Walt Murphy’s News and Results Service ([email protected])
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This Day in Track & Field–April 4
1959—Kansas Junior Bill Alley set an American Record in the Javelin with his winning mark of 270-1 ½ (82.33) at the Texas Relays. His win at the NCAA Championships in June helped propel the Jayhawks to the team title. He would win a 2nd NCAA title in 1960 and made the U.S. Olympic team that competed in Rome (didn’t make the final).
Alley threw 283-8 (86.46) in 1960, which bettered Al Cantello’s World Record of 282-3 (86.04), but the mark was never ratified, since it was determined that it was made on a “sloping ground”.
Before transferring to Kansas, Alley won the 1956 IC4A title while competing for Syracuse.
A native of New Jersey, Alley, a prolific inventor, moved to Vermont in 1969 to open Research Engineering Corporation, a company that manufactures everything from T&F equipment to fishing poles to medical devices. Check the links below for much more on Alley’s accomplishments.
1964–Dallas Long set his 5th official Shot Put World Record with his toss of 65-11 ½ (20.10) in Los Angeles.
1964—Arizona State’s Henry Carr ran 20.2 on his home track in Tempe to equal his own year-old World Record for 220-Yards. He would win Olympic gold in the 200 and the 4×400 Relay in Tokyo later in the year.
1975–Competing in an ITA Professional indoor meet in Daly City, California, colorful Brian Oldfield, using the still-new spin technique (The “Oldfield Slingshot”), won the shot put with the longest throw in history, 72-6 1/2 (22.11), which was better than George Woods’ “Amateur” World Record of 72-2 ¾ (22.02).
Raven Saunders, the 4-time NCAA Champion from Southern Illinois and Ole Miss (and the 2021 Olympic silver medalist), learned the spin technique by watching videos of Oldfield in action.
T&F News Interviews: (1973) (1976)
1987–Recruited as a relay runner by Baylor coach Clyde Hart, a young freshman named Michael Johnson contributed a 45.5 3rd leg as the Bears won the 4×400 at the Texas Relays.
Dag Wennlund, a Texas senior from Sweden, set a Collegiate Record of 271-1 (82.62) in the Javelin (still #10 All-Time Div.I College). He set the previous Record of 268-7 (81.86) in 1986. Wennlund went on to win the NCAA title in June and competed in 3 Olympics (1988-1992-1996).
1991–Just looking to get a good 10k race in before running in the London Marathon 2 weeks later (she would finish 2nd in 2:27:35), 38-year-old Francie Larrieu-Smith surprised herself by running a solo 31:28.92 at the Texas Relays to break her own American Record of 31:35.52. “I did not realize that I was on record pace until the PA announcer called the four-mile split and mentioned I was on record pace. In fact, for me, just the final two miles of the race were an attempt on the record, not the first four.” It would be the last of the many American Records set by the 5-time Olympian and Hall-of-Fame, who retired after the 2018 season after coaching for 20 years at Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas.
1998—Kenya’s Paul Tergat set World Records in the 20,000 meters (56:18) and the Half-Marathon (59:17) in Milan, Italy. Tergat’s marks were the first at those distances to be ratified by the IAAF
2009-Texas alum Andra Manson cleared his lifetime best of 7-8 ½ (2.35) while winning the High Jump at the Texas Relays for the 4th year in a row (the first two while still competing as a Longhorn).
Manson was the 2004 NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Champion and competed in the qualifying round at the 2008 Olympics.
Born On This Day*
Nicole Bush 40 (1986) 2013 U.S. Champion—steeplechase;
3-time All-American at Michigan State (’06 NCAA-5th, ’07-7th, ’09-2nd)
13th at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials
Suffered a broken foot at the 2009 U.S. Championships after tripping over the water-jump barrier that
was set too high! (See link)
PB: 9:24.59 (2014)
2013 Win (Race Results Weekly)
Too-High Barrier:
Jason Richardson 40 (1986) 2011 World Champion—110-meter hurdles; 2012 Olympic silver medalist
2008 NCAA Champion (South Carolina);
5th at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials;
Won the gold medal at the 2011 Worlds after “winner” Dayron Robles of Cuba was disqualified for (unintentionally) impeding China’s Liu Xiang, who appeared to be on his way to victory, over the last two hurdles. (Liu crossed the line in 3rd place).
PB:12.98 (’12/=#14 All-Time U.S.);
2011 WC
Videos:
Recap:
Wiki Bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason_Richardson_(hurdler)
Edith Masai—Kenya 59 (1967) 8-time medalist at the World X-Country Championships (long course):
Gold (individual): 2002, 2003 (& team), 2004
Silver (Team): 2001, 2002, 2004
Bronze (Individual): 2001
Also, the bronze medalist in the 5000-meters at the 2003 World Championships (2001-7th)
8th in the Marathon at the 2007 World Championships…competed in the first round of the 5000 at the 2004
Olympics
PBs: 8:23.23 (2002), 14:33.84 (2006), 30:30.26 (2005), 1:07:16 (2006), 2:27:06 (2005)
Deceased
Johnny “Lam” Jones 60 (1958-March 15, 2019) 1976 Olympic gold medalist—4×100 (6th-100)
A legend in Texas H.S. track for his anchor leg in the mile relay at the 1976 State meet (see
Rocky Road link)
From T&F News’ Coverage
“…. Lampasas had to win the race to take the team title, but after three legs it didn’t seem quite possible, as
Jones got the baton in 7th place 40y down. He knocked off two teams around the first bend, went into overdrive
down the backstraight, picking off teams along the way. By the time Jones went into his highest gear off the
final bend it was all over. His 45.5 leg was his fifth sub-46 carry of the year…”
Played 5 seasons with the NY Jets
Played football at Texas and in the NFL with the NY Jets
Passed away in 2019 after a long bout with cancer
Nelson Prudêncio-Brazil 68 (1944-November 23, 2012) 2-time Olympic medalist—Triple Jump (1968-silver, 1972-bronze)
Set a World Record of 56-7 ¾ (17.27) at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, but had to settle for the silver medal
after the Soviet Union’s Viktor Saneyev jumped 57-1/2 (17.39) in the final round to take away the World
Record and the gold medal.
1968 TJ: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athletics_at_the_1968_Summer_Olympics_%E2%80%93_Men%27s_triple_jump
Wilson “Buster” Charles 98 (1908-June 6, 2006) 1932 U.S. Olympian—Decathlon (4th)
1930 U.S. Champion
A Native American was a member of the Oneida Tribe—also played basketball and football at the Haskell Indian Institute
Member of the inaugural class of inductees to the American Indian Athletic Hall of Fame.