:59.87), who had the lead coming off the final turn after setting a quick pace of 27.7 and 58.5, finished a disheartening 4th.
Also making the team:
Men’s Pole Vault: 1.Tim Bright, 2.Dave Volz, 3.Kory Tarpenning (all 3 cleared (19-1/4 [5.80]).
Men’s Javelin:1.Tom Pukstys (262-5 [79.98]), 2.Mike Barnett (256-7 [7822.]), 3.Brian Crouser (254-7 [77.60])
Sports Illustrated(No Pain, No Spain)
Results/Notes: https://trackandfieldnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/1992.pdf
1996—Making the U.S. team on this day at the Olympic Trials in Atlanta:
Men’s Steeplechase-1.Mark Croghan (8:18.80), 2.Robert Gary (8:19.26), 3.Marc Davis (8:20.73). Finishing a close 4th for
the 2nd Trials in a row was Tom Nohilly (8:21.70).
Men’s 5000-1.Bob Kennedy (13:46.17), 2.Matt Giusto (13:56.69), 4.Jim Spivey(13:58.81. Ronnie Harris (13:57.49)
finished 3rd, but didn’t have an Olympic qualifier. Kennedy and the rest of the field were content to let the pace lag
in Atlanta’s heat.
Women’s 10,000 (7 days after the qualifying round!)-1.Kate Fonshell (32:37.91), 2.Olga Appell (32:43.79), 3.Joan
Nesbit (32:46.77)
Results/Notes: https://trackandfieldnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/1996.pdf
2002—Two preps who are certain to be Hall-of-Famers met in the Women’s 200-meters at the U.S. Junior Championships at Stanford (June 21,22), with Sanya Richards(Ross/St.Thomas Aquinas,FL ) edging Allyson Felix(L.A. Baptist,CA) , 23.31-23.34 (into a strong headwind:-3.5). They battled down the homestretch stride-for-stride in adjacent lanes, with Felix falling to the track as the two lunged at the finish line. Richards would return the next day to win the 400-Meters in 50.69, which is the current High School Record.
Great photo sequence: http://archive.dyestat.com/us/2out/jr-nat/r-112.htm
(Full report tomorrow-June 22)
2007—Breaux Greer won his 7th straight title in the Javelin on the opening day of the U.S. Championships (June 21-24) in Indianapolis and did it in style, throwing 299-6 (91.29) to break his own American Record of 297-7 (90.71).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_USA_Outdoor_Track_and_Field_Championships
2012—While the rest of the events would take place at Eugene’s Hayward Field (starting the next day), the U.S. Olympic Trials kicked off with the Men’s and Women’s Hammer Throw, which were staged at Nike’s World Headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon (at Ronaldo Athletic Field in the Tiger Woods Zone).
With 3000 fans giving the throwers a much bigger audience than they’re accustomed to, the women making the team were Amber Campbell (235-7 [71.80]), Amanda Bingson (235-6 [71.78]), and Jessica Cosby (232-2 [70.77]).
For the men, it was Kibwe Johnson (245-11 [74.97]), Chris Cralle (243-11 [74.36]), and A.G. Kruger
(242-6 [73.93]).
Elliot Denman’s Report: http://www.runblogrun.com/2012/06/hammer-time-olympic-trials-2012.html
Results/Notes: https://trackandfieldnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/2012.pdf
Men(every throw, but no results given): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhl2RM_pblw
2014–46-year old Charles Austin, the 1996 Olympic gold medalist and current American Outdoor Record holder (7-10 ¼ [2.40]) in the High Jump, cleared an age-group world-record 6-8 ¾ (2.05) in the Masters 45 Division at the South Texas USATF Association in San Marcos, Texas. The mark topped the previous world record of 6-8 ¼ (2.05) set by Italy’s Marco Segatel in 2007. It also bettered the American record of 6-6 ¾ (2.00) by Bruce McBarnette in 2006, which was a world record at the time.
2015—Among the winners at the New Balance Nationals Outdoor in Greensboro,NC, were seniors Rai Benjamin (Mt.Vernon,NY) in the 400-hurdles (49.97) and Kate Hall (Lake Region,ME), who set National H.S and American Junior Records in the Long Jump with her winning leap of 22-5 (6.83). She also finished 3rd in the 100 (11.37).
Other winners included Juniors Noah and Josephus Lyles (T.C.Williams,VA) in the 100 (10.21) and 200 (20.54) and 400 (45.99), respectively, Sophomore Sammy Watson (Rush-Henrietta,NY) in the 800 (2:07.02/her 2:03.1 anchor helped her team set a National Record of 3:47.65 in the Sprint Medley [6-20]), Senior Chad Zallow (Kennedy,OH), who beat Junior Daniel Roberts (Hampton.GA) in the 110-hurdles (13.19-13.40), and Sophomore Sydney McLaughlin (Union Catholic,NJ), who set a Meet Record of 55.87 in the Girls’ 400-hurdles. Her brother Taylor was 2nd to Benjamin in the Boys’ hurdles (50.20). Both anchored Union Catholic to wins in their respective 4×400 finals (3:35.90MR, 3:12.14).
Senior Tori Weeks (Cabot,AR) won the Pole Vault on misses over her twin sister Lexi, with both clearing 13-7 ¼ (4.15).
Results: https://www.nationalscholastic.org/files/results/2015_NBNO_-_results_-_final.htm
MileSplit: https://www.milesplit.com/meets/190173/coverage#.XQvRyi2ZPNA
2019—17-year old Briana Williams, who had recently completed her junior year at Florida’s Northeast H.S., finished 3rd at the Jamaican Championships in Kingston, running 10.94 to break the U.S. High School Record of 10.98, set by Candace Hill in 2015. Finishing ahead of her were past Olympic Champions Elaine Thompson and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, both timed in 10.73. She was named T&F News’ Female H.S. Athlete of the Year in 2019.
“She’s not normal”, said her coach, Ato Boldon (with a smile). Williams was the 2018 World Junior Champion at 100 and 200 Meters.
Videos
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