by runblogrunstg
Walt Murphy’s News and Results Service (wmurphy25@aol.com)
This Day in Track & Field-February 15
1890–The first Boston A.A. meet was held in Mechanics’ Hall in Boston (14 laps to the mile). A crowd of 5,000 witnessed a series of handicap events, which included a Mile that drew 50 entries. The winner was Gil Collamore, who ran with a handicap of 85 yards.
(From Wally Donovan’s All-Time Indoor T&F Record Book/1962).
1963—Trailing Tom O’Hara by 2 yards at the bell at the NYAC Games in Madison Square Garden, Jim Beatty responded with a blistering kick over the last ½-lap to regain the lead and win the Mile in 3:58.6, breaking his year-old World Indoor Record of 3:58.9. O’Hara finished 2nd in 3:59.2 to become the first man to run under 4-minutes indoors in a losing effort!
As noted on February 13, O’Hara would return to the meet the following year and lower the record by a full two seconds by running 3:56.6, with Beatty serving as the official starter.
https://onceuponatimeinthevest.blogspot.com/2013/02/february-1963.html
Record Progression: http://www.tf-stats.com/world_indoor_men.php
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWHUj_0457Q
1964–17-year old Gerry Lindgren, a senior at Rogers H.S. (Spokane,WA), stole the show with his front-running battle against Australia’s Ron Clarke in the 2-mile at the Cow Palace in Daly City,CA. Clarke won the race in 8:36.9, while Lindgren, who would make the U.S. Olympic team in the 10,000-meters later in the year, ran an amazing 8:40.0 to set a U.S. High School record that would stand for 49-years until Edward Cheserek ran 8:39.15 at the 2013 Millrose Games! En route, Lindgren also established a H.S. Record for 3000-meters, 8:06.3 (Broken by Cheserek’s 8:05.46)
http://onceuponatimeinthevest.blogspot.com/2013/08/february-1964.html
All-Time U.S. High School Indoor List
(From Jack Shepard’s High School Track)
*-junior, **-sophomore
8:34.91 Drew Griffith (Butler, Pennsylvania) 2024
8:39.15 Edward Cheserek’ (St. Benedict’s, Newark, New Jersey) 2013
8:40.0 Gerry Lindgren (Rogers, Spokane, Washington) 1964
8:40.70 *Lukas Verzbicas’ (Orland, Sandburg Park, Illinois) 2011
8:42.60 Jackson Heidesch (Dowling, West Des Moines, Iowa) 2023
8:42.66 ————**Cheserek’ 2011
8:42.7 Jeff Nelson (Burbank, California) 1979
8:43.16 ————*Cheserek’ 2012
8:43.24 ————*Verzbicas’ 2011
8:43.24 Connor Burns (Southern Boone, Ashland, Missouri) 2023
**10 performances by 7 performers**
8:45.16 *Brodey Hasty (Brentwood, Tennessee) 2017
8:45.19 Alan Webb (South Lakes, Reston, Virginia) 2001
8:46.08 Noah Affolder (Carlisle, Pennsylvania) 2017
Oversize track:
8:38.67 Drew Griffith (Area Senior, Butler, Pennsylvania) 2024
8:43.2 Dave Merrick (Lincoln-Way, New Lenox, Illinois) 1971
8:45.6 Craig Virgin (Lebanon, Illinois) 1973
1974—Some of the biggest names in the sport were on hand for the opening meet of the professional International Track Association’s 2nd season at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, Long Island.
Kenya’s Ben Jipcho was the star of the show. Running indoors for the first time, he gained some experience on the 11-lap board track by winning the 2-mile (8:34.0) comfortably over George Young (8:45.8) and Gerry Lindgren (8:47.2). He came back less than an hour later in the Mile, the meet’s featured event, and held off Jim Ryun for his 2nd win of the night (4:03.3-4:03.9).
Dallas Cowboys’ wide receiver Bob Hayes won a special 40y-dash over Cliff Branch (4.4 for both), Rod Milburn won the 60y-hurdles (7.0), Henry Hines (25-11 [7.90]) won the Long Jump over Bob Beamon 25-6 ¾ (7.79),and Norm Tate (25-0 [7.62]), and Karl Salb (66-10 ¾[20.39]) won the Shot Put over Brian Oldfield (66-10 ½[20.38]) and Randy Matson (64-11 ¼ [19.79]).
Each winner earned a whopping $500.00!
1975–Jumping in Oklahoma City at the USTFF (U.S. Track&Field Federation) Championships, Dwight Stones jumped 7-5 ½ (2.275?) to break his own World Indoor Record in the High Jump by 1/4”. It was the most unlikely record of his career, as Dwight explains: “I had spent the entire week at (400-meter hurdler) Jim Bolding’s place and trained with him and Dennis Schultz but contracted the flu around midweek and was running a very high fever.”
“I had set the World Record the previous weekend at the L.A. Times meet but Lou Riggs (Bobby Riggs’ brother) had mismeasured and I ended up with only a tie. The USTFF meet required a qualifying round on Saturday morning (9:00am) and I was still feeling lousy and extremely weak.”
“The meet director, Carl Cooper, had turned the pit the way I wanted it and all the straddle jumpers were pissed, of course. I was so weak I couldn’t generate any speed or momentum on my run-up to use the flop and I was clearly going to have trouble clearing the auto Q of 6′ 9″(2.06m). About 5 minutes before they closed warm-up jumps I wandered over to the straddle side and took a couple of pops at 6′ 5″(1.95). By coincidence I was first up on the list of competitors. I had no set run-up when I straddled, I just took a couple walking steps, a couple quicker steps and maybe 3 running steps and scooped my arms hard with my lead leg and tried to let my body position over the bar take care of the rest.”
“I figured I was dead meat if I didn’t clear this height on the first jump. I summoned every bit of strength I could muster and sailed over the bar at 6′ 9″ (2.06) on my first attempt. I was amazed and delighted that it was over and the straddle jumpers’ collective mouths were agape.”
Either Garry Hill or Jon Hendershott delivered bound versions of the 1972 & 1973 years of T&FN that I had requested, as I hadn’t yet been a subscriber. I laid in bed that late morning and into the afternoon reading about my “come from nowhere” Olympic year bronze and my later exploits and sometime around 1pm my fever broke. I was also being visited by a female friend from Houston who arrived around noon. I’m sure that helped with the fever breaking somewhat. I certainly felt much better but still weak as a kitten when I started to get ready to go over to the arena for the final that night. “
“I felt I might be able to manage 3 decent flop jumps and maybe if they were high enough I could win the meet. After all, it was a championship and I like to win those. I was warming up and felt better and better as time passed. I was confident that I could clear 7 feet and that that might be all I needed this night. I decided to not even take a practice jump, I didn’t feel I could waste one. I would simply be certain that my run-up was on and that I could generate enough speed to jump whatever height it would take to win.”
“I think the bar started at 6′ 8″ for the final which I found strange considering it took 6′ 9″ to qualify and I watched as most of the field dropped like flies through 6′ 10″ (2.085?). There might have been 5 guys remaining when the bar went to 7′ (2.135m) and I don’t recall where I was in the order. I wasn’t first but I also wasn’t last. “
“I remember Keith Guinn (Kansas) was still in and he was a flop style jumper and thrilled that the place was set-up to accommodate his approach as well. I was pretty nervous when it was my turn to jump because I didn’t start at 7′ all that often and I hadn’t had a flop jump since the previous weekend. I glided up to the bar and cleared easily on attempt number one and felt I could go higher if I had to.”
“I soared over 7′ 2″ (2.185m) on my first attempt and I was amazed at how easily I was jumping even though I felt about 70%. I had won the event and I was thinking that I had another jump in me so why not entertain the crowd. It didn’t seem right, despite my illness earlier, to stop and try to explain myself. I had the bar raised to 7′ 4″ (2.235m) and proceeded to clear it on the first attempt with a slight brush. I was dumbfounded. I guess because I had absolutely no expectation that I was loose and on automatic pilot because I had no sense that I had the strength to clear such a height considering how I had felt that same morning. “
“Again I figured “what the hell?” and had the bar raised and measured at 7′ 5 1/2″ (2.275m) which would be a new World Record. The first two attempts were not memorable and I felt like it had all finally caught up with me. Of course I had had the perfunctory WR bonus discussion with the meet director prior to my attempts at this ridiculous height, so something inside me must have felt like there was a possibility.”
“For attempt number three I don’t recall changing anything, but I do recall hitting it pretty hard with just about everything from my head to my heels, but the bar decided this impossible story wasn’t truly complete unless there was a big payoff at the end so it stayed up. I was too ragged out to celebrate very much. I believe I just stood in the pit, watching the crossbar bob up and down with a smile of disbelief on my face. “
“The only thing I can figure is that we all know that when the body is sick it’s operating at 100% capacity to heal itself. The immune system has kicked-in in a big way and all the cylinders are hitting at top dead center to get things back to normal by excreting the intruder virus or bacteria. So, even though you feel like crap, you’re capable of extraordinary things.”
“You combine that with a “no expectations” attitude and you get performances that no one could possibly predict. I’ve since seen it happen in all sports. I think I recall an incredible night of shooting from Michael Jordan (60 points?) when he could barely move up and down the court. I’m certain this kind of thing is pretty well documented anecdotally in each sport and I’m sure there are other track and field performers who have had similar circumstances. It’s one of my favorite stories from my long-ago career.”
1975—Francie Larrieu set an American Record of 4:29.0 in the Mile in San Diego.
1978–The NY Road Runners organization is best known for putting on the NY City Marathon each year, but they try to provide competitive opportunities for all sorts of tastes, from weekly races in Central Park to the 5th Avenue Mile. Leave it to the group’s innovative head at the time, Fred Lebow, to come up with the Empire State Building Run-up….a total of 86 floors and 1,576 steps! The inaugural event was won on this day by Gary Muhrcke over 14 other competitors. It was appropriate that Muhrcke was the victor, since he was also the winner of the first NY City Marathon in 1970.
https://www.baruch.cuny.edu/nycdata/uniquely_nyc/esb-runup.htm
1980–There were no easy mile races during this period, and this one at the Sunkist Inv. was a prime example. Eamonn Coghlan barely held off Steve Scott to win in 3:52.9, just missing his World Record of 3:52.6, while Scott’s 3:53.0 in 2nd place bettered his own American Record of 3:54.1.
Coghlan and Scott were then supposed to board a Lear jet that would fly them to Houston, where they were scheduled to compete the following afternoon. But the jet was snowed in in Boulder and Coghlan decided to skip the meet. Scott and Germany’s Thomas Wessinghage hung around at the airport and finally got a commercial flight at about 2:30 in the morning! Scott wound up winning the Mile at the Astrodome in 3:54.2! (Wessinghage finished 6th)
2004—Yelena Isinbaeva first cleared 15-9 ¼ (4.81) in the Pole Vault in Donetsk, Ukraine, to break fellow Russian Svetlana Feofanova’s World Indoor Record of 15-9 (4.80). She then cleared 15-10 (4.83), which was superior to her Outdoor Record of 15-9 ¾ (4.82). They were her first World Indoor Records. Feofanova finished 2nd here with a clearance of
15-5 ¾ (4.72)
2009–For the 6th year in a row, Isinbaeva set a World Record at the Pole Vault Stars meet in Donetsk, Ukraine, the hometown of Sergey Bubka.
Isinbaeva needed 3 attempts before clearing 15-11 ¼ (4.86) to stay in the competition. She then missed twice at 16-3 ¼ (4.96), which was one centimeter higher than her World Record of 16-2 ¾ (4.95). Feeling “jinxed” at that height, she took her next jump at 16-3 ½ (4.97), clearing with room to spare to give her the first World Record of the day.
Knowing that the venue was conducive to jumping high, Isinbaeva then cleared the magical barrier of 5-meters
(16-4 3/4) on her 2nd attempt. Isinbaeva set the first Indoor Record of her career here on this same day in 2004 (4.83/15-10).
https://www.worldathletics.org/news/news/isinbayeva-debuts-with-500m-world-indoor-reco
2014—Bernard Lagat set an American Record of 4:54.74 for 2000-meters at the Millrose Games at NY’s Armory.
Will Leer won the Wanamaker Mile in a personal best time of 3:52.47, which turned out to be the fastest time of the year. Trailing Leer were Arizona’s Lawi Lalang, who set a Collegiate Record of 3:52.88, New Zealand’s Nick Willis (3:53.02), Canada’s Nate Brannen (3:54.32), and Scotland’s Chris O’Hare (3:54.66), who had set the previous Collegiate Record of 3:52.98 at the 2013 Millrose Games.
Finishing 11th in his farewell track race was Alan Webb (4:06.11), who returned to the venue where he set a National H.S. Record of 3:59.86 in 2001.
High School senior Mary Cain (4:27.87), now a professional athlete, beat training partner Treniere Moser (4:28.86) to win the Women’s Wanamaker Mile.
Webb was given a royal welcome when he entered Coogan’s for the post-meet celebration!
https://www.letsrun.com/events/2014-millrose-games/
Results: http://www.armorytrack.com/gprofile.php?do=view_event&event_id=574&mgroup_id=45586&year=2014
Alan Webb Story: http://www.usatf.tv/gprofile.php?mgroup_id=45365&do=videos&video_id=106500
IAAF Coverage: https://www.worldathletics.org/news/report/bernard-lagat-lagat-2000m-millrose-games-new
2014—France’s Renaud Lavillenie vaulted 20-2 ½ (6.16) in Donetsk, Ukraine, to break one of the sport’s most revered World Records, the 20-2 (6.15) that Sergey Bubka set on the same runway 21 years earlier (1993).
The setting was perfect, with Lavillenie achieving the new mark in Bubka’s hometown, with the current World Athletics(IAAF) Senior Vice President in attendance. Bubka came down from his seat in the stands to congratulate his successor.
Lavillenie, the 2012 Olympic gold medalist, cleared 18-10 ¾ (5.76) and 19-4 ¾ (5.91), but needed three tries to get over 19-8 ½ (6.01). He then got over the record height cleanly on his first attempt, a look of wonder on his face as he descended into the landing pit.
He then took one jump at 20-4 ½ (6.21!), but bailed out and landed off the runway before calling an end to his historic day.
Lavillenie’s reign as record-holder ended in 2020 when Mondo Duplantis cleared 20-2 ¾ ( 6.17) in Torun, Poland. And Mondo raised his own record on this date to 20-3 ¼ (6.18). (See below)
From the IAAF Report:
“I think it’s going to take me some time to come back to earth because it’s incredible,” said Lavillenie, who won at the meeting for the fourth consecutive year. “This is a World Record that is so mythical, and to clear it on the first jump, without touching (the bar), there’s nothing to say. It’s just a moment to savor.”
Bubka was quick to praise the new record-holder: “I think this is a great day, a fantastic performance, I am very happy that Renaud did this record in my home city where I did 6.15”. “I’m very happy and proud for him, because he’s a great athlete and a fantastic role model.”
IAAF Report: https://www.worldathletics.org/news/news/renaud-lavillenie-pole-vault-world-record
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvA7AZEyciM
2014—On the same day in Birmingham, England, Genzebe Dibaba, the younger sister of Tirunesh and Ejegayehu Dibaba, ran 9:00.48 to set a new World Indoor Record for 2-miles. The previous mark of 9:06.26 was set by Meseret Defar in 2009.
It was the third sensational new standard set by Dibaba in the space of 15 days, having run 3:55.17 for 1500 meters on February 1 and 8:16.60 for 3000-meters on February 6.
https://www.worldathletics.org/news/report/genzebe-dibaba-two-miles-sainsburys-indoor-gr1
2020—Six years to the day after France’s Renaud Lavillenie broke Sergey Bubka’s World Record in the Pole Vault (see above), 20-year old Mondo Duplantis, who broke Lavellinie’s mark a week earlier with his clearance of 20-2 ¾ (6.17), set his 2nd WR of the season, clearing 20-3 ¼ (6.18) at the Muller Indoor Grand Prix in Glasgow, Scotland.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5e_mSayOifs
From World Athletics(IAAF)
One week after breaking the pole vault world record in Torun, Armand Duplantis improved the mark to 6.18m* at the Muller Indoor Grand Prix Glasgow, part of the World Athletics Indoor Tour, on Saturday (15).
The Swedish vaulter was in imperious form. He opened at 5.50m and got over 5.75m on his second try. Two-time world champion Sam Kendricks led at that point, but it was short lived as the US athlete exited the competition at the next height, 5.84m.
Duplantis, though, sailed over on his first attempt. With no one else left in the competition, the 20-year-old then flew over 6.00m, a UK indoor all-comers’ record. His clearance over the bar suggested he was capable of going much higher.
He had the bar moved up to 6.18m. A minor technical glitch with the starting equipment for the women’s 400m allowed a window of opportunity for Duplantis to take his first attempt at the world record height. And one attempt is all he needed as he sailed well clear of the bar, setting his second world record in as many weeks.
“This was such a great competition,” said Duplantis as he was handed his world record bonus cheque for $30,000. “There was such great energy the crowd was giving me and I really thrive off that.”
2020—Shelby Houlihan was a double winner at the U.S. Indoor Championships in Albuquerque, finishing 1st in the Women’s 1500 (4:06.41) and the 3000 (2-14/8:52.03), bringing her total of U.S. titles to 13 (In only 4 years).
Ryan Crouser set a Meet Record of 74-1 ¾ (22.60) in the Men’s Shot Put.
Results: https://www.flashresults.com/2020_Meets/Indoor/USATF/
LetsRun Coverage: https://www.letsrun.com/events/2020-usa-indoor-championships/
USATF Coverage
Feb.14: https://www.usatf.org/news/2020/american-record-breaking-triple-jumps-highlight-da
Feb.15: https://www.usatf.org/news/2020/world-leads-dominate-final-day-at-2020-toyota-usat
2023—Ethiopia’s Lamecha Girma, one of the world’s best steeplechasers, covered 3000-meters (without barriers) in 7:23.81 in Liévin, France, to take down the World Record of 7:24.90 that was set by Kenya’s Daniel Komen 25 years ago (1998) in Budapest.
This was not your typical record attempt, with one runner racing against the clock. Girma was pushed all the way by Spain’s Mohamed Katir, who was also under Komen’s record with his time of 7:24.68, a European Record!
Girma was the silver medalist in the steeplechase at the last 3 global championships (2021 Olympics, 2019 & 2022 World Championships). He also won silver in the 3000m at the 2022 World Indoor Championships.
Later in the year, he would set a World Record of 7:52.11 in the Steeplechase and win another silver medal at the 2023 World Championships. Unfortunately, he fell in the final at the 2024 Olympics.
There was some hope among U.S. fans that Grant Fisher, who set the American Outdoor Record of 7:28.48 in 2022, might be able to challenge for the win here, but he started losing contact with the leaders midway through the race and wound up finishing 5th in 7:35.82 in his season opener. 2 years later, he would break Girma’s 3000 WR by running 7:22.91 at the 2025 Millrose Games.
World Athletics Coverage (Includes highlight video link)
https://www.letsrun.com/news/2023/02/grant-fisher-races-the-big-boys-in-france-and-comes-up-short/
For Subscribers: https://trackandfieldnews.com/lievin-komens-3000-wr-finally-falls/
Significant Birthdays
Born On This Day*
Robert Emmiyan—Armenia 60 (1965) Silver medalist 1987 World Championships—Long Jump
1986 European Champion
2-time Olympian-1988, 1996 (qual.round both times)
PB: Set the European Record of 29-1 (8.86) in 1987. (#4 All-Time)
The Perfect Hang: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwEZQTXUvHc
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Emmiyan
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/64469
All-Time List: https://trackandfieldnews.com/tfn-lists/world-all-time-list-men/
Darrell Green 65 (1960) Texas A&I All-American was 6th in the 100, 7th in the 200, at the 1982 NCAA Championships
Became one of the NFL’s greatest cornerbacks and punt returners during his remarkable 20-year career with the
Washington Redskins…
Member of two Super Bowl Championship teams (XXII and XXVI)
PBs: 10.08 (1983), 20.48 (1982), 45.9h (1983)
4 time NFL’s Fastest Man Competition winner, only player to win multiple times
Member of the NFL Hall of Fame
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darrell_Green
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cO6TEmjO5Uw
Highlights (w/comments by Carl Lewis!): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAmL-325rNM
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1000744304628451
Tom Hintnaus-US/Brazil 67 (1958) All-American pole vaulter at Oregon—2nd at the 1978 & 1980 NCAA Championships
Winner at the 1980 U.S. Olympic Trials (boycott year)
Born in Brazil…his Czech parents moved to the U.S. when he was two years old. Represented his native country at
the 1984 Olympics (NH in the final).
PB: 18-10 ¾ (5.76/1985)
Gained notoriety for his appearance in an iconic Calvin Klein underwear ad!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYb7k02Rlp4
T&F News Interview: https://trackandfieldnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Tom-Hintnaus.pdf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomás_Valdemar_Hintnaus
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2007-may-07-sp-crowe7-story.html
Dixon Farmer 84 (1941) 1961 NCAA Champion—440y Hurdles (Occidental); PB: 50.8y
Former coach and Athletic Director at Occidental
Has been a PA announcer on the West Coast
https://theoccidentalnews.com/uncategorized/2016/01/01/a-fond-farewell-to-farmer/2880562
Oxy Hall of Fame: https://www.oxy.edu/news/athletic-hall-fame-inducts-class-2015
Deceased
Earl “Tommy” Thomson—Canada 76 (1895-May 19, 1971) 1920 Olympic gold medalist—110m-Hurdles
Set World Records in the 120y (14.4) and 110m (14.8) Hurdles in 1920
3-time U.S. Champion—120y-Hurdles (1918, 1921, 1922)
1st NCAA Champion in the 120y-Hurdles (1921/Dartmouth)
2-time IC4A Champion—120y-Hurdles
He grew up in Southern California, had dual-citizenship, and was inducted into the U.S. Hall of Fame in 1977.
He attended Long Beach Poly H.S. and was the first California H.S. State Champion in the 120y-hurdles (1915).
Thomson’s coach at Dartmouth was H.L. Hillman:
http://www.thecrimson.com/article/1926/5/25/hillman-of-dartmouth-writes-of-history/
Despite the fact that he was almost totally deaf by the 1940s, he became a coach at Yale and then the U.S. Naval
Academy (for 37 years). He also became Billy Mills’ coach leading up to the 1964 Olympics!
Served in the Royal Canadian Air Force during WWI
Thomson/Mills:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earl_Thomson
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/66262
https://olympic.ca/team-canada/earl-thomson/
A.C. Gilbert 76 (1884-Jan.24, 1961) 1908 Olympic gold medalist—Pole Vault (tied w/teammate Ed Cook)
1908 IC4A Champion (Yale/tied w/3 others)
Later gained fame as an inventor of children’s toys and was known as “The Man Who Saved Christmas”. More than
30-million of his “Erector Sets” were sold during his lifetime.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Carlton_Gilbert
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/78453
https://www.acghs.org/?page_id=62
