This Day in Track & Field, December 24, Birthdays of Allie Ostrander (1996), Christina Schwanitz (1985), Wallace Spearmon (1984), by Walt Murphy

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

This Day in Track & Field-December 24

Allie Ostrander came onto the scene when she won the NXN as a senior in high school in 2014. Allie has had an amazing career and is a champion of self-health. 

Christina Schwantiz is a two-time European shot put champion and bronze medalist at the World Indoor. 

Wallace Spearmon was one of the finest American sprinters of all time. He took 4th in London 2012, Dqed in 2008 (he should have been bronze medalist).

Significant Birthdays

Born On This Day

Allie Ostrander  28 (1996)   3-time NCAA Champion—Steeplechase (2017,2018, 2019/Boise State)

5000 Outdoors: 2017-4th, 2018-8^th, 2019-16th

NCAA Indoor Championships-2018 (3000-2^nd), 2019 (3000-4^th, 5000-8^th)

2nd at the 2015 NCAA X-Country Championships as a freshman, 4^th in 2017, 6th in 2018

Gave up her final year of collegiate eligibility when she became a pro in 2019

4^th in the Steeplechase at the 2019 U.S. Championships…ran a personal best of 9:30.85 in the qualifying round at

the World Championships in Doha, but didn’t make the final.

8th in the 5000 at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials shortly after graduating from high school…also 8^th at the 2021

Trials…7^th in 2024—ran a personal best of 9:21.82

        4^th at the 2024 U.S. X-Country Championships, 30^th at the World Championships

2014 Nike Cross Nationals Champion (Kenai Central H.S.,Alaska)

Announced after the 2021 Trials she was taking a break from her running career to concentrate on her health.

“This isn’t me retiring from professional running, it’s just me taking a step back to put my mental and physical
health first.”  Raced sparingly in 2022 & 2023

https://runningmagazine.ca/the-scene/allie-ostrander-is-taking-a-step-back-from-professional-running/

PBs:

4:14.76 (‘19), 4:35.79i (OT/’19), 8:54.27i (OT/’16), 15:21.85i (OT/’16), 32:06.71 (‘19), 9:21.82 (‘24)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allie_Ostrander

Podcast-May, 2020 (1:00): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8Wk1BjoYzU

(March-2016 Article)

http://www.newsweek.com/straight-and-ncaas-allie-ostrander-americas-next-running-phenom-435227

(Nov.’15) www.runnersworld.com/college/allie-ostrander-18-reflects-on-the-winning-beginning-to-her-collegiate-career

Taking a Stand

https://www.flotrack.org/articles/6520129-why-allie-ostrander-is-taking-a-stand-against-body-focused-commentary

https://www.instagram.com/allie_ostrander/?hl=en

Brigetta Barrett 34 (1990)  2012 Olympic silver medalist—High Jump;

2013 World Championships silver medalist (2011-10th)

6-time NCAA Champion (Arizona/won indoors & outdoors 2011-2013)

“Retired” after the 2014 season, but returned to competition in 2016. Last competed in 2017.

PB:6-8  1/4 (2.04/2013/#2 All-Time U.S.);

Has sung the National Anthem on many occasions

Video (9-11-2012)

https://spikes.worldathletics.org/post/a-singing-lesson-with-brigetta-barrett

Wiki Bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brigetta_Barrett

Christina Schwanitz—Germany  39 (1985)  2015 World Champion—Shot Put (silver-2013, bronze-2019)

Silver medalist at the 2014 World Indoor Championships

2-time European Champion (2014,2016)

Bronze medalist at the 2004 World Junior/Under-20 Championships

Finalist at 6 World Championships-’05 (7^th), ’09 (11^th), ’11 (10^th), ’13 (2^nd), ’15 (1^st), ’19 (3^rd)

3-time Olympic finalist—2008 (9th), 2012 (9^th), 2016 (6^th); Didn’t make the final in Tokyo in 2021

Winner at the 2017 German Indoor Championships in February—that was her last competition of the season—gave

birth to twins later in the year.

Announced her retirement after finishing 3^rd at the 2022 German Indoor Championships

        PB: 68-1  ¾ (20.77/2015);  5’-10  ¾’, 227

https://www.worldathletics.org/athletes/germany/christina-schwanitz-14279753

https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/114773

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christina_Schwanitz

Retirement: https://worldathletics.org/news/news/christina-schwanitz-retirement

Wallace Spearmon  40 (1984)  2005 World Championships silver medalist—200m (bronze-2007,2009); 2007 World

Champion—4×100

2-time NCAA Champion—200 (Arkansas/2004,2005)

2005 NCAA Champion—4×100; 2006 World Indoor Champion—4×400

3-time U.S. Champion—200 (2006, 2010, 2012)

2-time U.S. Olympian—200 (2008-DQ, 2012-4th)

Thought he had won the bronze medal at the 2008 Olympics, only to discover during his celebratory

lap that he had been disqualified for a lane violation.

PBs: 9.95 (2007), 19.65 (2006/#14 All-Time World/#9-U.S.), 45.22 (2006);

Wallace, Sr., preceded his son at Arkansas—had a PB of 20.27 in the 200

Wiki Bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wallace_Spearmon

https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/115057

DQ: https://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/22/sports/olympics/22run.html?auth=login-email&login=email

Fastest Cop in the World: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hAONFYf244

Bill Crothers-Canada 86 (1938)  1964 Olympic silver medalist—800m (400-semis)

Ranked #1 in the world in 1963 and 1965 (#2-1964); PB: 1:45.69 (1964)

Won three races in three nights during the 1965 indoor season:

Millrose Games in NY (880y), Toronto (600y, plus a 47.9 split in the mile relay), Boston(600y-

1:09.3, .1s off the world record).

The Bill Crothers Secondary School is located in Markham, Ontario, Canada

Busy Weekend: https://vault.si.com/vault/1965/02/08/one-canadian-takes-charge-of-three-meets

https://vault.si.com/vault/1964/02/10/young-druggists-sure-rx

https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/66010

T&F News Rankings: https://trackandfieldnews.com/rankings/

Wiki Bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Crothers

Tennis Connection

Deceased

Johnny “The Younger” Kelley 80 (1930-August 21, 2011) 8-time U.S. Champion-Marathon (1956-1963)

         1959 Pan-American Games Champion

Winner of the 1957 Boston Marathon (finished 2^nd five times…ran the race more than 30 times from 1952-1992!)

His coach in 1957 was Jock Semple, the long-time Director of the Boston Marathon. Said Semple, “I

look at Johnny’s 1957 Boston run as a pivotal event for the American marathon. I see 1957 as the halfway

point. Johnny took a stone and placed it down so that (Frank) Shorter and (Bill) Rodgers could spring off it.”

2-time U.S. Olympian (1956-21^st, 1960-19^th)

PB:2:20:05 (1957)

Among the athletes he coached at Fitch H.S. in Groton, Connecticut, were Amby Burfoot, who won Boston in

1968, and Julia Chase, one of the early pioneers of women’s distance running.

Not to be confused with the Johnny ”The Elder” Kelley, who won the Boston Marathon in 1935 & 1945

http://www.olympedia.org/athletes/78640

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_J._Kelley

www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-xpm-2011-08-21-hc-johnny-kelley-dies-0822-20110821-story.html

1957 Video(Includes comments from Jock Semple): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfGbJJccPBo