Showing posts with label Al Oerter. Show all posts

Friday, July 13, 2012

Vol. 2 No. 62 May 1962 Throwers Excel but Greta Garbo Steals the Show

MAY 1962

Generally, as we age, adding pounds is not a good idea. Al Oerter is the exception to the rule. As the 19 year old Olympic champion in 1956 he weighed 228. As the 23 year old Olympic champion in 1960 he weighed 235. Now, as a 25 year old he weighs 250. He is older, bigger and better.

Al Oerter

Al Oerter at Rome

Dallas Long

Fortune Gordien

On the afternoon of April 28 he tangles with world record holder Jay Silvester in the Mt. SAC Relays. Silvester throws 195-7, good enough to win nearly any time, anywhere, but not today as the Olympic champ slings one 198-6, the second best throw ever.

Three weeks later on the evening of May 18, Big Al is giving it a go again in the Coliseum Relays. Silvester and past world record holder Rink Babka are the prime competition. After a fling of 186-9 in the first round, Oerter gives warning of what is about to happen. His throw of 198-7 is a personal best, just inches from Silvester's record. Finally on his fourth effort history is made. He becomes the first to surpass the 200 foot barrier. It is measured at 200-5½. The throw is witnessed by three former record holders, Sylvester, who instantly gained that status, Babka and Fortune Gordien who is the official. Babka's 193-9 edges Silvester for second by 5 inches but no one notices.

Now to less weighty matters, in particular Dallas Long. The SC star finished last season at 274. Today as he steps into the shot put ring at the Coliseum he is a trim 246. This is the long awaited match with Gary Gubner.

Gary Gubner

In the second round, with retired record holder Bill Nieder standing nearby, Long puts together the second record breaker of the night, a 65-10½ throw which better's Nieder's record by half an inch. He finishes with throws of 63-11½, 64-10, 65-0 and 64-6. Gubner is never close, but has no reason to be disheartened. In the last round, he drops one 64-11, good enough to win nearly any other place, any other day, but not here and not today. Rest assured they will meet again.

Paul Drayton

Frank Budd

The throwers aren't the only guys setting records. On May 12 in a dual meet with the Quantico Marines Frank Budd of Villanova ties Dave Sime's 20.0 WR in the 200 (straight). Teammate Paul Drayton is second at 20.1. Budd, the 100 yard WR holder at 9.2, wins that race at 9.3 to tie Sime's 1958 performance in Sanger, CA for the best sprint double, 9.3 and 20.0.

John Uelses and Dave Tork

Dave Tork

How about a jump world record? Hey, we got that too. On April 28 at the Mt. SAC Relays Marine lieutenant Dave Tork vaults 16-2 to steal the record from fellow Marine John Uelses.

(U. of Oregon Library)

Okay, WRs in the throwing events, sprints and jumps, but what about the distances? Just a minute, let me look. Yep, we have one of those also. It is the noon May 12 and we are in Fresno for the West Coast Relays. The Oregon Ducks are taking a crack at the 16:23.8 WR held by Peter Snell's New Zealand national team. Archie San Romani leads off. His opening go round of 60.2 is followed by a 64.0. This is cause for concern as San Romani is a great talent, but he has been erratic. Not to worry. The sophomore rights the ship and cranks out final laps of 58.1 each for a 4:03.5. Canadian Vic Reeves is up next, but after a 58.5 opening, he too suffers from the second lap slows, clocking 64.6. Like San Romani, Reeves rallies to run 62.2 and 60.1 to finish at 4:05.4. With Keith Forman up and Dyrol Burleson waiting in the wings, the record is not in doubt. Now it is only a question of by how much. Forman is a model of consistency, lapping 60.7, 61.5, 60.7 and 59.4 for 4:02.3. Burleson is the American record holder at 3:57.6. As long as he is not struck down by lightning, there will be a new record. Burley demonstrates his resolve, running 56.4 for the first quarter. The pace slows to 61.1 and 62.0 before he kicks home in 58.2 for a 3:57.7 and a new world record of 16:08.9. Keith Forman is not content to bask in the afternoon's glory. He returns eight hours later to win the open mile in a PR of 4:00.7.

This issue of TFN, like the last, reports by the event rather than the meet, so we shall do the same. We have covered the highlights in the 100 and 220. The 440 leaders remain Adolph Plummer and Ulis Williams at 46.0. Only four tenths of a second separate the top five in the 880: Burleson 1:48.2, Jerry Siebert 1:48.4, John Bork 1:48.5 with Jack Yerman and Ray Van Asten both at 1:48.6. At Mt. SAC in a race not described, Jim Grelle becomes the fourth American to break four minutes with a 3:59.9 win. Burleson's 8:42.5 still leads the two mile.

Buddy Edlen

The single outstanding American achievement in the distances comes from London. Minnesota graduate, Buddy Edelen, now teaching in England, becomes the first American to win an English distance run title since 1887 when he fights off challenges in the last mile to win the British AAA 10 mile track championship in 48:31.8, smashing Johnny Kelley's American record set in 1959 by 2:20 and moving to fourth on the all time list.

In case you're trying to remember more about Buddy Edlen, the following bio is taken from the South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame

Buddy Edelen

Sioux Falls (1955 Washington High grad). Minnesota. Edelen's success as a marathon runner inspired a generation of runners, including Frank Shorter and Bill Rodgers. Edelen taught in England from 1960-65 and while there entered cross country and marathon races around the world. He set a world record in the marathon (2 hours, 14 minutes, 28 seconds) on June 15, 1963. The 1964 Olympic marathon trial in Yonkers, N.Y., was run in such heat and humidity that seven out of every 10 entrants dropped out; the 5-10, 135 pound Edelen won by almost 20 minutes. Within a week he was having sciatic difficulties. Edelen was sixth in the marathon (2:18:12.4) in the Olympic Games in Tokyo, and his competitive career ended not long after that. At Minnesota he was Big Ten cross country champ as a junior and won the two-mile in track. As a senior at Washington High in the 1954-55 school year, Edelen set records in every cross country and mile race he ran and set state mile record of 4:28.8. Born in Harrodsburg, Ky., and reared in the Twin Cities area. Only lived in Sioux Falls one year.

Ok , so I got a bit carried away with Jerry Tarr pictures ed.

Jerry Tarr and Fran Washington lead the highs at 13.7. Don Styron has run 13.8 but leads the 220LH at 22.5, fitting since he holds the WR at 21.9. Dee Andrews of Long Beach State and Jay Luck of Yale have clocked 22.6 and 22.7. Oddly, while the highs and lows are run and recorded at yards, the intermediates are recorded in meters with three tenths subtracted for 440 races. Rex Cawley, Bruce McCullough and Russ Rogers are the leaders at 51.5. John Thomas, shown placing third in a dual meet 100 (9.9), has yet to get it going in the high jump. His 6-10 is 2¼ inches behind leader Joe Faust.

The junior college ranks have produced two national leaders. Larry Stuart of Santa Ana JC tops the javelin list at 256-2 and Mahoney Samuels of Foothill JC and the West Indies has triple jumped 51-10¾ to set the junior college and freshman records and lead the nation by nearly a foot. Evolutionary note here: This is the first time the hop-step-jump has been referred to as the triple jump by TFN. You might want to make note of this as it may come up as game show question. What was the triple jump first called, Alex?

Uelses Going Over

In an effort to preserve historical integrity, your diligent reporter presents information in the format used by the magazine. That means that we have “Late News” from meets run on May 18 and 19 in Los Angeles, Eugene and Lawrence.

Aside from the shot and discus records already reported, we have other results but no descriptions from the Coliseum Relays. Professor Peter Snell gives a lesson in miling to those upstart Americans. His 3:56.1 leaves Dyrol Burleson 15 yards in arrears at 3:57.9. The pace is beneficial for the rest of the field as Jim Grelle 3:58.9, Bob Seaman 4:00.6 and Cary Weisiger 4:01.5 all PR. Rex Cawley lowers his national leading time to 50.5 in the intermediates. The much anticipated match between 100 yard record holders Frank Budd and Robert (not Bob yet) Hayes over 100 meters is won by Hayes in 10.2. Budd's 10.3 is matched by third place finisher Henry Carr. John Uelses beats the man who took his record in the pole vault, Dave Tork, with a jump of 16-0¼, but Tork's 16-2 record still stands.

They are not called the Coliseum Relays for nothing. Each of the four relays is outstanding. Florida A&M and Texas Southern trade wins in the 440 and 880 relays. TSU takes the short relay at 40.3 with A&M two tenths back. The Florida kids rally to win the two lapper 1:23.4 to 1:23.7. One assumes that this Hayes kid ran in both races, but there is no narrative to confirm that.

Arizona State beat USC in the mile relay at Mt.SAC 3:07.5 to 3:08.0. These teams are back at it in the Coliseum. The result is the same, but the times are faster: 3:06.1 to 3:07.3 with Texas Southern third at 3:07.8. You want splits? Sorry about that. Texas Southern has a hell of a program. Here they are again in the two mile relay. Their 7:22.1 betters the 7:24.2 of national leader Missouri. What it doesn't better is the winning 7:20.6 of USC. The Trojans' previous best had been 7:28.1. Occidental also betters the national lead with a 7:22.8. Splits? We don hafta give you no stinking splits. Maybe more detail will come to light in the next issue.

In Lawrence, the Sooners of Oklahoma dominate the Big Eight meet with 101 points. Anthony Watson has a day to write home about. He broad jumps (no long jumping yet – this evolutionary process takes time) 25-8 and sprints 9.4 and 20.1 (20.0 in a heat). These marks are wind-aided, but nonetheless it is a pretty, pretty, pretty good day for the young man.

The big news from the Far West Championships is the national collegiate record in the high hurdles by Jerry Tarr who lowers his best from 13.7 to 13.3. To fill his afternoon he tours the intermediates in 52.0, perhaps a harbinger of things to come.

And yes, Clifford Severn Sporting Good and Adidas still lay claim to the back page. Assume this is the case in future issues until you are informed otherwise.

Hollywood Goes to the Track 1926

Who said that track and field was all work and no play? I found this series of publicity photos of +Greta Garbo and the USC Trojans. She allegedly was sent there by her publicist against her wishes and posed for a few shots with Dean Cromwell and some of the lads. This episode in her career probably was the part of her life experience that led to her famous line, " I want to be alone". Most likely the lads in the middle photo had to take cold showers afterward.

"Honey If you don't roll that silk stocking down, you'll never be a Trojan"

"I'll kill that damned publicist"

Let's see Javelin or Self Defense Training?

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Vol. 1 No. 83 June , 1960

JUNE 1960
It’s the Jim Beatty show. There are two major meets and he is the star of both. On May 28 he tangles with American record holder Dyrol Burleson in the mile. Beatty combines with SCVYV teammate Lazlo Tabori to set a pace designed to take the sting out of Burleson’s kick. Tabori leads through 57.7 and 1:58.0 splits before Beatty takes over on the backstretch. By the start of the last lap Tabori has taken the lead again in 2:59.7 with Beatty in close attendance and the Oregon sophomore 8 yards back.
` Burleson makes his move on the backstretch, going by Tabori easily and moving up right behind Beatty. He follows Beatty around the curve, apparently ready for a big move on the final straight. Unfortunately for Burleson, it is Beatty who pulls away, opening ground all the way to a 3:58.0 finish and a new American record, erasing Burleson’s 3:58.6. Burleson finishes in 3:59.2 with Tabori at 4:00.0. Bill Dellinger, 4:02.7, and Bob Seaman, 4:04.3, run well, but are never in it.
As good as Beatty is, perhaps Don Styron had an intrinsically better mark. After finishing second to Lee Calhoun in the highs, 13.8 to 13.9, the NE Louisiana flyer destroys a strong field in the 220 lows with a 22.1 clocking, just .2 off his world record.
The 880 has the crowd on its feet. Mike Peake takes the field out in 52.5. Jim Grelle isn’t buying. He is 15 yards back and still only 7th at the 660. At this point he comes alive and moves through the field. It is too little, too late. Oklahoma State sophomore Bill Stone holds on for a 1:49.6 victory with Grelle and Jack Wilcox only inches back at 1:49.7.
How would the 880 have gone if George Kerr were in it you may be asking? We’ll never know because the NCAA champ is running the quarter…and running it well. Otis Davis, Mike Larabee and Vic Hall all run 46.3, but that only earns them a close view of Kerr’s backside as he finishes in 46.1.
The 100 sees the big meet debut of Oregon freshman Harry Jerome and an excellent one it is. He explodes out of the blocks to take the lead and though Ray Norton closes, the issue is never in doubt. They both clock 9.4. Doug Smith of Oxy is third at 9.5.
The six relays are split among three teams. San Jose State wins tight races at one and two laps. The Spartans, led off by Bobby Poynter and anchored by Willie Williams, clock 40.1 to hold off NELaTC and Baylor, both at 40.3 in the 440. The same group wins the 880 over Baylor with both timed in 1:23.7.
Occidental’s middle distance strength is on display in the two mile relay and the distance medley as they win easily in 7:34.8 and 10:00.7.
Abilene Christian didn’t come to California to lose. They beat East Texas and the Striders in the sprint medley in 3:20.2 and, though the Styrons give it their best with Dave leading off in 46.9 and Don anchoring in 46.0, ACC edges Northeast Louisiana in the mile relay with both teams running 3:10.0.
The Occidental freshmen have their walk in the sun with national frosh records of 7:37.5 and 3:ll.2. Dave Moon is the stud in the 2MR, anchoring in 1:50.7. Dave Brown, Steve Haas and Dixon Farmer all run low 47’s in the MR.
Six days later, June 3, and we are 330 miles south in Compton for the Friday evening Compton Invitational. Yep, it is the Jim Beatty show once again. Once again he and SCVYV teammate Lazlo Tabori have teamed up in an attempt to break an American record, this time at 5000 meters. They take turns leading. The mile passes in 4:24.9, the two mile in 8:58.3. “Still the pace did not slacken and the cheers of the crowd followed them around each lap. They ran laps of 69.8, 68.3, 67.7, and 63.9 for a 13:28.0, dead-heating for an American record. The Beatty turned on his final drive and gradually pulled away from the ex-Hungarian. His last lap, running hard for only half of it, was in 59.2” for the new record, 13:51.7. Tabori finishes in 13:53.2, while the next finisher is on the backstretch.
Herb Elliott runs only to win the mile, but the rest of the field wish they could do as well. He comes home in 57.0 for another monotonous (for him) sub four minute mile, in this case 3:59.2. Jim Grelle, still “not at my peak”, is in close attendance at 4:00.1 with the comebacking Bob Seaman, who says, “I’m hungry”, in third in 4:01.4.
The Styron twins provide major bang for their per diem. Dave runs 10.3 to take the 100 and just misses Adolph Plummer by a tenth in the 220. I don’t know if there was an “Athlete of the Meet” award, but my vote would have gone to Don. His 14.0 earns him a third in the highs behind Lee Calhoun’s 13.5 and Hayes Jones’ 13.9, but the best is yet to come. He beats Dickie Howard “with a great kick off the last hurdle in the 400 meter “mediums” in 51.5. Just to make the evening complete, he destroys Jones in the lows 22.2 to 23.0. Cordner Nelson pronounces it the “greatest hurdle triple in history”.
The shot put is a battle of the walking wounded. Dallas Long withdraws. No explanation is given. Parry O’Brien, plagued by hemorrhaging sinusitis, wins at 62-8¼. Bill Nieder, “still suffering from his hamstring pull, a result of reinjuring his old football knee”, takes an impressive standing put of 62-5½, but can’t take a traditional throw. Third at 59-11 3/4 is Dave Davis. It is explained that he is “weak from four days of milk and donuts”. Remember this is the guy who “disappeared” last month.
The on again, off again Deacon Jones is on in the steeplechase. He follows Phil Coleman until the last curve where he opens up in the last 120 for a 15 yard win in 8:49.7.
Hal Connolly is traditionally the most dominating performer on the circuit. Tonight is no exception. He throws the hammer 224-8 1/2 to win by more than 30 feet.
Mike Larabee comes from behind in the stretch to catch Earl Young and Otis Davis in the 440. The odd thing here is that whereas we have 46.9 as the winning time, the others are given times for 400 meters as Cordner Nelson writes that time at yards was “erratic”. So we have Larabee at 46.9 (46.6m) with Young at 46.7m and Davis 46.9m.
Rafer Johnson appears to be rounding into Olympic shape. He wins the javelin in a PR of 251-9 and finds a moment to run on the Striders’ 880 relay time, splitting 20.7.
California takes the measure of USC and Abilene Christian in the mile relay. Jerry Siebert’s 46.5 third leg gets Jack Yerman off first in the anchor. Yerman runs 46.5 to hold off SC’s Angie Coia’s 46.2 and Earl Young’s 45.9. Cal 3:09.2, SC 3:09.8, ACC 3:10.0. Oh, remember that frosh record of 3:11.2 Oxy set last week? Well, it lasted six days. The SC frosh run 3:11.0 for fourth. The Oxy kids got a good look at the new record holders as they ran 3:11.7 in fifth.
On May 28 the AAWU meet is held in Seattle. Those initials stand for The Athletic Association of Western Universities. Still not clear? That would be SC, UCLA, Stanford, Cal and Washington. SC wins the team title. The best race is the 880 where Cal’s Siebert catches Stanford’s Ernie Cunliffe at the tape, both clocking 1:49.0, a PR for Siebert.
Under the heading of “Late News” we find that on June 10 Charlie Tidwell tied the WR at 100 meters in Houston’s Meet of Champions. His Kansas teammate, Bill Alley, extended his collegiate javelin record to 273-10. George Kerr won the 880 in 1:48.5 and Lee Calhoun continues to look unbeatable in the 120HH, winning in 13.5.
In meet held the next day in New York, Tom Murphy and Al Oerter proclaim their readiness for the Olympics. Murphy runs negative splits (54.4-53.8) for 1:48.2, the second fastest 880 in the US this year behind Ernie Cunliffe’s 1:47.3. Oerter throws the discus 192-5.
Track and Field News, a subscription is still only $3 a year or pick up a copy at your local newsstand for a quarter.

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Vol. 1 No. 69 A Gold Mine on the Kansas Plains

Last night while working on this blog I stumbled across a website set up by Ray Wyatt, a 440 runner from U. of Kansas in the mid to late 50's. There are some wonderful pictures of KU teams, of Ray, and Bill Nieder, Al Oerter, Billy Mills, scenes from the KU track hall of fame, including one of Jim Ryun, Billy Mills, and Glenn Cunningham running side by side on the Lawrence track. You can see Ray's site at Ray Wyatt and his picture just below. KU obviously stacked the deck in this race. That's the old board track at Kansas City. You didn't step off that one, you fell off it.

Ray Wyatt Big 8 Indoor

The Sooners got on with the Jayhawks a little less infamously than the Tigers of Missouri, but it was always a big rivalry.

In my junior year we traveled to Lawrence for a midweek meeting with the Jayhawks in Fog Allen Fieldhouse. Pre meet publicity talked only of the impending 60 yard dash, first running event of the night, between Kansas' All American footballer, Gayle Sayers and the OU All American Joe Don Looney, fullback and leading punter in the past football season. And it came to pass there was a huge crowd for an indoor track meet. As we milers were warming up for our event which followed the 60 yards, we were thinking that for once we would finally have a crowd to run before.

The 60 was almost a non-event as Sayers left Looney picking the roostertail of dirt from Sayers' spikes out of his mouth. We milers kept up our preparations, tightened up our spikes, and made our way to the starting line, as a vast majority of the spectators made their way to the door, going back to whatever else was on that night in Lawrence. They weren't there to see a track meet, only their hero devour Looney which he did. Sayers went into the Big 8 indoor meet with leading times in the 60, long jump , and low hurdles, and did poorly in all. three events.