This Day in Track & Field History, March 2, 2024, First telecast from MSG, Paul Robeson, Jr., Ron Delany, by Walt Murphy’s News and Results Service

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.

This Day in Track & Field–March 3

This Day in Track & Field–March  2

1940—1st intercollegiate track meet (IC4A) telecast from Madison Square Garden. Among the winners were NYU’s Jimmy Herbert (600y) and Leslie MacMitchell (Mile), Penn State’s Barney Ewell (60y, Long Jump), and Georgetown’s Al Blozis (Shot Put). The latter two are members of the National Hall of Fame.

MacMitchell: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/28/sports/othersports/28macmitchell.html?_r=0

Herbert: http://www.nytimes.com/1997/10/25/sports/jimmy-herbert-track-and-field-star-at-the-garden-dies-at-82.html

Ewell(1986): https://www.usatf.org/athlete-bios/norwood-barney-ewell

            http://www.nytimes.com/1996/04/05/sports/barney-ewell-78-top-sprinter-won-gold-in-postwar-olympics.html

Blozis(2015): https://www.usatf.org/athlete-bios/al-blozis

            http://www.nj.com/sports/ledger/izenbergcol/index.ssf/2015/11/veterans_day_remembering_what.html

1946—Cornell’s Paul Robeson, Jr., whose dad of the same name excelled as an athlete, actor, singer, and activist, won his 2nd IC4A Indoor title in the High Jump at Madison Square Garden.

The winner of the special Zamperini Mile was Leslie MacMitchell (4:16.0), who was a 3-time IC4A Champion in the Mile while competing for NYU (1940-1942). On hand to congratulate MacMItchell was the event’s namesake, Capt. Lou Zamperini, who had been released from a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp less than a year earlier after the end of WWII. Zamperini, a 1936 U.S. Olympian at 5000-Meters, was the subject of the book and movieUnbroken.

Army won its 3^rd straight team title.  From the NY Times Archives: “Coach Leo Novak’s squad carried over into peace the dominance it enjoyed in war…”

Robeson, Sr: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Robeson

For Subscribers: https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1946/03/03/306556612.html?pageNumber=99

1957–Ron Delany, winner of the 1500-meters at the 1956 Olympics just 3 months earlier, led Villanova to its first IC4A  Indoor title by winning a rare double. The Irishman first won the 1000-yards in 2:14.0, then, less than 50-minutes later, overcame a 50-yard deficit with three laps to go to win the 2-mile over Lew Stieglitz in 9:06.6.

Delany’s teammate, Charlie Jenkins, another 1956 Olympic gold medalist (400,4×400), won the 600y in 1:12.1. Another Wildcat, Don Bragg, who would win Olympic gold in 1960, won the Pole Vault (15-0).

Delany/NY: http://sports.nyhistory.org/ron-delany/

(For Subscribers): https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1957/03/03/90779771.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&ip=0

1996–A day after setting an American Record of 22.70 in the qualifying round at the U.S. Indoor Championships in Atlanta,  Gwen Torrence smashed that mark with her winning time of 22.33 in the final. She also won the 60.

     Torrence’s AR lasted until 2022, when Kentucky senior Abby Steiner  ran 22.09 at the SEC Championships.

      Michael Johnson won the Men’s 400 in 44.66,  just missing his year-old World  Indoor  Record of 44.63.

http://www.nytimes.com/1996/03/03/sports/track-and-field-johnson-misses-his-record-but-demolishes-opponents.html

All-Time Top 10

44.49      Christopher Morales-Williams (CAN) 2/24/24

44.52      Michael Norman (US)                    3/10/18

44.57      Kerron Clement (US)                    3/12/05

44.62      Randolph Ross (US)                     3/12/22

44.63      Michael Johnson (US)                   3/04/95

44.66      ————Johnson                         3/02/96

44.71      Noah Williams (US)                      3/13/21

44.75      Elija Godwin (US)                         2/23/23

44.75      ______Godwin (US)                    3/11/23

44.80      Kirani James (Grenada)                 2/27/11

**10 performances by 8 performers**

44.82      Tyrell Richard (US)                       3/09/19

44.85      Fred Kerley (US)                         3/11/17

2002-Nicole Teter set an American Record of 1:58.71 to win the Women’s 800-meters on the 2nd day of the U.S. Indoor Championships at NY’s Armory.  It lasted for 17 years until Ajee’ Wilson ran 1:58.60 at the 2019 Millrose Games.

Tisha Waller cleared 6-4 (1.93) to win the 5^th of her 6 titles in the Women’s High Jump over defending champion Amy Acuff (6-2  ¾ [1.90]), and Allen Johnson won the 1^st of his 3 straight titles in the Men’s 60m-Hurdles in 7.45. (See March 1 for additional results)

Complete Results:

Men: http://www.flashresults.com/2002_Meets/indoor/usaindoor/usa-m.htm

Women: http://www.flashresults.com/2002_Meets/indoor/usaindoor/usa-w.htm

H.S. Coverage: https://archive.dyestat.com/us/2in/USAnat/index.htm