This Day in Track & Field History, March 11, 2024, John Thomas cleared 2.20m (1960), Dave Wottle, by Walt Murphy News & Results

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This Day in Track & Field–March 11

1922—Cornell won the team title at the 1^st IC4A Indoor Championships, held at NY’s 22^nd Regiment Armory, which had an 8-lap banked track.

Among the winners was Penn State’s Larry Shields in the Mile. Shields, the bronze medalist at 1500-Meters at the 1920 Olympics, would win his 2^nd IC4A Outdoor title (he also won in 1920) in the Mile later in the year.

1960—John Thomas cleared 7-2  ½  (2.20) in the High Jump in Chicago to set the final World Indoor Record of his career.

His Records

6-11  1/8      2.111        1-10-59      Hanover,NH

6-11  ¾         2.13          1-17-59      Boston,MA

7-00              2.134        1-21-59      New York (Millrose)

7-00              2.134        2-14-59      New York (AAU)

7-01  ¼         2.165        2-14-59      New York (AAU)

7-01  ½         2.17          1-30-60      New York (Millrose)

7-01  ½         2.17          2-06-60      Boston

7-02              2.184        2-20-60      New York (AAU)

7-02  ½         2.20          3-11-60      Chicago

1961–Jim Grelle set an American Indoor Record of 4:03.6 at the Milwaukee Journal Games.

Other notable winners:

50y-hurdles: Hayes Jones (5.9)

2-mile: Bruce Kidd (8:59.2)

PV: Don Bragg (15-5[4.70])

SP: Parry O’Brien (61-10  ½ [18.86])

1967—Some additional winners/highlights from the NCAA Indoor Championships, which were held on the 11-lap banked track inside Detroit’s Cobo Arena (see an earlier report on March 10).

60y Hurdles-USC’s Earl McCullouch (7.0)  beat Villanova’s Erv Hall (7.2)

Pole Vault-Bob Seagren (USC) 17-1/4 (5.19)

USC (26) won the team title over Oklahoma (17). Scoring was 5-4-3-2-1.

Results: http://trojanforcestats.us/iNCAA-Meet-Results/iNCAAresults1967.pdf

1967—East Texas State’s John Carlos, who would win the bronze medal in the 200 meters at the 1968 Olympics, ran 20.3 in the 220y to set a college freshman record. Only legends Tommie Smith and Henry Carr had ever run faster at the time.

1972—T&F News Editor Garry Hill, a triple jumper at Washington State, often refers to our sport as “Field & Track”, and USC took that mantra to heart at the NCAA Indoor Championships in Detroit’s Cobo Arena, scoring 16 of their winning total of 19 points in field events. Bowling Green and Michigan St. were only a point behind with 18 points.  (Scoring: 6-4-3-2-1),

The Trojans scored 12 points from Henry Hines (25-10 [7.87]) and Doug Lane (64-3  ½ [19.59+]), winners of the Long Jump and Shot Put, respectively.

Colgate’s Chris Dunn (7-2  ¼ [2.19]) won the High Jump on misses over Wisconsin’s Pat Matzdorf, the Outdoor World Record holder who was working his back from an injury.

Jacques Accambray won the 35-pound Weight Throw over defending champion Al Schoterman (69-5  ¼) [21.16], throwing 71-3  ¼ (21.72) to break his Kent State teammate’s Collegiate Record.

Dave Wottle, destined for Olympic glory in Munich later in the year (he won the 800), won the 880y (1:51.8) on the first day of competition (3-10), then came back to anchor (4:02.3) Bowling Green to a win in the Distance Medley (9:49.5).

http://trojanforcestats.us/iNCAA-Meet-Results/iNCAAresults1972.pdf