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–June 11
By Walt Murphy’s News and Results Service (wmurphy25@aol.com), used with permission.
1927—Auburn senior Weems Baskin (14.9) won the 120y-Hurdles at the NCAA Championships at Chicago’s Soldier Field.
He would become the long-time coach at the University of South Carolina
Other winners included:
Washington junior Herman Brix Shot Put 46-7 ¼ (14.20); Would win the silver medal at the 1928 Olympics
Michigan State senior Fred Alderman 100y (9.9) 220y (21.1/straight)
Butler senior Hermon Phillips 440y 48.5 MR
Illinois senior John Sittig 880y 1:54.2 MR
Iowa State senior Ray Conger Mile 4:17.6 MR
Georgia Tech sophomore Ed Hamm Long Jump 24-1
https://trackandfieldnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/1927.pdf
http://www.ustfccca.org/awards/weems-baskin-ustfccca-special-inductee
1932—Marquette sophomore Ralph Metcalfe was a double winner at the NCAA Championships in Chicago. He set an American Record of 10.2 for 100-meters (timed in 9.5 for 100-yards) and a World Record of 20.5 for 220-yards on the straightaway (AR of 20.3 for 200-meters). Metcalfe would go on to win silver in the 100, bronze in the 200, at the Los Angeles Olympics later in the season.
Another sophomore, Kansas’ Glenn Cunningham, got credit for two American Records–winning the Mile in 4:11.1 and being timed at 1500-meters in 3:53.1.
Iowa’s George Saling set a Collegiate Record of 14.1 in the 120-Yard Hurdles.
Results: https://trackandfieldnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/1932.pdf
Metcalfe: https://www.usatf.org/athlete-bios/ralph-metcalfe
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Metcalfe
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenn_Cunningham_(athlete)
1949–The great Emil Zátopek set a World Record of 29:28.2 for 10,000-Meters in Ostrava.
WR Progression: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/10,000_metres_world_record_progression
1954–Parry O’Brien had the greatest series in history in the Shot Put at the Southern Pacific AAU meet in Los Angeles.
The former USC Trojan opened with a modest 57-3 (17.45), then improved to 59-1/2 (17.99+) with his 2nd toss. Next was a throw of 60-5 ½ (18.42+), just ¼” short of his World Record of 60-5 ¾ (18.43). He got his 1st WR of the day with his 4th throw of 60-6 (18.44) before backing off to 60-1/2 (18.30) in the 5th round. The 1952 Olympic Champion saved his best for last, improving the World Record to 60-10 (18.54) on his final throw. He would set a total of 10 official World Records during his career and would win a 2nd Olympic title in 1956.
WR Progression: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Men%27s_shot_put_world_record_progression
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parry_O%27Brien
1955–UCLA’s Rafer Johnson scored 7,985 points in the Decathlon in Kingsburg, California, to break Bob Mathias’s 3-year old World Record of 7,887. Kingsburg is home to Rafer Johnson Junior H.S.
WR Progression: http://www.decathlon2000.com/eng/844/
1966–Tommie Smith set a World Record of 20.0 for 220-yards in Sacramento. Henry Carr set the previous mark of 20.2 in 1964. Smith had set a WR of 19.5 for 220-yards on the straightaway the previous month.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Men%27s_200_metres_world_record_progression
RelatedPosts
Author
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."
View all posts