MARCH 1968 (#1)
This is a landmark issue because it is the first of new two issues a month format. It's pages chronicle the transition from indoor to outdoor seasons. The lead story is the AAU indoor championship held in Oakland where Martin McGrady sets the world record at 600 yards and Earl McCullouch ties the 60 hurdles mark set by Hayes Jones four years earlier.
A photo of the finish of the 600 graces the cover of this issue and rightly so as Cordner Nelson calls it “the greatest 600 ever run”. The field consists of Jim Kemp, Lee Evans, Ron Whitney and McGrady. Kemp went out hard and had the lead for 595 yards before McGrady edged him at the tape. These two and Evans were given the time of 1:09.2, later corrected to 1:09.2, 1:09.3 and 1:09.4, though the cover photo looks tighter than that. Yes, there have been faster 600s run, but they were on larger tracks. This was on the standard 11 laps to the mile track. No matter the track size, this distance belongs to McGrady, as proven by the fact that this is his 19th consecutive win at this distance.
McCullouch has the best start in the business. He shows it off in a semifinal of the 60 high hurdles where his 6.8 puts him in the record book. His 6.9 in the final is enough to dust Richmond Flowers, Willie Davenport and Leon Coleman and stretch his indoor victory streak to 15.
George Young outkicks world record holder Tracy Smith to take the three-mile in 13:17.6 to 13:18.2. Don't feel sorry for Tracy. The following week in the Maple Leaf Games in Toronto 13,000 spectators watch him power a 57.4 final quarter to clip a second from his record with a 13:15.2 clocking. Russia's Nikolai Sviridov and Van Nelson run 13:21.6 to take home parting gifts of European and collegiate records.
Dallas Long's high school record lasted nine years before Karl Salb broke it last summer. Salb's 69-6 wasn't as durable. Sam Walker of Carrollton, Texas has wasted no time this season in snatching it for himself. The measurement must have been a sort of bittersweet moment. Yes, he got the record, but his joy had to have been mixed with an “Oh, golly darn, gee whiz” response as well. His 69-11 ¾ was just this far (–) from 70 feet.
There is a story predicting the outcome of each event in June's NCAA meet., but nowhere is it explained who made these choices. Did Bert and Cordner Nelson knock this off over shots of Jack Daniels in the back room of the Water Trough? Or did they add Dick Drake, D.H. Potts, Jon Hendershot, and Joe Henderson to the mix? Fifty years have passed so likely we will never know.
The significance of these predictions lies in geography. In 1968 the West Coast is dominant, as measured by the top nine teams in these predictions: Southern California, UCLA, Texas El Paso, Washington State, Oregon State, San Jose State, Oregon, Brigham Young, California. Times have changed.
From Dick Drake's On Your Marks column.
How's this for a significant moment in history? Dick Fosbury's “flop technique” has caught the fancy of other jumpers and seems to be a “must try”. In a practice session before the AAU meet, Russia's 7-2 jumper, Valentin Gavrilov could do no better than 4-10 and was beaten by hurdler Larry Livers who cleared 5-0. The best-reported flop this winter has been by vaulter Jeff Chase who jumped 5-7. Must be an acquired taste......In the Times, They Are A Changing Department we bring you news of a world record in the mile, the 40 and over mile to be exact. Jim Gorrell clocks 4:43.1 to take down Browning Ross's 4:45.0. (As you read this, the current over 40-mile record is 3:54.91 by Bernard Lagat.)......Lee Evans has set his 440 goal this year at 44.3. That is a half second under teammate Tommy Smith's record. (Note: Depending on how you look at it, he did or he didn't. He didn't officially run that far that fast, but he did win Olympic gold at 400 meters, 7 feet 8 inches less 440 yards, in a world record 43.86. As MileSplit USA converts that time to 44.13 for yards, we'll give it to you, Lee.....Another benchmark in the transition the last half century has brought is this report on Clay Larsen, a 58-7 shot putter for Hayward State. He has shoulder length hair tied with a ribbon, “presumably to keep it out of his face while competing”. Dick Drake questions, “I wonder if there are another dozen athletic departments in the US that would permit this sort of freedom of choice?” Ed comment: If you don't put an end to this liberal nonsense now, who knows what will happen? Might even let girls compete. Okay, we're being silly here, but the line has to be drawn somewhere.
from the desk of Roy Mason ed.
from the desk of Roy Mason ed.
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