This Day in Track & Field–May 1
1920—A combined Oxford/Cambridge team set a World Record of 7:50.4 in the 2-Mile Relay at the Penn Relays with a lineup of Willfrid Tatham, Henry Stallard, William Milligan, and Bevil Rudd, who would win Olympic gold in the 400-meters in Antwerp. Rudd, a native of South Africa, also won a bronze medal in the 800-meters. Winning the silver medal in the 800 was Earl Eby, who anchored Penn to wins in the Mile Relay (3:22.4) and Sprint Medley (3:29.0).
Penn State won the first two of its 32 Relays titles, finishing 1st in the 4-Mile Relay (18:16.8) and Distance Medley (10:37.2).
Penn’s Sherman Landers scored a unique double, winning the Pole Vault(12-6[3.81[) and the Triple Jump
(46-7 ½[14.2]).
Missouri’s Jackson Scholz won his 2nd title in the 100-yard dash (10.2/also won in 1918). Scholz would win Olympic gold in the 4×100 in Antwerp later in the year and in the 200 at the 1924 Olympics in Paris.
Another Olympic Champion-to-be (110mh) in Antwerp was Dartmouth’s Earl Thomson, who won the 1st of his 3 Penn titles in the 120-yard hurdles (15.2).
This was the only year that the Relays were held in May!
Results
Jackson Scholz: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackson_Scholz
Earl Thomson: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earl_Thomson
https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1920/05/02/112658333.html?pageNumber=19
1954—Stan Lampert threw 59-5 7/8 (18.13) in Asbury Park,NJ, to break Parry O’Brien’s American Record in the Shot Put (59-2 3/8 [18.04]). O’Brien regained the record a week later when he broke the 60-foot barrier with a toss of 60-5 ¼ (18.42) in Los Angeles. Lampert’s mark was never ratified as a World Record.
Lampert was an All-American at NYU, finishing 2nd and 3rd, respectively, at the 1949 and 1950 NCAA Championships.
http://www.gonyuathletics.com/hof.aspx?hof=193&path=&kiosk=
1975–Carey Pinkowski, a senior at Hammond H.S. in Indiana, ran 8:56.2 for 2-miles on a cold and blustery day. By the end of the spring, teammates Rudy Chapa, a junior, and fellow senior Tim Keough had run 8:51.0 and 8:52.8, respectively, giving the school an unprecedented trio of sub-9 2-milers. The coach behind the team’s success was Dan Candiano, who was a 4:09 miler at DePaul.
Pinkowski, an All-American at Villanova, has been the Director of the Chicago Marathon since 1990.
Chapa, who would set the still-standing prep 10,000 record of 28:32.7 the following year, won the NCAA 5000-meter title in 1978 and helped Oregon win the team title at the 1977 NCAA X-Country Championships.
Keough, a former football player, wrestler, and pole vaulter(!), went to Arizona State, but his running career stalled after suffering a broken bone in his foot during his freshman year.
Footnote: The late Larry “The Colonel” Sullivan, one of the sport’s great fans (and a former pilot for the Flying Tigers), flew to Hammond just so he could meet Candiano and his team.
Sports Illustrated Vault:
https://vault.si.com/vault/1975/06/16/three-into-2-miles-who-go-go-go
http://www.runningentertainment.com/runningshots23.html
A Look Back:
http://www.runnersworld.com/high-school/the-magic-of-maywood-park
http://www.nwitimes.com/uncategorized/article_6523abc0-8b58-5e0a-996c-1863d766e9e0.html
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-executive-profile-pinkowski-1012-biz-20141010-story.html
1976–Future Hall-of-Famer Mac Wilkins bettered his previous World Record in the Discus, not once, not twice, but three times at the San Jose Inv. Wilkins, who would win Olympic gold later in the year in Montreal, improved the record on his first three throws, opening with 229-0 (69.80), followed by 230-5 (70.24) and 232-6 (70.86).
Now a coach, Wilkins worked with Ryan Crouser in the weeks leading up to his gold medal-winning performance in the shot put at the 2016 Olympics.
HOF Bio: https://www.usatf.org/athlete-bios/mac-wilkins
WR Progression: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Men’s_discus_world_record_progression
http://www.macwilkins.com/
1976—Auburn freshman Harvey Glance won the 100-meters in 9.9 in Baton Rouge to tie the World Record he already shared with many others. Glance went on later in the season to win the first of his two NCAA titles in the 100 and win a gold medal in the 4×100 at the Montreal Olympics (4th in the 100). At the time of his death in 2023, he was still coaching Kirani James, who he coached at Alabama. James was the gold medalist in the 400-meters at the 2011 World Championships and 2012 Olympics, and the silver medalist at the 2016 Olympics in Rio. He completed his set of Olympic and World Championships medals by winning bronze in Tokyo in 2021 and silver in Eugene in 2022.
1976–Holland’s Jos Hermens, now one of the world’s leading managers (among the athletes he has represented- Haile Gebrselassie, Kenenisa Bekele [still]), set world records for 20-kilometers (57:24.2) and the 1-hour run (13-miles, 10-yards) in Papendal (Holland), breaking his own previous marks.
Global Sports Communication: http://www.globalsportscommunication.nl/
2010—In a remarkable debut at the distance, Chris Solinsky set an American Record of 26:59.60 for 10,000-meters at the Payton Jordan Invitation at Stanford. The previous mark of 27:13.98 had been set by Meb Keflezighi in 2001. Also under Meb’s mark was Galen Rupp (27:10.74).
Finishing between the two Americans were Kenyans Daniel Selel (27:07.85) and Liberty’s Sam Chelanga, who set a Collegiate Record of 27:08.39.
Solinsky, who won five NCAA titles while at Wisconsin, is now an assistant coach at Oregon…previously coached at William & Mary, Portland, and Florida.
Full Race Video(for subscribers):
http://www.flotrack.org/video/331184-m-10k-f01-chris-solinsky-american-record-2659-video-2010-payton-jordan
Post-Race Interview: www.flotrack.org/video/331197-chris-solinsky-interview-2659-10k-american-record-2010-payton-jordan
David Monti’s Account: http://www.runnersweb.com/running/news_2016/rw_news_20160501_RRW_Flashback-Chris_Solinsky.html
http://www.bing.com/search?q=%22chris+solinsky%22+%22american+Record%22&form=APMCS1
https://goducks.com/sports/track-and-field/roster/coaches/chris-solinsky/5149
Born On This Day*
Jasmine Moore 24 (2001) 2024 Olympic bronze medalist-Long Jump, Triple Jump
Won the TJ at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials, 2nd in the LJ
3rd in the Triple Jump at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials; Competed in the 1st round at the Tokyo Olympics
2025 U.S. Indoor Champion–TJ
7-time NCAA Champion (Florida):
2022—Indoor & Outdoor Long Jump, Triple Jump (set a Collegiate Indoor Record of
47-9 ¾ (14.57/broke her own Record)
2023 (indoor)—Long Jump (Set a Collegiate Record of 23-3/4 (7.03A), Triple Jump (improved her CR to
49-7 ¼ (15.12)…also set an American Record!)
2023 (outdoor)—Triple Jump
2021 NCAA: LJ (Indoors-8th, Outdoors-3rd); TJ (4th Indoors, 2nd Outdoors)
Competed in the 1st round of both jumps at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene
Finalist in the LJ (10th) and TJ (11th) at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest
5th in the TJ at the 2024 World Indoor Championships
2018 U.S. Junior Champion-Triple Jump
4-time National Scholastic Champion: 2016(Out), 2017(Ind/Out), 2018(Ind)
PBs: 23-3/4i (7.03/2023/=#4 All-Time U.S./=#8 A-T, Ind/Out), 22-10 3/4 (6.98/2024),
49-7 1/4i (15.12/2023/AR, #4 All-Time), 48-6 (14.78/2023);
2025 SBs: 22-3 ½, (6.79), 45 -7 ¼ (13.90)
H.S. PB-Lake Ridge,TX) (TJ): 44-10 (13.66+/2019/#3 All-Time), 44-2 1/2i (13.47/2019/#2 A-T)
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/147111
https://floridagators.com/sports/track-and-field/roster/jasmine-moore/14965
15.12: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3aMNT9dpgA
7.03: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJTXoNFcnxc
Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1JMfz4C760
Paris Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPjYFZc8i-Y
Dakotah Lindwurm 30 (1995) Surprise 3rd place finisher at the 2024 U.S. Marathon Olympic Trials…12th at the Olympics
NCAA Div.II All-American at Northern State (SD)
PBs: 1:08:04, 2:24:40 (2023), 2025 SBs: 1:09:57, 2:26:09
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dakotah_Lindwurm
https://teamrunrun.com/coach/dakotah-lindwurm-minneapolis-running-coach/
Perseverance Pays Off
Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wiF_iCTYx4
Bryshon Nellum 36 (1989) 2013 NCAA Champion—400m (USC); PB-44.65 (’15);
2015 World Champion—4×400; 2012 Olympic silver medalist—4×400
2007 U.S. Junior Champion—400m; Held off Yohan Blake to win the H.S. 4×400 at the 2007
Penn Relays, one of the greatest races in the meet’s history. Last competed in 2017
Survived a drive-by shooting in 2008.
2007 Penn Relays:
Video (Must Watch!): http://www.runnerspace.com/video.php?video_id=74492
www.presstelegram.com/general-news/20170429/poly-grad-bryshon-nellum-adds-to-his-penn-relays-legacy
http://www.olympedia.org/athletes/127090
Mark Coogan 59 (1966) 1996 U.S. Olympian—Marathon (41st); Currently the coach of many of New Balance’s elite
athletes
All-American at Maryland: NCAA-1987 (Steeplechase/7th)
PBs: 3:58.81 (‘89), 7:57.88 (‘97), 13:23.72 (‘95), 28:19.07 (‘99), 62:02(‘97), 2:13:05(‘96), 8:26.90sc(’92)
Wiki Bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Coogan
http://www.letsrun.com/news/2014/01/mark-coogan-talks-move-new-balance/
Gerry Ashworth 83 (1942) 1964 Olympic gold medalist—4×100 relay.
Paul Drayton, Gerry Ashworth, Richard Stebbins, Bob Hayes
1963 IC4A Champion—100m (Dartmouth).
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/78052
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerry_Ashworth
Deceased
Boo Morcom 91 (1921-Oct.3, 2012) 1947 NCAA Champion—Pole Vault(New Hampshire)
Completed an unprecedented trifecta at the 1943 IC4A Championships by winning the High Jump, Long Jump,
and Pole Vault! (Also won the HJ in 1942)
3-time U.S. Champion—Pole Vault (1945, 1947, 1948)
1948 U.S. Olympian—Pole Vault (6th)
Started his collegiate career in 1940, finished in 1947 after serving in the military for 3 years during World War II.
Competed in Masters events well into his 70s. Member of the U.S. Masters Hall of Fame
Former coach at the University of Pennsylvania
Coach of the U.S. Women’s team at the 1956 Olympics
From his Wikipedia Bio: “I went to 105 different countries. I won records everywhere. I’ve been there, done that,
got the T-shirt and caught malaria … I would go to Canada, set a record, come home. My wife would have my
bag packed, and 12 hours later I was in South America talking to Eva Peron … When we get to heaven, we’ll
have a track meet, And everybody will be young and strong.”
http://unhmagazine.unh.edu/w13/boo-morcom.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boo_Morcom
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/78809
http://masterstrack.com/masters-legend-boo-morcom-dies-at-91-hall-of-famer-as-jumper/
Ollie Matson 80 (1930-Feb.19, 2011) 2-time medalist at the 1952 Olympics—400(bronze), 4×400(silver)
All-American in track and football at the University of San Francisco: 1952 NCAA-400m(2nd)
Joined the NFL soon after returning from the Olympics and went on to play for 14 seasons with 4 different teams.
Member of the NFL and Collegiate Halls of Fame
PB:46.6 (1952)
Suffered later in life from the effects of multiple concussions suffered during his playing career
https://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/21/sports/football/21matson.html
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/78744
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ollie_Matson
www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2017/07/29/ollie-matson-paid-steep-price-for-hall-of-fame-career/104100732/
https://www.profootballhof.com/players/ollie-matson/
https://www.nfl.com/news/1951-usf-dons-the-team-that-stood-tall-0ap3000000629002
Archie Williams 78 (1915-June 24,1993) 1936 Olympic gold medalist—400-meters
1936 NCAA Champion(Cal-Berkeley)…set a World Record of 46.1 in his heat
Inducted into the U.S. Hall of Fame in 1992
A pilot himself, he trained many of the famous Tuskegee Airmen
Hall of Fame Bio: https://www.usatf.org/athlete-bios/archie-williams
Wiki Bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archie_Williams
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/79194
