This Day in Track & Field History, February 18, 2024, Bob Seagren, Horace Ashenfelter, by Walt Murphy's News and Results Service

Walt Murphy is one of the finest track geeks that I know. Walt does #ThisDayinTrack&FieldHistory, an excellent daily service providing the true geek’s 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.

This Day in Track & Field–February 18

This Day in Track & Field, November 11, First Track & Field Meet in U.S. (1868), Lon Myers sets AR at Mile (1882), Bill Leahy breaks 13 minutes on Van Cortlandt Park XC course (1963), by Walt Murphy’s News & Results Services

This Day in Track & Field, November 10, Walter George sets 10m WR of 52;53 (1883), Steve Foster wins NCAA Div III XC (1973), by Walt Murphy News & Results Services

This Day in Track & Field, November 8, Edward Carter wins fourth of his five US /AAU cross country champs, by Walt Murphy News & Results Services

Walt Murphy’s News and Results Service (wmurphy25@aol.com), used with permission.

(1950 Indoor Nationals, O’Brien, Runyan, Isinbaeva, Coleman/Born On This Day-Kruger, A.Goucher, Ritter, Koch/R.I.P.- Fritz Pollard, Jr., Homer Jones, Lambert Redd, Roy Chernock)

Harrison Dillard served in famed 92nd Infantry, aka Buffalo Soldiers in 1943. In London 1948, won 100m and 4x100m. In 1952, Harrison won 110m gold and 4x100m hurdles. Photo by Wikipedia Commons.

1950—Freshman John Joe Barry, Villanova’s first recruit from Ireland, won the mile(4:11.5) by 5 yards over Horace Ashenfelter at the U.S. Indoor Championships before 12,500 fans at Madison Square Garden. (Barry was born in Illinois, but grew up in Ireland).

Other notable winners:

60y-Andy Stanfield (6.2)

1000y-Roscoe Lee Browne (2:15.6)…went on to have a successful career as an actor

60yh-Harrison Dillard (7.3) won the 4^th of his eventual 8 titles

Pole Vault-Bob Richards (14’/4.27)

Shot Put-Jim Fuchs (56-3 5/8 [17.15+])

Mile Walk-Henry Laskau (6:33.4) won the 3^rd of his 10 consecutive titles.

Stanfield (200), Ashenfelter (Steeplechase), Dillard (110-hurdles), and Richards (PV) all went on to win Olympic gold

In 1952. Dillard had previously won the 100 meters at the 1948 Olympics.

NY Times Coverage

1956–A week after improving his world indoor record in the Shot Put to 59-9 (18.21), Parry O’Brien ignored the 60-foot barrier by winning the AAU title in New York with an amazing toss of 61-5 ¼ (18.725m?). That was also better than his outdoor record of 60-10 (18.54) It was the 4^th of his 9 consecutive U.S. indoor titles.

Another WR was set by Bob Backus in the 35lb-Weight Throw (63-10 ½ [19.47]). It was the 3^rd of his 7 U.S. titles.

Results (for T&FN Subscribers): https://trackandfieldnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/eTN1956_vol02_14.pdf

Past U.S. Champions: https://www.flipsnack.com/USATF/usatf-indoor-champions/full-view.html

1967—Bob Seagren set an American Record of 17-3 (5.26) in the Pole Vault at the Cleveland Knights of Columbus meet.

Report (For T&F News Subscribers)

1967(Updated)–Taking advantage of Louisville’s spacious 220-yard wooden oval (a rarity in those days), 2 individuals and one relay team set new World Indoor Records.

Tommie Smith won the 440y in 46.2 to smash Theron Lewis’s previous mark of 47.1.

Tom Von Ruden won the 880y in 1:49.0 to break Tom Farrell’s record of 1:49.8.

Southern University won the Mile Relay in 3:10.2 to take down the former mark of 3:11.1 that they had shared with

Texas Southern.

Report (For T&F News Subscribers)

Author

Larry Eder
Larry Eder has had a 52-year involvement in the sport of athletics. Larry has experienced the sport as an athlete, coach, magazine publisher, and now, journalist and blogger. His first article, on Don Bowden, America's first sub-4 minute miler, was published in RW in 1983. Larry has published several magazines on athletics, from American Athletics to the U.S. version of Spikes magazine. He currently manages the content and marketing development of the RunningNetwork, The Shoe Addicts, and RunBlogRun. Of RunBlogRun, his daily pilgrimage with the sport, Larry says: "I have to admit, I love traveling to far away meets, writing about the sport I love, and the athletes I respect, for my readers at runblogrun.com, the most of anything I have ever done, except, maybe running itself." Also does some updates for BBC Sports at key events, which he truly enjoys. Theme song: Greg Allman, " I'm no Angel."
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