by RBR Admin
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-May 11
(c)Copyright 2024-all rights reserved. It may not be reprinted or retransmitted without permission.
By Walt Murphy’s News and Results Service ([email protected]), used with permission.
1935—Tom Moore ran 14.2 at the West Coast Relays in Fresno, California, to set a World Record in the 120-yard hurdles. Moore was the Meet Director and Starter for the Modesto Relays for six decades before he passed away in 2002.
At the first Modesto meet in 1942, he started all of the races but one – the high hurdles, which he won. “I had my track shorts on under my pants,” Moore said. “When it came time for the highs, I stripped down and was ready to go.”
He was elected to the National Hall of Fame in 1988
Hall of Fame Bio: https://www.usatf.org/athlete-bios/tom-moore
IAAF Obituary: https://www.worldathletics.org/news/news/longtime-modesto-relays-director-tom-moore-di
1957—Max Truex ran 14:14.5 for 5000 meters at the West Coast Relays in Fresno to regain the American Record from Bill Dellinger for the second time.
AR Progression
14:26.0 Dellinger June 29, 1956
14:25.5 Dellinger October 13, 1956
14:22.8 Truex October 20, 1956
14:16.2 Dellinger November 1, 1956
14:14.5 Truex May 11, 1957
Truex, who would go on to finish 6th in the 10,000-meters at the 1960 Olympics, would set three more ARs in the 5000, topped by a best of 13:49.6 in 1962.
Tribute: http://yesteryear.clunette.com/truex.html AND http://www.yesteryear.clunette.com/truexhs.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Truex
1968—The Inaugural Glenn D. Loucks Memorial Games, named for the school’s former basketball, football, and track coach, were held at White Plains(NY) High School.
Among the winners were John Brady (St.Helena’s, NY) who ran a quick 1:51.9 in the 880y, retired Princeton men’s coach Fred Samara (Ft. Hamilton,NY) in the Pole Vault (13-9/4.19), Denis Fikes (Rice, NY) in the 2-Mile (9:23.2), and Bill McLaughlin (Sacred Heart, NY) in the Mile (4:12.8).
Some notable winners throughout the years Include Alberto Salazar, Matt Centrowitz, Don Paige, Craig Masback, Joetta Clark, Jen Rhines, John Trautmann, LaShawn Merritt, Mark Belger, Canada’s Perdita Felicien, Edward Cheserek, Mary Cain, Dalilah Muhammad, Rai Benjamin, Katelyn Tuohy.
The current meet director (and White Plains coach) is Fred Singleton, a previous Loucks winner himself while at Mt.Vernon, NY (120y and 180y hurdles).
The 55th edition of the meet began on Thursday and runs through Saturday (May 9-11)
Meet Site: http://www.theloucksgames.org/
History: https://www.theloucksgames.org/meet-history
1968—Rarely has a Mile Relay won in 3:09.4, generated as much excitement as this year’s final event on the West Coast Relays schedule on a chilly night in Fresno, California.
Fans were treated to an epic anchor leg that showcased the first meeting between Villanova sophomore Larry James, who had run a 43.9y split (the fastest 1-lap ever) two weeks earlier at the Penn Relays, and San Jose State’s Lee Evans, already one of the fastest ¼-milers in history.
The two stars received their batons simultaneously, but Evans found himself boxed in by Arizona State’s Ron Freeman around the first turn, allowing James to build a quick 5-yard lead. With the crowd in a frenzy, Evans, who had anchored the winning 880y-relay just a half-hour earlier, started closing in on James down the backstretch and eventually went into the lead coming off the final turn, bringing San Jose State home first in 3:09.4 to Villanova’s 3:10.1. Evans had split 44.9 and James 45.6.
With the stadium speakers blaring Dionne Warwick’s “Do You Know the Way to San Jose”, hundreds of fans rushed onto the track, some hoisting Evans on their shoulders in celebration.
From Dick Drake’s article in T&F News.
Evans, James, and Arizona State’s Freeman would sweep the medals in the 400-meter at the Mexico City Olympics later in the year. Evans set a World Record of 43.86 and teamed with Vince Matthews to win the 4×400 relay in a World Record time of 2:56.16.
