This Day in Track & Field History, June 8, Abel Kiviat gets the WR (1912), Helen Stephens breaks her 100m WR at age 18 (1936), by Walt Murphy News and Results Services

Walt Murphy is one of the finest track statisticians 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.

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

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

Walt Murphy’s News and Results Service (wmurphy25@aol.com)

This Day in Track & Field-June 8

1912–Hall-of-Famer Abel Kiviat set the first recognized World Record (by the IAAF) in the Men’s 1500, running 3:52.8 in front of 20,000 fans at the U.S. Eastern Olympic Trials at Harvard. Same for Dartmouth’s Marc Wright, who cleared 13-2 ¼ (4.02m) in the Pole Vault. Later in the year, Kiviat and Wright went on to win silver medals in their respective events at the Olympics in Stockholm.

While Kiviat’s mark was the first official record for the distance, he had previously lowered the 1500 best twice during the previous two weeks. On May 26, he ran 3:59.2 to better Great Britain’s Harold Wilson’s mark of 3:59.8, and on June 2, he ran 3:56.8.

Willie Kramer, a 3-time U.S. X-Country Champion (1909, 1911, 1912) set American Records for 6-miles (30:43.4) and 10,000-meters (31:43.6).

Kiviat’s HOF Bio: https://www.usatf.org/athlete-bios/abel-kiviat

From the IAAF’s Progression of World Records(order info). http://www.iaaf.org/about-iaaf/publications

WR Progressions:

10,000: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1500_metres_world_record_progression

Pole Vault: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Men%27s_pole_vault_world_record_progression

Jeff Benjamin on Kiviat: www.silive.com/northshore/index.ssf/2012/05/kiviats_magic_revisited_on_100.html

1929—Ohio State junior George Simpson became the first man to run 9.4 for 100 yards at the NCAA Championships at Stagg Field in Chicago. The mark was accepted as a Collegiate Record but not as an American or World Record since the starting blocks used hadn’t yet been accepted as legal equipment. The AAU eventually ratified the time in 1944 (from the Progression of IAAF World Records). Simpson also won the 220y (straight-20.8/MR) to help Ohio State win the team title.

He finished 2^nd in the 100y at the 1928 and 1930 NCAA Championships and was 2^nd and 1^st, respectively, in the 220y in 1928 and 1930.

Simpson won the silver medal in the 200 meter at the 1932 Olympics after finishing 4^th in the 100

Results: https://trackandfieldnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/1929.pdf

https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/79045

Helen Stephens, photo by Willam Woods College

1936—18-year old Helen Stephens, a senior at Fulton(MO) H.S., ran 11.6 for 100-Meters in Kansas City(MO) to break her 2-year old American Record of 11.9. The multi-talented Stephens, who excelled in many sports, went on to win gold medals at the Berlin Olympics in the 100-Meters and the 4×100 Relay.

Historic Missourians: https://historicmissourians.shsmo.org/stephens-helen/

Helen Stephens wins 100m in 1936 Olympics, photo by Willams Wood Echoes

1946—Bob Fitch, using the “Minnesota Whip,” a throwing technique he developed, set a World Record of 180-2 ¾ (54.93) in the Discus at the Minnesota AAU Championships in Minneapolis. His training partner, Fortune Gordien, finished second, throwing 161-4 (49.17).

Fitch won the 1942 NCAA title while a senior at Minnesota and was a 2-time U.S. Champion (1942,1946).

Gordien, another Minnesota grad, went on to have a Hall-of-Fame career, winning three NCAA (1946-1948) and 6 U.S. (1947-1950,1953-1954) titles, setting four World Records, and winning two Olympic medals (bronze-1948, silver-1956).

Wiki Bio: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Fitch

Minnesota Hall of Fame:

Fitch: https://gophersports.com/sports/2018/5/21/sports-m-club-spec-rel-hof-fitch-html

Gordien: https://gophersports.com/news/2007/9/6/Fortune_Gordien

WR Progression: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Men%27s_discus_throw_world_record_progression

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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