by RBR AdminWalt 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: WaltMurphy44@gmail.com ) for the entire daily service. We will post a few historic moments each day, beginning February 1, 2024.
(c)Copyright 2025- all rights reserved. It may not be reprinted or retransmitted without permission.
By Walt Murphy’s News and Results Service (wmurphy25@aol.com), used with permission.
This Day in Track & Field– May 11
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 2nd 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) H.S.
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 2025 edition of the meet began on Thursday and concluded yesterday (May 8-10)
Meet Site: http://www.theloucksgames.org/
History: https://www.theloucksgames.org/meet-history
2025 Results: https://results.leonetiming.com/?mid=7864
1968—Rarely has a Mile Relay won in 3:09.4 generated as much excitement as did 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 at the same time, 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-meters at the Mexico City Olympics later in the year, with Evans setting a World Record of 43.86, and would team with Vince Matthews to win the 4×400 relay in the World Record time of 2:56.16.
1974–Ivory Crockett set a World Record of 9.0 for the 100-yard dash at the Tom Black Classic in Knoxville. Crockett, who ran with a note in one of his shoes that had a predicted time of 8.9 written on it, broke a logjam of previous record holders at 9.1 that included a “Who’s Who” of great sprinters–Bob Hayes, Canadian Harry Jerome, Jim Hines, Charlie Greene, John Carlos, and Steve Williams. Tennessee’s Reggie Jones, who had gotten most of the pre-race attention, finished 2nd in 9.2.
Sports Illustrated Vault(Crockett backs up his WR):
https://vault.si.com/vault/1974/06/03/gold-to-ivory-ashes-for-tony
T&F News Interview: https://trackandfieldnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/June74IV.pdf
T&F News Cover– https://trackandfieldnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/1974_06I.jpg
Overshadowed by Crockett’s record run was Tennessee’s Doug Brown, who ran 8:23.2 in the Steeplechase to break Sid Sink’s American Record of 8:26.4. Unlike Crockett, who had kept his record prediction to himself, Brown, who had won the NCAA-AAU double the previous year (he also was the 1974 NCAA and 1980 AAU Champion), had openly stated that he was going after the record. The eventual 3-time Olympian (1972,1976,1980) lost his concentration after the first mile, but was spurred on by Volunteer coach Stan Huntsman, who told him to pick up the pace. Brown set another American Record (8:19.3) in 1978 and went on to become the head men’s coach at Tennessee and Florida. (From T&F News).
1979—Evelyn Ashford got the first of her many American Records by running 11.07 for 100-meters in Kingston, Jamaica. Brenda Morehead set the previous mark of 11.08 in 1976,
Hall of Fame Bio(1997): https://www.usatf.org/athlete-bios/evelyn-ashford
1980—Poland’s Władysław Kozakiewicz jumped 18-9 ¼ (5.72) in Milan, Italy, to break Dave Roberts’ World Record in the Pole Vault (18-8 ¼ [5.70]). He also bettered Mike Tully’s best of 18-8 ¾ (5.71), which was never accepted as a WR due to measurement irregularities.
Kozakiewicz would win the gold medal at the Moscow Olympics later in the year. He became famous for the gesture he made to the Soviet crowd that booed him during the competition.
https://culture.pl/en/article/kozakiewicz-pole-vault-olympics-scandal-poland
WR Progression: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Men’s_pole_vault_world_record_progression
Wiki Bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Władysław_Kozakiewicz
1985–The Women’s 100-Meter Hurdles was a loaded affair at the Western Collegiate A.A. Championships in Los Angeles, with most of the finalists going on to have success at the NCAA Championships the following month. Leading the way were UCLA teammates Jackie Joyner (Kersee) and Gail Devers, both of whom went on to have Hall-of-Fame careers.
Wind: -0.1
1.Jackie Joyner (UCLA) 13.31 – runner-up NCAA 400H, plus 3rd in 100H & TJ
2.Gail Devers (UCLA) 13.32 – 6th in 3 individual events at NCAA (100, 200, 100h)
3.Maryse Ewanje-Epee (Az) 13.86 – runner-up NCAA HJ
4.LaTanya Sheffield (SDi) 13.89 – won NCAA 400H
5.Wendy Brown (USC) 14.22 – set WR in NCAA TJ qual, 4th in final (as well as in LJ)
6.Yvette Bates (USC) 14.24
7.Katrena Johnson (Az) nt – won NCAA HJ with Collegiate Record
1985—Senior Roy “Robot” Martin (Dallas-Roosevelt,TX) set a U.S. High School Record of 20.13 at the Texas state meet in Austin. He would equal that time the following month at the U.S. Championships in Indianapolis. 4th at the 1984 U.S. Olympic Trials, Martin made it to the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, but was eliminated in the semi-final round,
His record lasted for 31 years until Noah Lyles (T.C.Williams,VA) ran 20.09 at the 2016 U.S.Olympic Trials in Eugene.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Martin_(sprinter)
Tribute Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZDctV8nZHw
2013—Arizona senior Brigetta Barrett set the current Collegiate Outdoor Record of 6-6 ¼ (1.99) at the PAC-12 Championships in Los Angeles. The previous record of 6-6 (1.98) was jointly held by Amy Acuff (UCLA/1995) and Kajsa Bergqvist (SMU/1999). Barrett found time to run a heat of the 400 (55.63) in-between jumps!
Barrett, who had won the silver medal at the 2012 Olympics in London, continued her 2013 season by winning her 6th NCAA title (2011-2013/indoors & outdoors), her 2nd U.S. title (with a personal best jump of 6-8 ¼ [2.04]), and another silver medal at the World Championships in Moscow. She “retired” in 2016, but competed again in 2017, finishing the season with a best of 6-3 ¼ (1.91). (Hasn’t competed since then).
2019—Just as Johnny “Lam” Jones attained legendary status among Texas fans for his amazing come-from-behind anchor leg in the Mile Relay at the 1976 State meet, so did Matt Boling (Strake Jesuit-Houston) at the 6A Championships in Austin.
Already the winner of the 100-meters in 10.13, a National Federation Record, and the Long Jump with a wind-aided mark of 25-4 ½ (7.73), Boling finished off his memorable day by running a 44.7 anchor leg, one of the fastest ever by a prep, in the 4×400 relay that erased a huge deficit and brought his team home in 1st place (3:10.56).
Boling was selected as Track and Field News’ Male H.S. Athlete of the Year in 2019.
Read more at the links below.
4×400 Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0NPo8ZyF_o
https://trackandfieldnews.com/texas-state-boys-matthew-boling-creates-new-legend/
https://deadspin.com/matthew-bolings-100-meter-national-record-wasnt-even-hi-1834703582
2019—LSU freshman Mondo Duplantis won the Pole Vault at the SEC Championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas, with a clearance of 19-8 ¼ (6.00), breaking the Collegiate Record of 19-7 ½ (5.98) that was set by Tennessee’s Lawrence Johnson in 1996.
Kentucky’s Daniel Roberts handed Florida’s Grant Holloway (13.12) one of his rare losses in 2019, winning the 110-Meter Hurdles in 13.07.
Born On This Day*
Tomáš Dvořák-Czech Republic 53 (1972) 3-time World Champion—Decathlon (‘97,’99,’01); ’93-10th, ‘95-5th, ‘03-4th, ’05-8th
1996 Olympic bronze medalist (2000-6th, 2005-DNF)
Set a World Record of 8994 points in 1996…still #5 All-Time…only man with three scores at 8900 points or higher
(8900-2000, 8902-2001)
Ranked #1 in the world four times by T&F News (1997,1999-2001)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomáš_Dvořák
WR Report: https://www.worldathletics.org/news/report/tomas-dvorak-breaks-obriens-decathlon-record
In His Own Words: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIRoQfY-EWs
IAAF Profile: https://www.worldathletics.org/athletes/czech-republic/tomas-dvorak-14168964
TFN Rankings: https://trackandfieldnews.com/rankings/
All-Time List: https://trackandfieldnews.com/tfn-lists/world-all-time-list-men/
Jürgen Schult—“East” Germany 65 (1960) 4-time Olympian was the 1988 gold medalist in the Discus (‘92-Silver, ‘96-6th,
‘00-8th)
Competed in 6 World Championships: 1987-Gold, 1999-Silver, 1993&1997-Bronze(‘83-5th, ‘91-6th)
Set a World Record of 243-0 (74.08) in 1986. The record stood for almost 38 years until Lithuania’s Mykolas
Alekna threw 243-11 (74.35) on April 14, 2024
Made Track & Field News’ Top-10 World Rankings 18 years in a row (1983-2000/#1 ‘87,’88,’89).
T&FN Rankings: https://trackandfieldnews.com/rankings/
Videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSV1AkpGjhQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJQFhV6CHHM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNSKk0CDKSQ
Deceased
Yuriy Sedykh—Ukraine 67 (1955-Sep.14, 2021) 2-time Olympic gold medalist—Hammer (1976, 1980/Silver-1988)
Missed the 1984 Olympics due to the Soviet boycott.
1991 World Champion (Silver-1983)
3-time European Champion(1978, 1982, 1986)
Set six World Records, including the current one: 284-7 (86.74)
Ranked #1 in the world 8 times by T&F News…made the top-10 18 times from 1975-1994.
Had a great rivalry with fellow Soviet Sergei Litvinov, who beat him at the 1983 World Championships
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/77629
https://worldathletics.org/athletes/ussr/yuriy-sedykh-14223834
WR Progression: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Men%27s_hammer_throw_world_record_progression
Rankings: https://trackandfieldnews.com/rankings/
WR(86.74) Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xldq4VHntFQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEcY24YAWyk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0tE6Ycsw8g
Willie Applegarth-Great Britain 68 (1890-Dec.5, 1958) 1912 Olympic gold medalist—4×100 (bronze-200m)
Tied the world record of 10.6 for 100-meters in 1912
A 1914 article referred to him as “Britain’s Most Famous Athlete”
Harold Abrahams, the 1924 Olympic champion at 100-meters, and the subject of the movie “Chariots of Fire”, is
reported to have patterned his style of running after Applegarth’s.
After moving to the U.S., he became the track and soccer coach for a brief period at Mercersburg Academy in
Pennsylvania
From Olympedia:
In November 1914, Applegarth turned professional and twice beat the Australian Jack Donaldson, the reigning
“world champion”. He continued to run as a “pro” after the war but in 1922 he immigrated to America, where he
took up an appointment as a soccer and track coach at Mercersburg Academy in Pennsylvania. During his early days in the US he played for Brooklyn in the American Soccer League and took part in a few exhibition races. On one notable occasion, at Fordham University, he beat Robert McAllister, who was one of the leading American sprinters of the time. Willie Applegarth’s coaching appointment at Mercersburg was relatively short-lived and in 1925 he joined the General Electric Company as a welder. He remained with the company for 30 years until his retirement in 1955.
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/68844
Forgotten Hero: http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/7129769.Sprinter_supreme_is_long_forgotten_hero/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willie_Applegarth
Great Uncle Willie:
http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/6970792.The_real_life_Boy_s_Own_story_of_Great_Uncle_Willie/
