by Larry Eder
This Day in Track & Field–January 12
1957–While leafing through old issues of Track and Field News, it’s always a kick to come across what was probably the first mention of an athlete who went on to achieve greatness. Such was the case in the January, 1957, issue, when Joe Galli wrote, “Aussie track was lifted out of the ‘post-Olympic doldrums’ (WM-Melbourne had just hosted the 1956 Games) by the appearance of a potential top world class miler, Herb Elliott of Perth”.
The 18-year old Elliott, who was being coached by the legendary Percy Cerutty, had run 4:06.0 for the mile on this day at Olympic Park to break fellow Australian Ron Clarke’s unofficial World Junior record by .8s. Elliott went on to set World Records in the 1500 and mile and win the gold medal in the 1500-meters at the 1960 Olympics, and is considered one of the greatest milers in history. Cerutty had predicted 2-years earlier that Elliott would become a world record holder, but the youngster’s career suffered a temporary setback in a freak accident in late 1955 when a piano crushed his foot!
Elliott Photos: http://tinyurl.com/yaxxn9r
https://vault.si.com/vault/1958/11/10/the-amazing-herb-elliott
https://www.life.com/history/training-with-the-worlds-first-paleo-crossfitting-locavore/
1974–The 55th (and final) edition of the NY Knights of Columbus, once one of the crown jewels of the NY indoor circuit, was held at the Nassau Coliseum.
Among the highlights: Dick Buerkle, a day after beating Steve Prefontaine at 2-miles in College Park, won the mile in 4:00.3; Dwight Stones won the High Jump (7-2 [2.18.5]), Herb Washington (6.1) won the 60y over Steve Williams (6.2); Rick Wohlhuter won the 880y (1:51.5); and Byron Dyce won the 1000y (2:09.3).
1975—The 1st preliminary meet of the Colgate Women’s Games was held at NY’s Armory. The meet was founded by Fred Thompson, the coach of the Atoms Track Club. Among the athletes who have participated in the meet are Diane Dixon, Sandra Farmer-Patrick, and Dalilah Muhammad.
From the meet’s website:
“The Colgate Women’s Games is the nation’s largest amateur track series open to all girls from elementary school through college and beyond. Competitors participate in preliminary meets and a semi-finals to determine finalists who will compete for trophies and educational grants-in-aid from Colgate-Palmolive Company. Our goal is to provide an athletic competition that helps the participating young girls and women develop a strong sense of personal achievement, self-esteem, instill the importance of education and provide a training ground for those who might not otherwise participate in an organized sport.”
1977–The first issue of my first newsletter–Eastern Track–appeared. The publication was started as a replacement for “The New Breed”, which was published by Pete Schuder while he was coaching at Columbia University. T&F News editor Garry Hill would later describe E.T. as a “funky newsletter”!
While The New Breed primarily covered the IC4A, the “original E.T.” expanded to include coverage of all schools in the Northeast (Men & Women–Maine to Virginia), and also covered high school and open action. In that pre-internet/laptop era, results were prepared on an old-fashioned typewriter and the newsletter was run off on a mimeograph machine (that I still have!) that Schuder had used (you youngsters can ask your parents to explain those ancient artifacts).
Among the results included in that first issue: Princeton’s Craig Masback won the Mile in 4:18.8 in a tri-meet with St.John’s and Temple, and a 1000y in 2:13.9 in a dual meet with Rutgers; In the first meet held at Fordham’s Vince Lombardi Center, former Ram Marcel Philippe won the 1000y (2:11.4) and Mile (4:11.0); Former NYU star Byron Dyce won a 1/2-mile race at NY’s Armory in 1:53.8; Jan Merrill ran faster than Mary Decker’s World Record (2:26.7) in the Women’s 1000y by running 2:25.2 on Army’s oversized track; Tim St Lawrence jumped 16-1 (4.905) to win his 15th consecutive Metropolitan AAU Senior title in the Pole Vault (8 indoors, 7 outdoors); New Jersey prep Renaldo Nehemiah, a senior at Scotch Plains (NJ) H.S., ran 6.9 twice in the prelims of a development meet at Princeton to tie the National H.S. Record in the 60y-hurdles (4 hurdles), then ran 7.0 in the final.
While E.T. is no longer available in its printed form (a high of 15 issues a year at its peak), I’ve tried to keep its spirit alive with email reports as part of my “News & Results Service”.
1979–Maryland sophomore Renaldo Nehemiah ran 7.02 to break his own World Record in the 60-yard hurdles at the CYO meet in College Park,Md.
Germany’s Thomas Wessinghage (3:57.2) won a star-studded Mile over Paul Cummings (3:57.8), Villanova’s Amos Korir (3:59.3), Steve Lacy (3:59.4), Matt Centrowitz (4:02.1), and Marty Liquori (4:03.0).
Charlotte Bradley (2:06.6) won the Women’s 880y over 16-year old Joetta Clark (2:08.0) and former prep star Robin Campbell (2:10.3). Another 16-year old, Sandra Farmer (Patrick), won the 440y in 56.6.
Both Clark and Farmer-Patrick went on to have Hall-of-Fame careers, Clark in the 800, SFP in the 400-meter hurdles.
Other highlights: Herman Frazier won the Men’s 500y (56.4), Suleiman Nyambui won the Men’s 2-mile in 8:35.2, Francie Larrieu won the Women’s Mile in 4:29.7, and Mark Belger (1:48.9) won the Men’s 880y over Mark Enyeart. Field event winners were Earl Bell
(17-6 [5.335?]) in the Pole Vault (over Mike Tully and Billy Olson, both of whom cleared 17-0 [5.18]) and Franklin Jacobs in the High Jump (7-4 [2.235?]).
Fairmont Heights(MD), coached by Bob Rothenberg, set a U.S. High School Record of 3:18.4 in the Mile Relay with a lineup of Mike McEaddy (50.4), John Wallace (48.2), Darryl Gill (50.2), and Tyrone Cross (49.6).
1980–Competing in Berlin, East Germany’s Marita Koch (11.15) and Marlies Göhr (11.16) both bettered Gohr’s previous World Indoor Record of 11.29 in the rarely-contested 100-meters
All-Time Top-5 Performers
11.15 Marita Koch GDR 1 Berlin 12 Jan 1980
11.16 Marlies Göhr GDR 2 Berlin 12 Jan 1980
11.18 Christine Arron FRA 1 Tampere 4 Feb 1998
11.21 Merlene Ottey JAM 1 Tampere 12 Feb 2001
11.23 Svetlana Goncharenko RUS 1 Moscow 8 Feb 1998
2007–Francena McCorory, a freshman at Hampton University, bettered her own American Record for 300-meters (36.96) with her winning time of 36.67 at the Virginia Tech Invitational. Her time also established a World Junior Record. McCorory became one of the best female ¼-milers in the world, winning gold medals in the 4×400 relay at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics.
2008–The host team set a Collegiate Record of 1:36.43 in the Women’s 4×200 at the Virginia Tech Inv. The lineup consisted of Patrice Potts, Britni Spruill, and hurdlers Kristi Castlin and Queen Harrison (Claye). The previous mark of 1:36.5 (hand-time for 4x220y) was set by the Tennessee State Tigerbelles in 1979. The current record is 1:35.65, set by Penn State in 2014.
2013—Junior Mary Cain (Bronxville,NY) ran 9:02.10 for 3000-meters, much faster than Melody Fairchild’s 22-year old H.S. Record of 9:17.4, but the mark was ineligible for record consideration since it was made on the University of Washington’s oversized track.in Seattle (300-meters/flat).
2018—A new chapter was added to the rich history of Coogan’s, the #1 T&F-friendly bar/restaurant in the world.
Just 3 days after word got out that the establishment was closing due to a proposed rent increase that couldn’t be met, the owners and the landlord (New York-Presbyterian Hospital) announced that a deal had been reached that would allow the popular gathering place (right around the corner from the famed Armory) to remain open!
Local politicians, knowing what Coogan’s meant to the Washington Heights neighborhood, were instrumental in making the deal happen. It also didn’t hurt that the news of the imminent closing of Coogan’s had put the hospital in a bad light. Local TV crews aired reports and the online response was widespread, fueled in no small part by a Tweet posted by Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, who grew up in nearby Inwood and was a regular patron at Coogan’s.
The Broadway star and his dad, Luis A. Miranda Jr., a political consultant, were among the celebrants at Coogan’s when the new agreement was reached!
The younger Mr. Miranda joined one of its owners, Peter Walsh, in serenading a diner who was celebrating her birthday. They were cheered by the entire restaurant when they finished, and then again after Mr. Miranda pumped his fist in the air and shouted, “Coogan’s!” (From the NY Times)
Alas, the “rebirth” of Coogan’s was short-lived, since the restrictions forced on it by the coronavirus led the owners to close the doors for good in April, 2020!
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/09/nyregion/coogans-washington-heights-closing.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/12/nyregion/coogans-bar-staying-open.html
https://pix11.com/2018/01/12/famed-manhattan-bar-coogans-will-remain-open/
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/21/nyregion/new-york-coronavirus.html
2018—Senior Mondo Duplantis (Lafayette,LA) raised his World Junior and U.S. High School Indoor Records from 19-1 (5.82) to
19-1 ½ (5.83) at the Pole Vault Summit in Reno,Nevada.
2019—Penn State junior Danae Rivers ran 2:38.58 for 1000-meters on her home track to smash the previous Collegiate Record of 2:40.79, which was set by Oklahoma State’s Kaela Edwards in 2017.
2024—Texas senior Yusuf Bizimana set a Collegiate Record of 2:18.10 for 1000-meters at the Rod McCravy Invitational in Louisville, Kentucky. The 2023 NCAA Indoor Champion at 800-meters, a native of England, bettered the previous mark of 2:18.26 that was set by Penn State’s Brannon Kidder in 2016.
Significant Birthdays
Born On This Day*
Chaunté Howard-Lowe 41 (1984) 2012 World Indoor Champion-High Jump (2010-bronze);
Silver medalist at the 2005 World Championships
2008 Olympic bronze medalist—originally finished 6th in Seoul, but was upgraded to 3rd in 2017 after the 3rd, 4th,
and 5th place finishers were all retroactively disqualified for doping violations!
With her husband Mario and their 3 children by her side, she was presented her medal in 2017 at the Team USA
Awards (see video link)
“It’s easy to look at this situation and think about all that was lost, but I choose to look forward to all that was
gained,” Lowe said in a press release. “In the last nine years, I have met amazing new people, my husband and I
have had two additional children, and all three of our kids can now understand the gravity of this moment. I am
proud to have represented this country with integrity that withstood the test of time!”
4-time U.S. Olympian—2004 (qualifying round), 2012-6th, 2016-4th. Had hoped to make her 5th team in 2021, but
only managed a best of 5-10 ¾(1.80) during the season (never made it to the U.S. Trials). DIdn’t compete from 2018-2020.
8-time U.S. Champion (2006, 2008-2010, 2012, 2014-2016); 4-time U.S. Indoor Champion (‘06, ‘10, ‘12, ‘15)
2004 NCAA Outdoor champion, 2004-2005 NCAA Indoor Champion (Georgia Tech);
American Indoor (6-7 ½ [2.02]) and Outdoor (6-8 ¾ [2.05]) Record holder; 12-time U.S. Champion(4-indoors, 8-
outdoors)
Was coached throughout her career by former high jumper Nat Page, her coach at Georgia Tech
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/107100
Breast Cancer Survivor:
https://www.si.com/olympics/2020/05/29/chaunte-lowe-breast-cancer-olympics-tokyo-track-and-field
2021 NCAA Inspiration Award Recipient:
http://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/media-center/news/2021-inspiration-award-chaunt-lowe
Husband-Mario, Children-Jasmine, Aurora, and Mario Josiah.
Outdoor AR: http://www.flotrack.org/video/343958-chaunte-lowe-high-jump-ar-205
http://olympics.nbcsports.com/2017/11/14/chaunte-lowe-olympic-bronze-medal-high-jump/
Medal Ceremony: http://olympics.nbcsports.com/2017/12/23/chaunte-lowe-medal-ceremony-video/
https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/chaunte-lowe-14312978
Sir John Walker-New Zealand 73 (1952) 1976 Olympic gold medalist—1500m; 1984-8th in the 5000;
First man under 3:50 in the mile (3:49.4/1975). Ran more than 100 sub-4 minute miles
PBs: 1:44.92 (‘74), 2:16.57 (‘80), 3:32.4 (‘75), 3:49.08 (‘82), 4:51.52/2k (‘76/WR at the time), 7:37.49 (’82),
13:19.28 (’86)
Has been battling Parkinson’s Disease for more than 20 years.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Walker_(runner)
http://www.olympedia.org/athletes/74363
Reunion: http://tinyurl.com/JohnWalkerReunion
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/john-walker-kiwi-flyer-who-beat-the-wind/7TFQMS4LQCQOB6V4WKM5TJPC3E/
Olympic Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tg2d_s1wfcU
WR & Olympic Finish: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmwYyBJOu6U
1976 Documentary: https://www.nzonscreen.com/title/john-walker-the-3-49-4-man-1976
Statue: https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/sport/326993/olympic-gold-medallist-sir-john-walker-gets-bronze
https://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/sport/68506942/Sir-John-Walker-steps-down-from-council-committee
2008 Article:
Brendan Foster-Great Britain 77 (1948) 1976 Olympic bronze medalist -10,000m
3-time Olympian-1972 (1500-5th); 1976 (5000-5th, 10,000-3rd); 1980 (10,000-11th)
Former World Record holder—3000m (7:35.2/1974), 2-miles (8:13.68/1973)
PBs: 3:37.64 (’74), 3:55.9 (’72), 7:35.2 (’74), 8:13.68 (’73), 13:14.6 (’74), 27:30.30 (’78)
Great North Run: http://tinyurl.com/GreatNorthRun-Foster
http://www.olympedia.org/athletes/69059
Deceased
Spyros (aka Spyridon) Louis–Greece 67 (1873-March 26, 1940) Became a national hero after winning the Marathon at the
1896 Olympics in Athens.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spyridon_Louis
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/70782
