by Larry Eder
Walt Murphy’s News and Results Service ([email protected])
This Day in Track & Field–December 28
1974—Joni Huntley, a freshman at Oregon State, broke her own American Record in the Women’s High Jump (6-1/2 [1.84]) by clearing 6-1 ¼ (1.86) at the Knights of Columbus meet in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
Unheralded Dan Ripley, a Senior at San Jose State, came into the meet with a personal best of only 16-3 ½ (4.97), but had been jumping well in practice. His coach, Ernie Bullard, convinced meet officials to allow Ripley into the meet and his persistence paid off as his prize pupil cleared 17-8 (5.385?) to set a Collegiate Record.
Ripley would prove his early-season clearance was no fluke when he set a World Record of 18-1 (5.51) three weeks later in Los Angeles. He would raise the record twice more in 1976, first to 18-1 ¼ (5.52) and then to 18-2 (5.54).
1985—Another vaulter wanting to see if his training was going as well as he thought, Billy Olson decided to test himself at the traditional season-opening Knights of Columbus meet in Saskatoon. After clearing 18-9 ¼ (5.72), Olson missed his first attempt at 19-3/4 (5.81), which was a ½” higher than his American Record of 19-1/4 (5.80). Confident that he was ready to jump high, Olson had the bar raised to the World Record height of 19-2 ¾ (5.86), which he cleared cleanly on his first try. The previous record of 19-2 ¼ (5.85) was set by France’s Thierry Vigneron in 1984.
It was a welcome return to form for Olson, who had set 7 World Indoor records in 1982-1983, but had struggled with injuries and illness the next two years. His WR in Saskatoon was just a hint of things to come during an exciting 1986 season that saw the record being raised an additional 8 times by himself, Joe Dial, and Sergey Bubka!
19-2 ¾ (5.86) Billy Olson Dec.28 1985 Saskatoon
19-3 (5.87) Sergey Bubka Jan.15 1986 Osaka
19-3 ½ (5.88) Billy Olson Jan.17 1986 Los Angeles
19-3 ¾ (5.89) Billy Olson Jan.25 1986 Albuquerque
19-4 ¾ (5.91) Joe Dial Feb.1 1986 Columbia,MO
19-5 (5.92) Sergey Bubka Feb.8 1986 Moscow
19-5 ½ (5.93) Billy Olson Feb.8 1986 East Rutherford,NJ
19-5 ¾ (5.94) Sergey Bubka Feb.21 1986 Inglewood,CA
19-6 ¼ (5.95) Sergey Bubka Feb.28 1986 New York
WR Progression
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Men%27s_pole_vault_indoor_world_record_progression
Born On This Day*
Nicola McDermott Olyslagers—Australia 29 (1996) 2025 World Champion-High Jump…bronze medalist in 2023…
2017 (qual. round-NH), 2019 (qual.), 2022 (=5th)
2-time Olympic silver medalist—2021, 2024
2-time World Indoor Champion—2024, 2025
2025 Diamond League Champion
2025 World Female Field Athlete of the Year
Coached by Matt Horsnell since she was 11—trains at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra.
After each jump during competition, she does something unusual. Having returned to her kitbag and retrieved a
notepad, she proceeds to rate her performance in discrete categories – take off, run up, jump and so on
– out of 10. She then discusses these assessments with her coach, Matt Horsnell, before choosing a single area
of improvement for the next jump. “I do that faithfully following every jump,” she explains. “I’m there with my
pen. I never get 10 out of 10 – there is always something to work on.” She also crosses her fingers before each
jump!
Deeply religious: co-founded a ministry group, Everlasting Crowns, to help athletes connect with fellow Christians
and local chaplains during international competition.
PB: 6-8 ¼ (2.04/2025/Oceania Record)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicola_Olyslagers
https://worldathletics.org/athletes/australia/nicola-olyslagers-14455361
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/140579
https://worldathletics.org/awards/news/nicola-olyslagers-in-her-words
https://www.athletics.com.au/athlete/nicola-olyslagers/
https://www.instagram.com/nicola.olyslagers/?hl=en
Duane Solomon 41 (1984) 2-time U.S. Indoor (2011, 2012) and Outdoor (2013, 2014) champion at 800-meters
Former American Indoor Record holder—600m (1:15.70/2013); 6’-3 ¼”
Finished 4th in the memorable 800 final at the 2012 Olympics in London…. ran a personal best of 1:42.82…his
coach, Johnny Gray, was the only American to have ever run faster (at the time).
6th at the 2013 World Championships
All-American at USC: NCAA-2006 (5th), 2007 (7th), 2008 (3rd). Coached at USC by László Tábori
Wanting to spend more time with his family, he raced sparingly in 2017 and not at all in 2018. Despite his age
(33), he had hoped to return to top form in 2019, but only competed once (1:55.04). Announced his
retirement in June, 2020
On the 2012 Olympic Final
“It was a time I never considered possible that year. It will always be a special race for me because of the
competition I raced that day. Every single person in that race deserved to be in that final. I literally lined up with
the eight best runners I believe of that decade. It will be hard to find another high quality 800 field like that ever
again, with every runner, including David Rudisha, in their running prime.” (More at the “Hanging On” link below)
PBs: 1:13.28 (600/2013, #2 All-Time U.S., #4 A-T World/#3-#5 Indoor-Outdoor), 1:15.70i, 1:42.82 (#6 A-T U.S.)
Wife-Cindy Hang…married May 31, 2017…couple has 3 sons
2012 OG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKEOjWEzVGs
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duane_Solomon
https://www.worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/duane-solomon-14251836
Hanging On(March, 2019):
https://www.runnerspace.com/gprofile.php?mgroup_id=44531&do=news&news_id=568263
Letter to a Younger Duane: http://www.milesplit.com/articles/211016/dear-younger-me-duane-solomon
All-Time Lists: https://trackandfieldnews.com/tfn-lists/
Retirement:
https://citiusmag.com/podcast/citius-mag-podcast-duane-solomon/
James Jett 53 (1972) 1992 Olympic gold medalist—4×100
All-American at West Virginia: NCAA-1991/100 (7th), 200 (5th), 1992/100-2nd, 200 (2nd)
PBs: 10.16 (1992), 20.33 (1992)
Played 9 seasons in the NFL with the L.A./Oakland Raiders (Wide Receiver)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Jett
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/J/JettJa00.htm
Football Highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLYR-wgeBTw
James Trapp 56 (1969) 1993 World Indoor Champion—200m
All-American at Clemson: NCAA-100 (1990-5th, 1991-4th, 1992-3rd), 200 (1992-4th), 4×100(1991-2nd, 1992-6th)
PBs: 10.14 (1992), 20.17 (1992)
Spent 11 seasons in the NFL with the Raiders, Ravens and Jaguars, helping Baltimore to a victory in Super Bowl
XXXV in 2001 (defensive back)…one of his teammates on the Raiders was James Jett!
Named the Executive Director of the NFL Legends Community in 2017
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/T/TrapJa20.htm
A Changed Man: http://articles.latimes.com/2006/oct/13/sports/sp-nflcol13
https://clemsontigers.com/clemson-vault-james-trapp-a-true-clemson-champion/
https://richtakeonsports.com/episode-6-james-trapp-former-baltimore-raven/
Abdi Bile-Somalia 63 (1962) 1987 World Champion—1500m (1993-bronze); 6th at the 1996 Olympics
2-time NCAA Champion (George Mason/1985,1987)…coached by John Cook
Won the 800 and 1500 to lead George Mason to the team title at the 1985 IC4A Championships
Ranked #1 in the world in 1989 (1987-2, 1989-1, 1990-6, 1993-3, 1994-3)
Injuries kept him out of the 1988 and 1992 Olympics and the 1991 World Championships
Donated the singlet he wore at the 1987 World Championships to the MOWA Heritage Collection during the 2022
World Championships in Eugene
https://worldathletics.org/heritage/news/abdi-bile-rome-1500m-mowa-donation
Son Ahmed ran for Georgetown—2014 Big East Indoor and Outdoor champion—800m;
PBs: 1:43.60 (1989), 2:14.50 (1989), 3:30.55 (1988), 3:49.40 (1988), 4:59.70 (1987), 7:42.18 (1994)
Rankings: https://trackandfieldnews.com/rankings/
National Hero:
Going Home(2011): https://www.runnersworld.com/website-only/abdi-bile-returns-to-somalia
1985 IC4A: http://www.nytimes.com/1985/05/20/sports/abdi-leads-mason.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdi_Bile
Deceased
Charles Bennett—Great Britain 79 (1870-Dec.16, 1950/other sources show 1948 as his year of death)
Triple medalist at the 1900 Olympics in Paris:
Gold-1500, 5000-Team Race, Silver-4000m-Steeplechase
First British Olympic gold medalist in Track & Field
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Bennett_(athlete)
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/68879
http://www.racingpast.ca/bob-phillips.php?id=47
