by RBR Admin
Walt Murphy’s News and Results Service (wmurphy25@aol.com)
This Day in T&F/X-Country—March 30
1985—Dennis Lewis thought he had set an American Record when he cleared 7-8 ¼ in the High Jump at a meet hosted by USC. However, that was an imperial measurement and U.S. (and IAAF) rules required that all new records in field events must be measured metrically.
When officials checked their conversion tables, they discovered there was no metric equivalent for 7-8 ¼, so they had to submit a mark of 2.34, which meant that Lewis would only get credit for tying Dwight Stones’ AR of 7-8!
“I’m not upset about the changing of the marks,” Lewis said. “It’s early in the season. There is no way I can be peaking now. How can I be peaking when it’s my first meet?” (As it turned out, Lewis never did jump higher than he did on this date!).
Lewis had set a National H.S. Indoor Record of 7-2 (2.185?) as a senior at Ypsilanti (MI) H.S. in 1977 and jumped 7-3 (2.21) indoors as a Michigan State freshman in 1978, but quickly faded from the sport for a variety of reasons.
He returned to competition in 1984, winning the U.S. Indoor title over a loaded field, and finishing 7th at the U.S. Olympic Trials.
He was ranked #5 in the U.S. in 1985 and #4 in 1986, and later became active in Masters competition, clearing 6-8 ¼ (2.06) in 2006 at the age of 47.
1984 Article: http://www.nytimes.com/1984/02/26/sports/new-stylist-in-the-high-jump.html
1991—Mexico’s Arturo Barrios set World Records for 20,000-Meters (56:55.6) and the 1-hour run (21,101m/13.11-miles) in La Flèche, France.
2003(3-29/30)–Deena (Drossin) Kastor finished 2nd for the 2nd year in a row and 38-year old Colleen DeReuck finished 7th to lead the U.S. team to the bronze medals in the Women’s Long Race on the first day(3-29) of competition at the World X-Country Championships in Lausanne, Switzerland. The other American scorers were Katie McGregor (15th) and Elva Dryer (17th), with Milena Glusac (25) and Sara Wells (39) providing backup.
Said Drossin, who was in training for the upcoming London Marathon (she would set an American Record of 2:21:16), “I love cross country. It’s my passion. I want to keep coming back to this race until my legs give out on me”.
Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele won the Men’s Short and Long races for the 2nd year in a row, and future greats Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) and Tirunesh Dibaba (ETH) won the Junior races.
Other notable/U.S. finishers
Senior Men-Long(12.355km/3-30): 2.Patrick Ivuti (KEN), 3.Gebre Gebremariam (ETH), 4.Richard Limo (KEN), 7.Sileshi Sihine (ETH), 9.Zersenay Tafesse (ERI), 11.Meb Keflezighi (USA), 35.Abdi Abdirahman (USA), 51.Ed Torres (USA), 52.Simon Bairu (CAN), 71.Dave Cullum (USA), 79.Nick Rogers (USA): DNF-Domingos Castro (POR); Team:1.Kenya 17, 2.Ethiopia 23
Senior Men-Short(4.03km/3-29):25.Kevin Sullivan (CAN), 31.Sandu Rebenciuc (USA), 35.Salah Hissou (MAR), 37.Dan Browne (USA), 41.Adrian Blincoe (NZL), 56.Luke Watson (USA), 59.Karl Savage (USA), 60.Dan Wilson (USA), 51.Ian Connor (USA), 74.Mo Farah (GBR), 87.Julius Achon (UGA), 91.Nick Willis (NZL); Team:1.Kenya 14, 2.Ethiopia 31
Senior Women-Long(7.92km): 1.Worknesh Kidane (ETH) 25:53, 2.Deena Drossin (USA) 26:02; Team:1.Ethiopia 17, 2.Kenya 30, 3.USA 36;
Senior Women-Short(4.03km/3-29):1.Edith Masai (KEN) 12:43, 2.Worknesh Kidane (ETH), 7.Tirunesh Dibaba (ETH), 38.Sarah Toland (USA), 40.Jo Pavey (GBR), 53.Heather Sagan (USA), 55.Ann Marie Brooks (USA), 61.Kim Smith (NZL), 69.Collette Liss (USA), 76.Molly Austin (USA); Team:1.Kenya 18, 2.Ethiopia 24:
Junior Men(7.92km/3-30):26.Bill Nelson (USA), 34.Tim Moore (USA), 44.Brett Gotcher (USA), 45.Andy Weilacher (USA), 46.James Hower (USA), 63.Bret Schoolmeister (USA); Team:1.Kenya 15, 2.Ethiopia 28;
Junior Women(6.215km/3-29):3.Gelete Burka (ETH), 5.Emily Chebet (KEN), 20.Amy Hastings (USA), 25.Rebecca Walter (USA), 39.Clara Horowitz (USA), 41.Julia Lucas (USA), 51.Angela Homan (USA), 58.Laura Hodgson (USA); Team:1.Ethiopia 14, 2.Kenya 22;
IAAF Coverage:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003_IAAF_World_Cross_Country_Championships
Videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3nnG0GBqKo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y42oP2zTb5c
2008–Despite stopping to adjust a loose shoe early in the race and giving up 15-20 seconds to the leaders when he stopped to put it back on, Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele (34:38) reaffirmed his greatness by coming from behind to win his record 6th World X-Country 12k title in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was a very satisfying win for Bekele, who had dropped out the year before in the brutal conditions in Mombassa, Kenya.
“As far as the sixth Long Course win is concerned, I tried to accomplish it last year but, because of the weather, I was not able to do it,” Bekele said. “This has a very high honor in my life. I have won the double five times but I think this compares to that”. As for his early mishap, Bekele said, “My shoe did not fall completely off, but I had to stop to undo it and put it back on, so it was as if it fell off because of the effort needed to put it back on”.
Ethiopia’s sweep of the individual titles in the cold, windy, and sometimes rainy conditions included two wins for the Dibaba family. With older sister Tirunesh anxiously watching from the sidelines (she interrupted her own warmup for the Senior Women’s race), 17-year old Genzebe Dibaba won the Junior Women’s race. “Tiru” then proceeded to win her 3rd Senior “long-course” title, giving her five total career wins (She also won two “short-course” titles).
The U.S. women fought a race-long battle with Australia, but fell just three points shy of winning the bronze medals. Top U.S. finishers were Jorge Torres (Sr.Men-19th), Emily Brown (Sr.Women-18th), German Fernandez (Jr.Men-25th), and Alex Gits (Jr.Women-13th).
Other notable/U.S. finishers
Senior Men(12km): 2.Leonard Komon (KEN) 34:41, 3.Zersenay Tadese (ERI), 12.Augustin Choge (KEN), 15.Sileshi Sihine (ETH), 17.Gebre Gebremariam (ETH), 19.Jorge Torres (USA), 31.Craig Mottram (AUS), 43.Josh Rohatinsky (USA), 45.Ed Torres (USA), 51.Scott Bauhs (USA), 54.Max King (USA), 84.James Carney (USA), 96.Jonathan Pierce (USA), 109.Ryan Bak (USA); DNF-Alistair Cragg (IRL), Ed Moran (USA); Team:1.Kenya 39, 2.Ethiopia 104
Senior Women(7.905km):1.Tirunesh Dibaba (ETH) 25:10, 2.Mestawet Tufa (ETH) 25:15, 6.Gelete Burka (ETH), 18.Emily Brown (USA), 22.Katie McGregor (USA), 23.Molly Huddle (USA), 24.Kathy Newberry (USA), 49.Renee Metivier-Baillie (USA), 62.Amy Hastings (USA); Team: 1.Ethiopia 18, 2.Kenya 22, 3.Australia 84, 4.USA 87;
Junior Men(7.905km):1.Ibrahim Jeilan (ETH), 14.Feyisa Liesa (ETH), 18.Dejen Gebremeskel (ETH), 25.German Fernandez (USA), 26.Emil Heineking (USA), 35.Kevin Williams (USA), 51.Mohammed Ahmed (CAN), 52.Ryan Sheridan (USA), 72.Ben Johnson (USA), 86.Robert Moldovan (USA); Team:1.Kenya 21, 2.Ethiopia 28;
Junior Women(6.04km):1.Genzebe Dibaba (ETH) 19:59, 2.Irene Cheptai (KEN) 20:04, 13.Alexandra Gits (USA), 28.Emily Schwitzer (USA), 29.Lauryanne Chetelat (USA), 30.Emily Reese (USA), 38.Lauren Saylor (USA), 44.Marissa Treece (USA); Team:1.Ethiopia 16, 2.Kenya 20
Videos:
Bekele: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6qP4DHXP3Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3ZAjoWRxr8
2017—Texas A&M’s (& Grenada’s) Lindon Victor won the Decathlon at the Texas Relays with a score of 8472 points to break the Collegiate Record of 8465, which was set by Texas’ Trey Hardee at the 2006 Relays.
Victor would improve the record to 8539 points in May and won his 2nd straight NCAA title in June.
10.63/1.3, 7.37(24-2 ¼)/1.8, 16.52(54-2 ½), 2.09(6-10 ¼), 48.24, 14.94/0.8, 53.00(173-11), 4.30(14-1 ¼), 66.69(218-9) 4:48.89
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lindon_Victor
2019—Joshua Cheptegei (31:40) won the Senior Men’s race (10.24k) on a hilly and muddy course at the World X-Country Championships in Aarhus, Denmark, to become Uganda’s first World Cross champion. Teammate Jacob Kiplimo (31:44) finished 2nd as Uganda (20) won its first team title over Kenya (43) and Ethiopia (46).
“My ambition is to dominate the track for the next five or six years,” Cheptegei said soon after crossing the finish line. His comment proved to be prophetic, since he won the 10,000-Meters at the World Championships in Doha later in the year (he was 2nd in 2017) and set World Records in the 5000 (12:35.36) and 10,000 (26:11.00) in 2020. His success continued at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, where he won gold in the 5000 and silver in the 10,000, and at the 2022 & 2023 World Championships, where he won the 10,000. He added a gold medal in the 10,000 at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
Kenya’s Hellen Obiri (36:14), making her World Cross debut, won the Senior Women’s race (10.24k), with Ethiopia (21) edging Kenya (25) for the team title. Uganda (36) won the bronze medals.
With her win here, Obiri became the first woman ever to win senior world titles indoors, outdoors and in cross country. The only man to achieve such a feat is Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele.
Winners of the Junior titles (8k) were Ethiopia’s Milkesha Mengesha (23:52) and Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet (20:50). Ethiopia won both team titles, and also won the Mixed Relay.
Other Notable/U.S. Finishers
Senior Men:3.Geoffrey Kamworor (KEN) 31:55…5.Selemon Barega(ETH) 32:16, 6.Rhonex KIpruto(KEN) 32:17, 34.Shadrack Kipchirchir(USA), 35.Stanley Kebenei(USA)…60.Hillary Bor(USA)…69.Emmanuel Bor(USA)…73.Leonard Korir(USA)…76.Mason Ferlic(USA);
Teams:…11.USA 198
Senior Women: 2.Dera Dida(ETH) 36:16…7.Beatrice Chepkoech(KEN) 37:12…30.Kate Avery(GBR)…33.Stephanie Bruce(USA)…50.Sarah Pagano(USA), 51.Anne-Marie Blaney(USA)…58.Marielle Hall(USA)…75.Courtney Frerichs(USA)
Teams: 8.USA 190
Junior Men: 12.Jakob Ingebrigtsen(NOR)…29.Shauib Aljabaly(USA)…31.Carter Cheeseman(USA)…39.Meikael Beaudoin Rousseau(USA)…55.Charlie Perry(USA)…72.Gabriel Mudel(USA)…86.Khalid Hussein(USA)
Teams: 6.USA 154
Junior Women: 53.Savannah Shaw(USA)…60.Grace Ping(USA)…70.Nicole Clermont(USA)…74.Heidi Nelson(USA), 75.Kayla Smith(USA)…84.Rilee Rigdon(USA)
Teams: 14. USA 257
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_IAAF_World_Cross_Country_Championships
Videos:
Senior Men: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2V5Eugvn5Wo
Senior Women: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aM7JLnvvu7w
2019— Matt Boling (Houston Strake Jesuit H.S.) put on quite a show at the Texas Relays. On Friday (3-29), he won the Long Jump with a leap of 26-3 ½ (8.01/#7 All-Time) and won his heat of the 100 in a very wind-aided (+4.2) time of 10.21.
On Saturday, the Georgia-bound senior ran an incredible come-from-behind anchor to give his team a narrow win in the Div.II 4×100 over Duncanville H.S. (40.86 for both) and then won the 100 final in 10.20w (+2.2).
He was named Track & Field News’ Male H.S. Athlete of the Year in 2019.
Boling won his 2nd NCAA Indoor title in the 200 in March, 2023 (also won in 2021), and won gold medals in the 4×400 (1st round) and Mixed 4×400 at the 2023 World Championships
Videos
10.20: https://www.milesplit.com/videos/357245
Long Jump: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iU4AM45t2Pk
https://trackandfieldnews.com/sprinter-jumper-boling-is-the-talk-of-high-school-track/
https://trackandfieldnews.com/video-matthew-boling-talks-texas-relays-26-3%C2%BD-long-jump/
https://tx.milesplit.com/articles/258876-texas-relays-boys-recap-boling-and-carrozza-dominate
https://trackandfieldnews.com/tfn-high-school-boys-athletes-year/
2024—Kenya’s Senior Women put on a clinic at the World X-Country Championships in Belgrade, Serbia, sweeping the top 5 places (with only 4 scoring).
For the 2nd year in a row, Beatrice Chebet’s individual win led Kenya to the team title (She won the Junior title in 2019). American Weini Kelati stayed with the lead group in the early stages of the race, but eventually faded to 15th place.
Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo was also a repeat winner in the Senior Men’s race, as was the Kenyan team. Kiplimo’s tammate, Joshua Cheptegei, the 2019 Champion, finished 6th.
The surprise winner of the Junior Women’s race was 15-year old Marta Alemayo (19:28), who was followed across the line by teammates Asayech Ayichew (19:32) and Robe Dida (19:38) to lead Ethiopia to the team title over Kenya (12-28). It was the only team title Kenya didn’t win today.
Samuel Kibathi (22:40) outsprinted Ethiopia’s Mezgebu Sime (22:41) to win the Junior Men’s race and lead Kenya to the team title.
Kenya won the Mixed Relay over Ethiopia (22:15-22:43).
Runners had to deal with temperatures rising into the 80s!
Other Notable/U.S. Finishers:
Senior Women (10k): 1.Beatrice Chebet (KEN) 31:05, 2.Lillian Rengeruk (KEN) 31:08, 3.Margaret Kipkemboi (KEN) 31:09, 4.Emmaculate Achol (KEN) 31:24, 5.Agnes Ngetich (Ken) 31:27…15.Weini Kelati (USA)…30.Allie Ostrander (USA)…33.Abby Nichols (USA)…35.Emma Grace Hurley (USA)…58.Callie Logue (USA)…DNF-Katie Camarena (USA);
U.S. team-4th
Senior Men (10k): 21.Anthony Rotich (USA)…24.Emmanuel Bor (USA)…35.Ahmed Muhumed (USA), 36.Christian Allen (USA)… 51.Anthony Camerieri (USA)… 57.Reid Buchanan (USA); U.S. Team-7th
Junior Men (8k): 24.Kevin Sanchez (USA)…30.Kole Mathison (USA)…45.Noah Breker (USA)… 54.Aidan Jones (USA)…68.Birhanu Harrman (USA)…DNF-Berkley Nance (USA); U.S. Team-7th
Junior Women (8k): 15.Ellie Shea (USA), 16.Allie Zealand (USA)…28.Mary Dalton (USA), 20.Zariel Macchia (USA)…41.Jolena Quarzo (USA)…49.Maddie Gardiner (USA); U.S. Team-4th
Recaps: Sr. Women Sr. Men Jr. Men Jr. Women Mixed
LetsRun Coverage: https://www.letsrun.com/events/2024/03/2024-world-athletics-cross-country-championships
Race Results Weekly: https://www.dyestat.com/gprofile.php?mgroup_id=44531&do=news&news_id=668421
World Cross-Past Winners (from 1973 to present)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Athletics_Cross_Country_Championships
Born On This Day
Natoya Goule-Jamaica 34 (1991) 3-time NCAA Champion-800m (2013-Indoors & Outdoors/LSU; 2015-
Indoors (Clemson)
6th at the 2019 World Championships in Doha, 5th-2022, semi-finalist-2023; 8th at the Tokyo Olympics, semi-
finalist at the 2024 Olympics; 4th at the 2022 World Indoor Championships
2019 Pan-American Games Champion
Silver medalist in the 4×400 at the 2014 World Indoor Championships
PBs: 51.52 (‘11), 1:24.09 (‘22/Nat’l Record), 1:55.96 (‘23/NR), 1:58.46i (‘22/NR), 2:37.55i (‘19/NR),
4:08.66 (’21) 2025 SB: 2:02.26i
Wiki Bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natoya_Goule
https://www.worldathletics.org/news/series/natoya-goule-jamaica-800
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/130727
Lacey O’Neal 81 (1944) 2-time U.S. Olympian—1964 (80-meter hurdles/semi-finalist), 1972 (100-meter hurdles/SF)
From Olympedia: O’Neal is best remembered for coining the word, “girlcott” in reference to the proposed 1968
boycott of the Olympic by black American athletes. O’Neal stated that the black females would not girlcott,
because they were still trying to make strides for female athletes. The term was later used by many other
women, notably Billie Jean King.
After the ’72 Games, she competed with the International Track Association, then coached at the University of
Florida. Later, she returned to diplomacy, working for the State Department supporting the US embassies in Ivory
Coast and Burkina Faso, then joining the Peace Corps and living in Gambia. She has lived in Washington on and off
since the 1960s.
PBs: 11.7 (1972); 13.1 (1972)
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/77929
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/artsandliving/features/2008/memory-games-072708/oneal.html
https://floridagators.com/news/2022/2/1/general-black-history-month-lacey-o-neal-working.aspx
Deceased
Charlie Tidwell 32 (1937-Aug.28, 1969) 4-time NCAA Champion while at Kansas—1958 (220y/turn/2nd in ’59),
1959 (100y/3rd in ’58), 1960(100m, 200m)
1959 U.S. Champion-200m Hurdles—set a World Record of 22.6 (not ratified by the IAAF)
Considered one of the favorites to make the 1960 U.S. Olympic team in the 100 and/or 200, he pulled up
halfway through the final of the Trials 100 while in contention. Injury forced him to withdraw from the 200.
Had unsuccessful tryouts with two NFL teams.
Died tragically in 1969 at the age of 32 (conflicting reports)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Tidwell
https://kuathletics.com/042105aad-331/
István Rózsavölgyi—Hungary 82 (1929-Jan.27, 2012) 1960 Olympic bronze medalist—1500m
Former World Record holder—1000m (2:19.0), 1500m (3:40.6), 2000m (5:02.2), 4×1500 (15:29.2, 15:21.2,
15:14.8), 4xmile (16:25.2).
A regular on the U.S. Indoor circuit…1961 winner of the Wanamaker Mile at the Millrose Games
Coached by Mihály Iglói
PBs:1:48.4 (1959), 3:38.8 (1960), 3:59.0 (1959)
https://www.worldathletics.org/athletes/hungary/istvan-rozsavolgyi-014356177
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/István_Rózsavölgyi
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/71268
Tommy Green 80 (1894-March 29, 1975) 1932 Olympic gold medalist—50k Walk
From Olympedia: Olympic history contains many stories of handicaps that champions have overcome but few can
match the adversities Tommy Green faced before being crowned champion in one of the most grueling events
of the Olympic program. Because of rickets, he was unable to walk at all until he was five years old; in 1906 he
falsified his age in order to join the Army but was invalidated out of the Royal Hussars four years later as a
result of injuries received when a horse fell on him. Then after being recalled with the Reserve in 1914, he was
wounded three times and badly gassed while serving with the King’s Own Hussars in France.
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/69091
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_Green_(athlete)
Jean-Louis “Ravelo” Ravelomanantsoa-Madagascar 73 (1943-Sep.27, 2016)
1968 Olympic finalist-100m (8th), 200-1st round
Also competed at the 1964 (1st round-100,200) and 1972 (100-SF) Olympics
1971 U.S. Indoor Champion-60y
3-time NAIA Champion while at Westmont College in California: 100m (1972), 60y (1971,1972).
(Equaled the World Indoor Record of 5.9 at the 1971 NAIA meet)
Ranked #2 in the world by T&F News in the 100 in 1971, #4 in 1972.
First man to win the professional Stawell Gift 120-yard handicap race in Australia from scratch (1975)!
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/73289
https://www.stawellgift.com/hall-of-fame/legends/jean-louis-ravelomanantsoa/
(Includes video of the Stawell race):
https://athletics.westmont.edu/news/2016/9/28/ravelomanantsoa_131221430114204202.aspx
Mikio Oda—Japan 93 (1905-Dec.2, 1998) 1928 Olympic gold medalist—Triple Jump (Japan’s 1st Olympic champion)
His winning distance was commemorated at the Opening Ceremony of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics when the
Olympic flag was hoisted on a pole that was 15.21 meters high (49-11).
3-time Olympian
1924—High Jump (=10th), Long Jump (=10th), Triple Jump (6th)
1928—HJ (=7th), LJ (Qual.), TJ (Gold)
1932—TJ(12th)
His winning jump in 1928 is also etched in a walkway on the grounds of the Olympic Museum in Tokyo (across the
street from Olympic Stadium. (See below)
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/72564
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikio_Oda
https://www.worldathletics.org/news/news/interview-with-mikio-oda-first-japanese-olymp
Oda’s 15.21 jump
