by RBR Admin
This Day in Track & Field–January 18
1913–The featured event at the early editions of the Millrose Games was a road race, and the winner of this year’s 10-mile handicap event was Finland’s Hannes Kolehmainen (51:25), who had won 3 gold medals at the previous year’s Olympics in Stockholm (5000,10,000, Cross Country). The race started from the 71st Regiment Armory in Manhattan, then wound its way through city streets before Kolehmainen returned for one go-round of the Armory’s 10-lap track, greeted by thunderous applause from the largest crowd to ever attend an event at the facility.
https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1913/01/19/100249509.html?pageNumber=48
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/67641
http://daytoninmanhattan.blogspot.com/2017/01/the-lost-71st-regiment-armory-park.html
1964–17-year old Gerry Lindgren (Rogers,Wa) ran 8:46.0 for 2-miles behind Belgium’s Gaston Roelants (8:41.2) at the Los Angeles Inv., smashing his own U.S. High School record of 9:00.0.
The slight Lindgren (5’-5”, 118) didn’t seem to know, or at least he didn’t care, that he was racing against a field that included Roelants, the World Record holder in the steeplechase, and veteran George Young. He led the race through the first mile in a very fast 4:21.2 before slipping to 4th, behind Roelants, USC’s Julio Marin, and Young.
Some observers thought that Lindgren would surely continue to fade, paying the price for running so fast so early. But the precocious Lindgren, who already had set a goal of making the U.S. Olympic team (which he would do!), gamely hung in there and eventually out-dueled Young for 2nd place, much to the delight of the crowd.
Lindgren’s time of 8:46.0 was also a record for a 17-year old, topping the 8:49.1 that Canada’s Bruce KIdd had run three years earlier while winning the 2-mile at the Massachusetts Knights of Columbus meet at the Boston Garden. Kidd’s performance was greeted at the time with as much surprise and crowd-pleasing enjoyment as was Lindgren’s.
Bob Hayes ran 6-flat (6.0) to equal the World Record for 60-yards (he would tie it twice more in 1964), and American Records were set by John Pennell in the Pole Vault (16-4 ¼ [4.98+]) and USC’s Mahoney Samuels in the Triple Jump (52-7 [16.02+]). Samuels was actually from Jamaica, but the best marks achieved on U.S. soil were recognized at the time as “American Records”, regardless of the athlete’s nationality.
Sports Illustrated Vault: https://vault.si.com/vault/1964/01/27/the-fastest-boy-in-the-west-challenges-a-champion
Kidd: https://vault.si.com/vault/1961/01/23/how-young-kidd-made-good
1964–Bill McClellon, a sophomore at NY CIty’s DeWitt Clinton H.S., cleared 6-7 3/4 (2.025?) in the High Jump at the Cardinal Hayes Games at the Armory, breaking John Thomas’s 6-year old National H.S. record (6-7 5/8 [2/02+]).
McClellon had stunned the local track crowd when he cleared 6-7 (2.01) the month before at the Bishop Loughlin Games in a “novice” event, which was limited to athletes who had yet to win a medal in scholastic varsity competition. McClellon went on to become the first prep in history to clear 7-feet (2.13) in 1965
After McClellon’s performance at the Loughlin Games, I would sit in the front row in the Armory’s balcony, overlooking the High Jump, to make sure I got a close-up view of this rising star at many of his subsequent meets there. My perseverance paid off as I watched McClellon, who was coached by Charlie Scher, raised the record 3 more times at the Armory during his career. (6-8 [2.03], 6-9 ½ [2.07], 6-10 ¼ [2.09])
1975–Dwight Stones got his 2nd World Record in as many days, clearing 7-5 ¼ (2.27m) at the Sunkist meet in Los Angeles. At the same meet, Francie Larrieu (Smith) set a World Record in the Women’s 1000-meters (2:40.2). “Franno” retired in 2018 after spending 20 years as the head coach at Div.III’s Southwestern University in Georgetown,Texas, while Stones maintains his popularity as a TV broadcaster. Both were inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1998.
Hall of Fame Bios
Stones: https://www.usatf.org/athlete-bios/dwight-stones
Larrieu-Smith: https://www.usatf.org/athlete-bios/francine-larrieu-smith
1983--IOC restored Jim Thorpe’s Olympic medals (Pentathlon & Decathlon victories) 70 years after they were taken from him for being paid $25 in semi-pro baseball.
1985–Competing for the first time since her dramatic fall in the 3000 at the 1984 Olympics, Mary Slaney set a World Indoor Record of 5:34.52 for 2000-meters at the Sunkist meet in Los Angeles.
Sports Illustrated Vault:
https://vault.si.com/vault/1985/01/28/mary-mary-still-contrary
1985–The World Indoor Games (18-19), the precursor to the IAAF World Indoor Championships, took place in the Bercy section of Paris, France. Germany’s Thomas Schönlebe set a World Record of 45.60 in the Men’s 400-meters, and other winners included Diane Dixon in the Women’s 400 (53.35), and Ukraine’s Sergey Bubka, who outdueled France’s Thierry Vigneron to win the pole vault, 18-10 ¼ (5.75m) to 18-8 ¼ (5.70m).
NBC Coverage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5r3X06FRxY
Medalists:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1985_IAAF_World_Indoor_Games
2019— The Bullis School (Potomac,Md) set a U.S. High School Record of 3:12.53 in the Boys 4×400 at the Virginia Showcase in Lynchburg,Virginia. The team came back the next day to set the current National best of 1:25.60 in the 4×200. The school lowered the 4×400 record to 3:11.87 in 2024.
Lineups
4×200-Ashton Allen, Austin Allen, Andre Turay, Ryan Willie
4×400- Andre Turay 49.4, Ryan Willie 48.5, Jay Pendarvis 48.0, Ashton Allen 46.6
Significant Birthdays
Born On This Day*
Vashti Cunningham 27 (1998) Had a great senior year at Bishop Gorman H.S. in Las Vegas in 2016. Won the U.S. Indoor
title in the High Jump in Portland with an Indoor prep record of 6-6 ¼ (1.99) (also a World Junior Indoor Record).
Returning to Portland a week later, she won the World Indoor title with a clearance of 6-5 (1.95) (Turned pro soon
after). Went on to make the U.S. Olympic team with a 2nd-place finish at the Trials. Made the final in Rio, but
finished 13th after clearing only 6-2(1.88).
Has now represented the U.S. at the last 7 global outdoor championships
2016 OG (13th)
2017 WC (10th)
2019 WC (bronze medalist)
2021 OG (6th)
2022 WC (qualifying round)
2023 WC (11th)
2024 OG (5th)
Was also the silver medalist at the 2018 World Indoor Championships (gold in 2016)
6-time U.S. Champion (2017-2019,2021-O.T., 2022, 2023); 8-time U.S. Indoor Champion (2016-2020, 2022-
2024);
PB: 6-7 ½ (2.02/2021/#4 All-Time U.S.); 6-6 3/4i (2.00/2021-2023/=#3 A-T U.S.); 2023 SB: 6-6 3/4i (2.00)
Set the U.S. High School Outdoor Record of 6-5 (1.96) in 2015; Set the U.S. Junior Outdoor Record of 6-5 ½ (1.97)
in 2016
2015 U.S. and Pan American Junior champion.
Ranked #7 in the world in 2023, #6 in 2021, #4 in 2019, #5 in 2017 & 2018, #7-2016); #1 American: 2017-2019,
2021-2023)
Coached by her father, former NFL quarterback Randall Cunningham, who was a 6-10 jumper in high school
Older brother Randall won the 2016 NCAA High Jump title(USC)…also won the 2018 NCAA Indoor title, but suffered
breaks in his tibia and femur on his first attempt at 7-7 ¼.
(2015) https://www.worldathletics.org/news/feature/vashti-cunningham-usa-high-jump
Wiki Bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vashti_Cunningham
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/132053 (Through 2023)
Post-’24 Trials: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xmv9LRf45zA
Courtney Frerichs 32 (1993) Silver medalist in the Steeplechase at the Tokyo Olympics
Improved her own American Record to 8:57.77 at the 2021 Pre Classic (1st American under 9-minutes)
Provided one of the biggest surprises of the 2017 World Championships by winning the silver
medal behind gold medalist Emma Coburn! 6th at the 2019 and 2022 World Championships
Fell in her heat at the 2023 U.S. Championships. Still qualified for the final, but didn’t go to the starting line. Had still
been recovering from ankle surgery in December, 2022. Only raced once in 2024—15:01.06i/Feb.9
Post-Race Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=3J4CM_x5CSI
2016 NCAA Champion—Steeplechase (New Mexico);
2016 U.S. Olympian (11th in Rio);
Ranked #2 in the world in 2021, #10-2019, 2018-#6, 2017-#7)
Top finisher (4th) on New Mexico’s NCAA Championships X-Country team in 2015
Announced in January, 2024, that she was leaving the Bowerman Track Club after spending the last 7
years with the team. Now training in North Carolina with coaches Alistair and Amy Cragg.
PBs: 2:06.33 (’20), 4:07.39 (’20), 4:35.01 (’23), 8:47.90 (’20), 14:50.06 (’20), 31:23.13 (’20),
8:57.77 (2021/#10 All-Time World)
2017 WC: Shocked! Photos Video(Highlights) Full Race
Q&A (Jan. 2024): https://fastwomen.substack.com/p/fast-women-q-and-a-with-courtney?subscribe_prompt=free
Tokyo(includes race highlights)
http://www.olympedia.org/athletes/132023
’21 OG Report: http://www.olympedia.org/results/19000767
Post-Surgery: https://www.instagram.com/courtneyfrerichs/p/C0hs3vPPIsC/?img_index=1
Mary Keitany—Kenya
