by RBR Admin
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by Walt Murphy’s News and Results Service (wmurphy25@aol.com), used with permission
This Day in Track & Field-December 23
1960—Some familiar names competed at Ted Haydon’s 8th annual Holiday meet in Chicago (named after the legendary coach).
Willie May, the silver medalist in the 110m hurdles at the Rome Olympics earlier in the year, set a Meet Record of 7.3 in the 60y-hurdles but was beaten by Don Styron in the 60y-low hurdles. Styron’s twin brother Dave won the 60y-dash in 6.3 over Brooks Johnson.
Jim Dupree, a close 4th in the 800m at the U.S. Olympic Trials in July, won the 880y in 1:54.5, with 17-year old Tom Sullivan finishing 2nd in 1:55.0, a U.S. High School Record at the time. That was just one of many prep records he would set during his senior year at St.George H.S. (Evanston, Illinois), topped by the 4:03.5 he ran outdoors for the Mile.
The winner of the Mile here with a modest time of 4:18.0 was 18-year-old Tom O’Hara, a freshman at Loyola University, who would set two World Indoor Records in the Mile in 1964 (3:56.6, 3:56.4).
https://math.uchicago.edu/~ed/haydon.html
https://www.nytimes.com/1985/05/05/sports/edward-ted-haydon-dies-ex-us-olympic-track-coach.html
Significant birthdays
Born On This Day*
Lisa Dobriskey-Great Britain 40 (1983) Silver medalist in the 1500-meters at the 2009 World Championships
2-time Olympic finalist: 2008 (4th), 2012 (5th)
2006 Commonwealth Games Champion
Olympic Despair—originally finished 10th at the 2012 Olympics, but 5 of the runners who finished ahead of her
have been subsequently disqualified for doping violations!
PBs:2:00.14 (2010), 3:59.50 (2009), 4:20.35 (2008), 8:47.25i (2007)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisa_Dobriskey
https://www.teamgb.com/athletes/lisa-dobriskey
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/115232
Joanna Hayes 48 (1976) 2004 Olympic gold medalist—100-meter hurdles
One of the few American Olympic champions never to have won a U.S. title!
1999 NCAA Champion—400-meter hurdles (UCLA)
Other NCAA placings: 100h/1998-8th, 1999-3rd; 400h/1997-7th
2003 Pan American Games Champion-400h
1995 U.S. Junior Champion-100m Hurdles
5th in the 100h at the 2000 U.S. Olympic Trials, 7th in 2008; Semi-finalist at the 2012 Trials after not competing
from 2009-2011
4th in the 60m-Hurdles at the 2004 World Indoor Championships
Winner at the 2006 Millrose Games—60m Hurdles
PBs:7.83 (2004),12.37 (2004/=11 All-Time U.S.), 54.57 (1999)
Currently the Director of T&F/X-Country at UCLA, her alma mater
https://uclabruins.com/sports/track-and-field/roster/coaches/joanna-hayes/4185
Wiki Bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joanna_Hayes
OG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ov-_cQ5HXM
Memorable Moment at UCLA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ov-_cQ5HXM
Darrell Robinson 61 (1963) Set a U.S. high school record of 44.69 for 400 meters in 1982. The record lasted for 42
years until Quincy Wilson ran 44.66 in the 1st round of the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials—he later ran 44.20!
1986 U.S. Champion; PB: 44.45 (1986)
Track and Field News’ 1982 Male H.S. Athlete of the Year
Wiki Bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darrell_Robinson
Tough Times
(1996): http://articles.latimes.com/1996-04-17/sports/sp-59445_1_darrell-robinson
(1998): http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/athletics-downfall-of-a-man-quick-to-accuse-1200952.html
Better Times(2017): https://www.theolympian.com/sports/high-school/article153504004.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u16YyiLrJR4
Rick Wohlhuter 76 (1948) 1976 Olympic bronze medalist—800m (1500-6th/1972-800/heat)
Ranked #1 in the world in 1973 and 1974 (’72-7, ’75-3, ’76-4)
2-time U.S. Champion—1973 (880y), 1974 (800m)
Winner at the 1976 U.S. Olympic Trials
3-time U.S. Indoor Champion-1000y (1974-1976)
Inducted into the National Hall of Fame in 1990
Set the current American Record for 1000 meters (2:13.9) in 1974—was a World Record at the time
Set two World Records in the 880y—1:44.6 (1973-set an AR of 1:43.9 for 800m en-route), 1:44.1 (1974)
2017 Interview (After watching Clayton Murphy fall short in his attempt to break the 1000 record)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDacp7ShdwQ
HOF Bio(1990): https://www.usatf.org/athlete-bios/rick-wohlhuter
1000 Record: fl.milesplit.com/articles/132043/rick-wohlhuter-40-years-later-still-the-American-record-holder
Wiki Bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Wohlhuter
T&F News Rankings: https://trackandfieldnews.com/rankings/
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/79208
WR Progression (1000): https://worldathletics.org/records/by-progression/13501
Bill “Boston Billy” Rodgers 77 (1947) One of the greatest marathoners in history
4-time winner of the Boston (’75,’78-’80) and NY City (’76-’79) Marathons
2-time U.S. Olympian—1976 (40th-injured), 1980 (boycott)
Ranked #1 in the world in 1975, 1977, and 1979 (#2 in 1978)
Former American Record holder; PB-2:09:27 (Boston-1979)
Member of the National Distance Running, National, and NY Road Runners Halls of Fame
National HOF: https://www.usatf.org/athlete-bios/bill-rodgers
Gary Cohen Interview (2009): http://www.garycohenrunning.com/interviews/rodgers.aspx
Wiki Bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Rodgers_(runner) ;
http://www.billrodgersrunningcenter.com/
Deceased
Micheline Ostermeyer—France 78 (1922-Oct.17, 2001) 3-time medalist at the 1948 Olympics—won gold in the Shot Put
and Discus, and bronze in the High Jump!
He was a noted pianist. Celebrated her Olympic Shot Put victory by performing an impromptu Beethoven recital back
at the French team headquarters. “I practice five hours a day on the piano and five hours a week for athletics,”
she once noted.
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/67992
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micheline_Ostermeyer
https://www.olympic.org/micheline-ostermeyer
https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1131687/ostermeyer-100th-birthday
Dave Bolen 98 (1923-Dec.10, 2022) 1948 U.S. Olympian—400m (4th)
2-time U.S. Indoor Champion—600 yards (1948,1949)
Passed away on December 10, 2022, just two weeks shy of his 99th birthday. He had been the 2nd-oldest living.
U.S. Olympian in Track & Field
All-American—finished 2nd to Illinois’ (and Jamaica’s) Herb McKenley in the 440y at the 1946 (while at Southern.
U.) and 1947 (Colorado) NCAA Championships. Also finished 2nd to McKenley in the 400-Meters at the 1947
U.S. Championships.
Served as the U.S. Ambassador to Swaziland, Lesotho, and Botswana (simultaneously), and then to East Germany.
(first African-American to serve in that role to a nation behind the Iron Curtain).
From his Wiki bio: “…helped to lay the groundwork for the destruction of the Berlin Wall. On November 9, 1989,
the day the wall came down, Bolen’s daughter, Cynthia, was photographed handing a long-stemmed rose to an
East German border guard standing atop the wall (see link). He also worked to help free Nelson Mandela from
prison”.
He established the David Bolen Olympic Award and Scholarship in Colorado when he returned from the Games 1948.
He had contributed money through this scholarship for students who competed in the most recent Olympic
Games are of good academic standing and major in business, science, or engineering.
“I never liked the fact that athletes were considered to be dumbbells,” Bolen says. “The scholarship rewards the
intelligent athlete. It is meant to improve the performance of American business in the global sense, starting with
the students.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Bolen
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/78126
https://www.colorado.edu/coloradan/2013/03/01/running-down-dream
(For subscribers):www.dailycamera.com/2009/11/09/boulder-diplomats-daughter-remembers-berlin-wall/
