Walt Murphy is one of the finest track geeks that I know. Walt does #ThisDayinTrack&FieldHistory, an excellent daily service that provides true geek stories about our sport. You can check out the service for FREE with a free one-month trial subscription! (email: [email protected] ) for the entire daily service. We will post a few historic moments each day, beginning February 1, 2024.
Walt Murphy’s News and Results Service ([email protected]), used with Permission.
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This Day in Track & Field–March 16
(Pietri-Hayes, Clyde Jeffrey, ’55 Pan-Am, ’68-NCAA, William Reed, Krummenacker, Raven Saunders/Birthdays-Dean Crouser, Ken Bantum)
1909—For the second time in four months, Italian Dorando Pietri beat American Johnny Hayes in an indoor marathon before 8,000 fans at NY’s Madison Square Garden. At the 1908 Olympics in London, Hayes was declared the marathon winner after a staggering Pietri, who crossed the finish line in first place, was disqualified for receiving aid from sympathetic officials and spectators.
From the NY Times Archives (for subscribers):
1940—Stanford junior Clyde Jeffrey ran 9.4 for 100-yards in Long Beach, California, equaling the American Record that was already shared by 5 others, including Jesse Owens. Jeffrey was the 1939 NCAA Champion at 220 yards and the 1939 U.S. Champion at 100 meters.
https://www.riversidesporthalloffame.com/clyde-jeffrey/
1955—Brazil’s Adhemar Da Silva set a World Record of 54-4 (16.56) while winning the Triple Jump at the Pan-American Games in Mexico City.
American Records were set by Barbara Jones, who won the 100-Meters in 11.90, and Constance Darnowski, who ran 11.93 in the preliminaries of the 80-Meter Hurdles (DNF’d in the final).
Jones, a former Tennessee State Tigerbelle, was an Olympic gold medalist in the 4×100 at the 1952 and 1960 Olympics—15 in 1952, she is still the youngest-ever Olympic gold medalist in T&F.
Darnowski, who attended NY’s St.John’s University, competed in the first round of the 80-Meter Hurdles at the 1952 and 1956 Olympics.
Medalists: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athletics_at_the_1955_Pan_American_Games
Jones: www.myajc.com/sports/olympian-recounts-her-life-the-youngest-gold-medalist/wyQOaNEq8nwm8xWCW80dXK/
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/77881
Darnowski: https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/77798
1968–Villanova sophomore Larry James set an 11-lap record of 47-flat (47.0) in the 440-yards at the NCAA Indoor Championships in Detroit to spark the Wildcats to the team title. James also anchored the winning mile relay (3:14.4). Teammates Dave Patrick (1:52.0) and Frank Murphy (1:52.1) went 1-2 in the 880y. Murphy (4:06.8) anchored the winning Distance Medley team, which included former Haverford coach Tom Donnelly on the 3/4-leg (3:00.1), and Patrick ran a 1:49.2 anchor split on the 2nd-place 2-mile relay..
Other notable winners:
On Friday (3-15), UTEP’s Bob Beamon (as noted yesterday) improved his World Record in the Long Jump to 27-2 ¾ (8.30) and also won the Triple Jump (52-3 ½ [15.93]); Kansas junior Jim Ryun won the 2nd of his three titles in the Mile (4:06.8) and also won the 2-mile as he ran down Gerry Lindgren on the final lap (8:38.9-8:40.7). This was Lindgren’s only loss in NCAA competition, making him 11 for 12 in NCAA races.
Oregon State’s Dick Fosbury, using his revolutionary style, won the High Jump (7-0 [2.135?]), and Tennessee’s Richmond Flowers (7.0) won the 60-yard hurdles over USC’s Earl McCullough (7.1) and Villanova’s Erv Hall (7.1).
Beamon (LJ-gold,WR), Fosbury (HJ-gold), James (400-silver,4×400-gold), Ryun (1500-silver), and Hall (110h-silver) all went on to medal at the Mexico City Olympics later in the year.
http://trojanforcestats.us/iNCAA-Meet-Results/iNCAAresults1968.pdf
1974 (50 years ago)–Rich Kimball’s individual win (21:30.8) sparked the U.S. to the first of four straight wins in the Junior race at the IAAF World X-Country Championships in Monza, Italy. Finishing 3rd in the race was Ireland’s John Treacy, who won the Senior title in 1978 and 1979. The other scorers for the U.S. were Matt Centrowitz (5th), John Roscoe (6th), and Pat Davey (10th).
Winners of the individual Senior titles were Belgium’s Eric De Beck (35:23.8) and Italy’s Paola Pigni (12:42)
Team champions and other notable finishers:
Senior Men (12k): 1. Belgium 103, 2.England 109 (The U.S. didn’t send a team!);…3.Karel Lismont (Belgium) 35:26.6…10.Franco Fava (Italy) 35:38.4
Senior Women (4k): 1. England 24;…12.Ciara Choate (USA) 13:20.8…27 Julie Brown (USA) 13:34.8, 28.Cheryl Bridges
(USA) 13:36.8…40.Brenda Webb (USA) 13:53.2
Junior Men (7k): 1. USA 22, 2.Morocco 58;
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1974_IAAF_World_Cross_Country_Championships
Marc Bloom delves into Kimball’s win on the 50th Anniversary of his breakthrough race and the impact it had on other young runners of that era. He also explains why there were no Americans in the Senior Men’s race—and why the women had to pay their own way to Monza!: Part 1 Part 2
1975–The U.S. had great success at the World X-Country Championships in Morocco. Bobby Thomas (Junior Men/21:00) and Julie Brown (Senior Women) were individual winners, and both led the U.S. to the team titles in their respective races. The Men’s race was loaded with talent, as Scotland’s Ian Stewart (35:20) won over Spain’s Mariano Haro (35:21), American Bill Rodgers (35:27), and New Zealand’s John Walker (35:45). Frank Shorter finished 20th (36:25).
Team champions and other notable finishers:
Senior Men (12k): 1.New Zealand 127, 2.England 198;…10.Gaston Roelants (Belgium) 35:57…13.Waldemar Cierpinski
(East Germany) 36:16, 16.Emiel Puttemans (Belgium) 36:17…70.Jeff Galloway (USA)
Senior Women (4.2k): 1.USA 44, 2.New Zealand 50;…5.Lorraine Moller (New Zealand) 13:53…11.Maggie Keyes (USA)
14:18…15.Paula Neppel (USA) 14:24…17.Doris Brown (USA) 14:25…27.Cindy Poor (USA)
Junior Men (7k): 1.USA 29, 2.Ireland 35; …2.José Luis González (Spain) 21:18, 3.John Treacy (Ireland) 21:23…5.Don Clary
(USA) 21:38
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1975_IAAF_World_Cross_Country_Championships
