by RBR Admin
1975—This was the first edition of the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, named for the local legend who died tragically in a car accident the week before.
Two sprinters stole the show in a town known for its great distance runners. 6’-3 1/2” (1.92) Steve Williams (9.1) beat Jamaica’s Donald Quarrie (9.2) in a fast but wind-aided 100 yards, setting the stage for a great rematch in the 220. Williams had beaten his shorter rival (5’-8”/1.73) at 200 meters on his home turf in Kingston, Jamaica, just three weeks earlier, but the results would be different this time.
With little more than a foot separating the two sprinters for the entire race, Quarrie hit the finish line first, with both getting credit for a World Record of 19.9, breaking Tommie Smith’s mark of 20-flat, set in 1966. Quarrie, who would win Olympic gold in the 200 in 1976, was also timed at 19.8 for 200 meters, tying the World Record he already shared with Smith.
Williams made T&F News’ top-10 World Rankings in the 100 and 200 every year from 1973-1978 and was #1 in the 100 in 1973 and 1975 and #1 in the 200 in 1973.
Other highlights from the meet, which has long been one of the best invitationals in the world, included Frank Shorter winning the 3-Mile in 13:00.8, Dwight Stones jumping 7-2 (2.185?), Rick Wohlhuter running 1:45.4 to win the 880y, and Francie Larrieu winning the 3000 in 9:08.8.
https://www.preclassic.com/history
T&F News Cover(Great Picture)-August: https://trackandfieldnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/1975_08.jpg
1977 World Cup 100/4×100(video): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BW2d6KgeQXs
1975—The NCAA Div.I Championships (June 3-7) returned to Provo, Utah, at 4,500′ elevation for the first time since 1967.
The Pole Vault featured three current and future World Record holders. Arkansas State sophomore Earl Bell won on misses in a terrific duel with San Jose State senior Dan Ripley as both were credited with a Collegiate Record of 18-1 (5.51), a height that matched Ripley’s World Indoor mark that was set less than 5 months earlier. UCLA freshman Mike Tully failed to make the final. Ripley would set four additional Indoor Records, Tully would interrupt Ripley’s indoor reign by setting two records in 1978, and Bell would set an Outdoor mark in 1976.
In other highlights, Villanova’s Eamonn Coghlan, a sophomore from Ireland, won the Mile (4:00.1), and Washington State’s John Ngeno won the 3-mile (13:22.8) a day after winning the 6-mile (28:20.8). UTEP won its first team title.
This would be the last year that imperial distances would be used at the NCAA Championships
https://vault.si.com/vault/1975/06/16/it-was-a-foreign-affair
Results: https://trackandfieldnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/1975.pdf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1975_NCAA_Division_I_Outdoor_Track_and_Field_Championships
