Pete Brown, a dear friend and follower of this blog sent us a link to a data base recently published by Trojan Force a booster group for USC Track. The co-researchers, collectors, editors, historians of this data base are Russ Reabold and Sam Nicholson. The data base contains the names, events and times performed by everyone who ever competed for USC. Events are listed by order, fastest times to slowest times, and no times if the competitors are culled from dual meet lists where non winning times were not given. The list goes back to 1894 and continues up to 2018. The women's list is still under construction but expected to be done yet this year. Amazing work by Russ and Sam. Congratulations from Once Upon a Time in the Vest. One minor suggestion to the creators would be further identification on many of the pictures.
Pete who connected us to the data base grew up in the Los Angeles area and attended meets with his dad from the early 1950s. Pete went on to compete in the 880 for Porterville JC and the U. of New Mexico and has through his personal contacts and loans of material, kept this blog functioning. His comments when he sent me the information are as follows:
You will find some incredible track tradition here, including my coach at Porterville JC in 1959, Olympic champion Sim Iness (1952), and my 6th grade teacher in 1950, Bob Pruitt, outstanding 880 man. There are some technical issues, but it really is an amazing list in terms of great athletes. It dates back to 1894.
When I was a kid, just getting interested in track and field, SC dominated everything. Mel Patton, Dick Attlesey, Sim Iness, and Parry O’Brien among the first USC athletes I saw compete in the LA Coliseum. They all either set WR’s or won Olympic Games or both. Los Angeles was a great place to grow up for a track fan.
USC won the NCAA team title 7 times in the 1930’s; 5 times in the 1940’s, 7 times in 1950’s, and 5 times in the 1960’s. They were absolutely dominant---60% of all available NCAA track and field championships in that 4 decade period.
My great friend, history prof at U Kentucky, is on the USC list for the javelin---Eric Christianson.
My dad always talked about the great Clarence “Bud” Houser who is pictured in the shot put section---an Olympic champion and world record holder. Sprinter Charley Paddock was a legend to track fans from
S Calif like Roy, Eric, Dennis and me, as was the great miler Louis Zamperini. Both were before our time, but famous if you lived in Los Angeles.
USC had three of their greatest athletes of all time in the 2018 NCAA meet in Ellis, Norman and Benjamin. That long tradition of USC alive and well.
Enjoy,
Pete
The USC Data Base Clik Here
2 comments:
USC history in track and field is amazing!Thank you so much for tbis post. The USC - UCLA duel meets were the best competition ever. Probably never draw the crowds like us old cats remember. kind regards Phil Scott
Most universities have a site on their athletic department with a history of best historical marks and performances. Sadly, many of the former all-black institutions do noy have such histories...Grambling and Southern come to mind. A few former track powers, Oregon State, San Jose state and Bowling Green did not have histories as their programs have gone away (at least last time I checked)
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