Our mutual blog writer, Walt Murphy sent the following note. Some of you on his mailing list may have been left off recently. Also if you are not on his mailing list he explains how to get on it. His daily blog is a must read. Full of what happened on this day in track and field over a long period of time. It covers some of his own adventures as a track nut, and includes a of information on music and entertainment. But it is primarily for the track and field reader. Here is his note along with the March 20 issue (track stuff only). You can reach Walt at wmurphy25@aol.com
Hi George,
I had to recreate my master email file some time ago, and it looks like your address was inadvertently dropped. Sorry 'bout that.
Still trying to get the word out about This Day in T&F, especially at a time when there's very little current news for fans to read about these days.
Would you be willing to let your readers know they can sign up for free just by contacting me?
Regards,
Walt
P.S. Since I was there in 1964, I've been looking forward to this year's Olympics ever since they were awarded to Tokyo, but I'm not optimistic that they are going to take place.
(c)Copyright 2020-all rights reserved. May not be reprinted or retransmitted without permission
This Day in Track & Field/X-Country--March 20
(Bikila, World Cross-’71, ’77, ’83, ’05, ’11, 2016 World Indoors/Birthdays-Shamier Little, Kevin Sullivan, Shola Lynch, Dennis Lewis, Rick Wanamaker)
1969--Ethiopia’s Abebe Bikila, the winner of the marathon at the 1960 and 1964 Olympics, was involved in an automobile accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down. His injuries ultimately led to his death in 1973.
http://www.ethiopians.com/
1971--Doris Brown(Heritage) won her 5th (and final) World (International) X-Country title (2.8-miles) in San Sebastian, Spain, leading the U.S. women to a 3rd-place finish. Winners of the men’s Senior(7.5-miles) and Junior(4.35-miles) races, respectively, were England’s Dave Bedford and Nick Rose, a future NCAA Champion (1974/Western Kentucky). England swept all 3 team titles. (The U.S. only entered a women’s team!)
Other notable finishers
Senior Men: 9.Ian Stewart (Scotland), 10.Rod Dixon (New Zealand), 12.Gaston Roelants (Belgium); DNF-Emiel Puttemans (Belgium).
Junior Men:18.Eamonn Coghlan (Ireland/destined to become the “Chairman of the Boards”), 24.Neil Cusack (Ireland/1972 NCAA Champion-East Tennessee/winner of the 1974 Boston Marathon)
Women: 11.Beth Bonner (USA/Unofficially the 1st female “winner” of the NY City Marathon-1971)
1977--Top-10 finishes from winner Thom Hunt and Mark Spilsbury (5th) led the U.S. to a narrow win over Spain (36-40) at the World X-C Championships in Brussels, giving the Americans their 4th straight title in the Men’s Junior Race. Other U.S. team members--Marty Froelick (12th), Chris Fox(18th), who would coach Syracuse to the 2015 NCAA XC title, Harold Schulz (33rd), and Jeff Creer(34th).
Sue Kinsey’s 8th-place finish helped the USA win the silver medals in the women’s race.
Other Races:
Senior Men(12.3k/Belgium)-1.Leon Schots (Belgium) 37:43, 2.Carlos Lopes (Portugal) 37:48…24.Jeff Wells (USA)…37.Rob De Castella (Australia), 42.Gary Tuttle (USA), 44.Jos Hermens (Netherlands), 45.Dave Bedford (England), 91.Ray Treacy (Ireland), 99.Tom Wysocki (USA), 103.Steve Jones (Wales), 104.Tony Sandoval (USA), 106.Jon Anderson (USA, 109.Neil Cusack (Ireland), 111.Ric Rojas (USA), 112.Steve Flanagan (USA/Shalane’s father), 132.Roger Robinson (New Zealand/running journalist), 159.Donal Walsh (Ireland/ex-Villanova)
Senior Women(5.1k/Soviet Union):1.Carmen Valero (Spain (17:26), 2.Lyudmila Bragina (Soviet Union) 17:28, 8.Sue Kinsey (USA) , 9.Anne Audain (New Zealand), 11.Kathy Mills (USA), 14.Julie Brown (USA), 15.Paula Neppel (USA), 48.Doris Brown-Heritage (USA), 54.Eryn Forbes (USA)
1982—Billy Olson cleared 18-8 ¾ (5.71) in Brownwood,TX, to break Dave Roberts’ 6-year old American Record in the Pole Vault (18-8 1/4/5.70).
1983--The U.S. squad put on a strong display in the women’s race at the World X-C Championships in Gateshead, England, as Joan Benoit (4th), Betty Springs(5th), Margaret Groos(9th), and Jan Merrill(13th) all ran well to give the U.S. its 3rd team title (also won the women’s race in 1975 and 1979). Also on the U.S. team were Nan Doak(40th) and Kathy Hadler(42nd). Norway’s Grete Waitz won her 5th (and final) individual title.
There was an exciting Senior Men’s race (12k) as four men came across the finish line together, with Ethiopia’s Bekele Debele (36:52) edging Portugal’s Carlos Lopes (36:52), Kenya’s Some Muge (36:52), and American Alberto Salazar (36:53). The U.S. also got a 9th-place finish from Pat Porter as it won the team silver medals behind Ethiopia (Kenya was 3rd). Other members of the U.S. squad (9 entries, 6 scored):Thom Hunt (28), Ed Eyestone(30), the current men’s coach at BYU, Craig Virgin(47), Mark Anderson(57), Doug Brown(118), Bill Donakowski(147), and John Idstrom(160). The U.S. team celebrated its fine performance by climbing to the roof of their hotel and raising the American flag!
2005--(St.Etienne,France). Still grieving over the sudden death of his fiancee earlier in the year, Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele won the short(3-19) and long(3-20) double for the 4th year in a row. The U.S., led by top-25 finishes from Lauren Fleshman(11th), Blake Russell(15th), Shalane Flanagan(20th), and Shayne Culpepper(21st), won the bronze medals in the women’s short course race.
2011—U.S. women came away with individual and team bronze medals at the World X-Country Championships in warm conditions in Punta Umbria, Spain.
Shalane Flanagan (25:10) finished 3rd in the 9k race, behind Kenyans Vivian Cheruiyot (24:58) and Linet Masai (25:07), to lead the American team to its 2nd straight 3rd-place finish. Supporting Flanagan with strong performances were Molly Huddle (17th), Magdalena Lewy-Boulet (18th), and Blake Russell (19th).
With 4 runners scoring, Kenya (15) was an easy team winner over Ethiopia (29) and the U.S. (57).
Said Flanagan, “I had to rise up and elevate my game today. I was so pleased to be in medal position. It was a lot of fun today. I know that we have to elevate our game in order to be in a medal position. I love the fact that this is a team sport, and there is a great team dynamic going with all of the ladies on the team”.
Other Races:
Senior Men (12k/Kenya-14)-1.Imane Merga (Ethiopia) 33:50, 2.Paul Tanui (Kenya) 33:52…35.Ben True (USA)
Junior Men (8k/Kenya-20)-1.Geoffrey Kamworor (Kenya) 22:21…29.Craig Lutz (USA)
Junior Women (6k/Ethiopia-17)-1.Faith Kipyegon (Kenya) 18:53…17.Aisling Cuffe (USA)
2016—It was a good weekend at the World Indoor Championships in Portland, Oregon, for Team USA, which captured a record total of 13 gold medals (also a record 23 medals overall).
5 of those gold medals were won on the final day of competition:
Men
Full of run after a slow early pace(2:07.88/800!), Matthew Centrowitz sprinted past New Zealand’s Nick Willis in the homestretch to won the 1500-meters (3:44.22) and would go on to win Olympic gold in Rio
A lineup of Kyle Clemons (46.6), Calvin Smith (45.6), Chris Giesting (45.3), and Vernon Norwood (45.0) won the 4x400 in 3:02.45
Marquis Dendy won the Men’s Long Jump with a leap of 27-1 ¼ (8.26),
Women
High School senior Vashti Cunningham won the Women’s High Jump (6-5[1.96])
A lineup of Natasha Hastings (51.9), Quanera Hayes (51.0), Courtney Okolo (50.7), and Ashley Spencer (52.8) won the 4x400 in 3:26.38.
In other highlights, Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha (7:57.21) edged American Ryan Hill (7:57.39) in the men’s 3000; Burundi’s Francine Niyonsaba (2:00.01) won the Women’s 800 over American Ajee’ Wilson (2:00.27); Genzebe Dibaba (8:47.43) and Meseret Defar (8:54.26) gave Ethiopia a 1-2 sweep in the Women’s 3000, with American Shannon Rowbury winning the bronze medal (8:55.55); Jamaica’s Omar McLeod won the Men’s 60-meter hurdles in 7.41.
Previous days’ recaps:
3-17/ France’s Renaud Lavillenie (19-9[6.02]) and American Jenn Suhr 16-3/4 (4.90) set Championship Records in the Men’s and Women’s Pole Vault, which were held in the Portland Convention Center.
3-18/3 wins for the U.S.: Men’s 60-Trayvon Bromell(6.47); Women’s 60-hurdles-Nia Ali 7.81; Women’s Long Jump-Brittney Reese 23-8 ¼ (7.22); Canada’s Brianne Theisen won the Pentathlon(4881).
3-19/4 more wins for the U.S.: Men’s 800 Boris Berian (1:45.83); Women’s 60-Barbara Pierre 7.02, Finishing behind Pierre in the women’s 60 were the Netherlands’ Dafne Schippers (7.04) and Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson (7.06), who would later win the 100 and 200 at the Rio Olympics; Ashton Eaton(64760) won his 3rd straight title in the Heptathlon a day after his wife won the Pentathlon); Women’s Shot Put-Michelle Carter (66-3 ¾ [20.21]) got the win and an American Record on her last throw.
Women’s 3000: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Born On This Day*
Shamier Little 25(1995) 3-time NCAA Champion while at Texas A&M (2014-2016)
Silver medalist in the 400-meter hurdles at the 2015 World Championships—failed to
make the final at the 2017 World Championships in London
2014 World Junior Champion—400-hurdles, 4x400
2-time U.S. Junior Champion—400-hurdles (2012,2014)
2015 Pan-American Games Champion—400-hurdles, 4x400
Considered one of the early favorites to win gold in Rio in 2016, she failed to make the final at the U.S.
Olympic Trials…
4th at the 2019 U.S. Championships
Turned pro after the 2016 NCAA Championships, giving up her final year of collegiate eligibility.
Ranked #1 in the World in 2018 (2015-#2, 2017-#4, 2019-#3)
PBs: 50.50/400 (2017), 52.75/400h (2017); 2019 SB: 53.73
Turning Pro:
Kevin Sullivan 46(1974) 1995 NCAA Champion—1500m(Michigan/1994-3
3-time NCAA Indoor Champion—Mile (1995,1998), DMR (1995)
5th in the 1500 at the 1995 World Championships and 2000 Olympics…semi-finalist at the 2004 and 2008
Olympics and 4 World Championships (2001-2003-2005-2007)
Canadian record holder 1500-meters (3:31.71/2000), mile (3:50.26/2000)
Other PBs: 3:55.33i (1995), 7:41.61 (2008), 13:19.27 (2007)
Currently the head men’s X-Country coach at Michigan, his alma mater.
Video-1998 NCAA Indoor Mile(Great Finish): https://www.youtube.
Shola Lynch 51(1969) 2-time U.S. Junior Champion—800m(1983-14 at the time!,1986)
All-American at Texas—5th at the 1992 NCAA Championships
Ran 2:07.14 in 1983 as a 14-year old 8th-grader
Currently a noted filmmaker…directed “Runner”, part of ESPN’s Nine for IX series, which commemorated the 40th
anniversary of Title IX—featured Mary Decker and Zola Budd.
Regular on Sesame Street from the age of 2-6!
RUNNER:
(All New)
Dan Steele 51(1969) 1992 NCAA Champion—400m-Hurdles (Eastern Illinois/1990-5th); PBs:49.79 (1992), 8130(1999)
8th in the Decathlon at the 1999 World Championships; 5th at the 2000 U.S. Olympic Trials
Silver medalist in the Decathlon at the 1999 Pan-American Games
2-time U.S. Olympian in the bobsled (1998,2002)…bronze medalist in the 4-man event in 2002
Coached Ashton Eaton and Brianne Theisen while they were at the University of Oregon…also coached at Northern
Iowa and Iowa State
Still recovering from a near-fatal stroke that he suffered in 2017, he hopes to return to coaching some day.
Twin brother Darrin had a decathlon best of 8129 and was also a 2-time U.S. Olympian in the bobsled.
Darrin Steele 51(1969) All-American in the Decathlon (Eastern Illinois/1991 NCAA-5th); PB:8129 (1995)
2-time U.S. Olympian in the bobsled(1998,2002)…Former CEO of USA Bobsled and Skeleton
See above for info on his twin brother Dan
Dennis Lewis 61(1959) 1984 U.S. Indoor Champion—High Jump
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.
Hilary Tuwei—Kenya 64(1956) 4-time NCAA finalist in the steeplechase while at Richmond
(’77-4th, ’78-4th, ’79-3rd, ’80-5th)
NCAA Indoor-3 mile(’79-2nd, ’80-5th); PBs: 13:33.6/5k, 28:35.8, 8:22.4sc
Clyde McPherson 69(1951) 2-time NCAA Indoor Champion—Mile Relay (Adelphi/1971,1972)
1971 Penn Relays Champion—Mile Relay (46.7 anchor); PB:46.7y(1972)
4-time NCAA Div.II Champion—440y(1970), Mile Relay(1970-1972)
Rick Wanamaker 72(1948) Was the 1st NCAA Champion in the Decathlon(Drake/1970); 1971 U.S. Champion;
1971 Pan-American Games Champion; PB:7989 (1971)
Ranked #1 in the U.S. in 1971, he suffered a sprained ankle (his plant foot) a few days before the start of the
1972 U.S. Olympic Trials…finished 18th after no-heighting in the Pole Vault and only clearing 6-feet in the High
Jump (had a best of 7-feet).
Standing 6’-8” (2.03), he played basketball at Drake University…once blocked a shot by UCLA’s Lew Alcindor (aka
Kareem Abdul Jabbar) in the 1969 Final Four semi-finals(Drake almost upset the Bruins)…play was #100 in the
Bleacher Report’s 100 greatest plays in College Basketball history (Through 2012)
Deceased
Jim Dupree (1936-?) 2-time U.S. Champion—880y (1961, 1963-finished 2nd to Canada’s Bill Crothers)
1961 NCAA Champion—880y(Southern Illinois)
A freshman at New Mexico at the time, he finished in a virtual dead-heat with Ernie Cunliffe for 3rd place in the
800-meters at the 1960 U.S. Olympic Trialstook officials a very long time to decide that Cunliffe would be the
3rd member of the U.S. team (along with Tom Murphy and Jerry Siebert)
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