Vol. 3 No. 13 Never Look a Gift Vaulting Pole in the Mouth

In the previous posting about Gerald Pratt , the outstanding Texas Southern University pole vaulter of the 1960's it was mentioned that Pratt said he had been given his first fiberglass vaulting pole by a couple of University of Oklahoma vaulters who were practicing at his high school in Los Angeles in 1959.  Having attended Oklahoma just after 1959, I decided to contact J.D. Martin who could have been one of those vaulters to ask him about the story.    This was J.D.'s reply.

"Hey George good to hear from you.   I think that might have been (Aubrey) Dooley or (Jim) Graham because I hardly had any fiberglass poles at that time and do not remember working out at Dorsey high school .

I was in California a few times but just competing and not for any length of time.

In 1959 I had two fiberglass poles which were both broken in the parking lot of the hotel in Austin Texas while going to the Texas Relays.  In those days you didn't just make a phone call and get them replaced within a day or 2,  it took months.  So I borrowed a Steel pole from the Nebraska vaulter and  competed with it at the Texas Relays and finished second.  I continued to improve that year so I never went back to a fiberglass pole. 

Hope this is helpful."

J.D. also informed me that Jim Graham is a veterinarian in Oklahoma City, but did not know where Aubrey Dooley could be found.    I've since learned that Aubrey Dooley died in 2002.  Today I called Jim Graham and chatted briefly about the subject with him.   Jim stated that it wasn't him or Dooley, because Jim only had one fiberglass pole ever, and Dooley broke it.  He went back to steel and never vaulted again on anything but steel.    I looked up Jim's history in Olympic Trials and saw that he qualified for the American Olympic team in 1956 with a leap of 14'8" and no misses until that height.  The Olympics were held late in the year (Nov. -Dec, of 1956), and in September Jim injured his ankle.  He could have made the trip to Melbourne, but Bob Gutowski jumped 15'5" in October and Jim graciously ceded his place on the team to Gutowski.  Bob Gutowski went on to win the silver medal behind Rev. Bob Richards.  Jim did not make the team in 1960 finishing 5th at 15'0".  His teammate Aubrey Dooley was 6th also at 15'0".  In 1959 Jim was the NCAA pole vault winner.

It becomes more and more difficult to understand the version about the gift of a fiberglass pole, but nevertheless one has also to feel that there  is some credibility.   It comes from a desire to see good in people rather than the negative.  Where could that pole have come from.?  Who could give away a pole  at a time when it was so hard to replace one?   These events are very minor historical trivia, and so could easily have been brushed under the rug of someone's memory.  I'm now in the process of finding Gerald Pratt to hear the story directly from him.  I have word that he is currently living in Houston. 

After speaking with Gerald Pratt, now a retired VP of Gulf Oil,  he confirmed that the donor was Aubrey Dooley

Vol. 3 No. 9 February, 1963

February 1963

Thanks to Pete Brown (see below) of Plano, Texas who has been kind enough to loan us his collection of 1963 T&FN issues, the missing year is missing no more.

Indoor meets abound. Sixteen are reported in this issue. We will run through them chronologically.

The Old Maple Leaf Gardens

The last weekend of January finds us in Canada where on Friday, January 25, world class track has returned to Toronto the first time in 27 years in the form of the Maple Leaf Games. Remember how Bruce Kidd and Bill Crothers dominated their competition last month in the US? Well, they are pretty good when racing in their own country, too. Crothers wins the 1000 easily in a seemingly slow 2:12.6. “Seemingly slow” because the competition is held on a 12 lap to the mile track. (Let me save you breaking out the calculator: that is 146 2/3 yards per lap.)

I think we have covered the part about Bruce Kidd being real good in last month's report. How good? Good enough to run a the second fastest three mile ever, 13:34.6, while lapping the field twice.

This should be enough to have the 12,625 in attendance talking about the hometown boys as they depart the stadium. But it isn't. The subject of conversation is Dave Tork who has just taken the pole vault indoor world record from Finland's Pentti Nikula with a leap of 16-2 ¼. If you recall, C.K. Yang had set the record a week ago in Portland only to have Nikula wipe his name from the books the next night. 

Your editor was 19 year old sophomore at U. of Oklahoma in Feb. 1963, and at an indoor meet in Lubbock,  Texas  C.K. Yang was vaulting as the current WR holder.  Next day in the hotel lobby I picked up a newspaper that had a story announcing that Yang had just become the former WR holder.  C.K. was in the hotel restaurant that Sunday morning, and I gave him the paper opened to the story.  He didn't seem too surprised.   That winter , the record changed hands almost every weekend.   

Six days later, it belongs to Tork. The fiberglass pole has just been approved and vaulters are becoming accustomed to it. Records aren't held, they are borrowed.

The next night we are in Winnipeg and as good as the PV was last night, it isn't tonight. J.D. Martin wins on misses over Don Meyers and Jerry Morro at 14-0. 
John Rose opens at 15-0 and no heights. What is going on? Well, it seems that the poles were stored outside. This may work in Los Angeles, San Diego and Miami. Not so much in Winnipeg. The vaulters are reduced to working with frozen poles that have no more bend than the steel poles of yesteryear.

J.D. Martin was the biggest man ever to clear 15' feet on a steel pole going about 15'7" maybe a little better.  He was 6'3" and well over 200 pounds.   The fiberglass technology of the day was insufficient to build a pole that could safely hold J.D.  It would have had to weigh at least 50 pounds, so he could never progress on glass.  Fortunately for J.D. he had multi talents and went on to win the Pan Am games decathlon in 1963.  By 1964 he was offered the head coaching job at Oklahoma (an offer he couldn't refuse) and stayed there 37 or more years.  Taking the job, cost him a shot at making the Olympic team in '64. ed.
   

John Belitza  ACC Champ 1962

Wendell Mottley

The 74^th Boston AA Games are held the same night. Yale's and Jamaca's Wendell Motley thrashes the 440 field by a second and a half with the fastest 11 lap to the mile track time of 48.3. 

Morttley will go on to put his Yale degree to good use, becoming the Minister of Finance for Trindad and Tobago from 1991-95and recently named Chairman of the Board of the Trinidad and Tobago Unit Trust Fund  2013. ed.

When Dave Tork leaves the stadium he is still the world record holder, but he is not the winner of this evening's competition. That would be John Belitza of Maryland who becomes the sixth member of the 16 foot club by half an inch. Rolando Cruz is second at 15-6. Tork is third at 15-0.

Rolando Cruz

The next week track and field is alive and well in the Millrose Games held in Madison Square Garden. The main attraction is the arrival of the Russians, world record holders Igor Ter-Ovanesyan and Valeriy Brumel and middle distance runner Valeryi Bulishev.

Brumel traditionally has had an easy time of it with America's best, John Thomas. This time it is a bit tougher as Thomas leads on misses at 7-0. The Russian regains the lead at 7-1 and then jumps 7-2 to win.

History is not on Ter-Ovanesyan's side. In eight competitions against the top American broad jumper, he has yet to win.  Tonight's dual with Ralph Boston will be their sixth. T-O has yet to win. After Boston's first round 25-10 provides him a 2½ inch margin, it appears to be more of the same. But this time things are different. T-O demonstrates why he is the world record holder with a second round indoor world record of 26-10. Not only can Boston not match that, he can't find the board. Four of his last five jumps are fouls and the Russian wins by a foot.

Ernie Cunliffe

Bulishev is not the quality athlete that Brumel and Ter-Ovanesyan are, but he shows he is good enough to handle the Americans at 880 yards. While Jim Dupree and Ernie Cunliffe lead through the quarter in 53.9., Bulishev bides his time. Down 20 to Cunliffe at the gun, he turns it on, catching EC on the last turn and as Cunliffe  moves wide to counter the pass, the Russian goes by on the inside and takes it, 1:50.8 to Cunliffe's 1:5I.2. Talking to the press later, Ernie says, “ I've never been so tired from a race in my life. When I heard the crowd roar, I knew someone was coming, so I tried to make him run wide on the turn. But I was so tired, I must have gone too far out.”

Bruce Kidd spends his lonely hours on a Friday evening winning the two mile over an improving Charlie Clark in 8:41.0. Clark's 8:46.0 is the new American record, surpassing the 8:47.1 of Max Truex who was third this evening in 8:46.2. (As a notation for further reference, Billy Mills is sixth in 9:21.6.) Tom O'Hara nips Cary Weisiger in a spirited mile, 4:01.5 to 4:01.8. No splits are given.

The Russian tour will continue next week in Los Angeles and two weeks later back at the Garden for the AAU Nationals.

Now it is the next day, Saturday, February 2. Remember that pole vault world record thing? Well, it is back. In Pajulahti, Finland, Pentti Nikula becomes the first five meter man with his 16-5 jump. Most of the 900 fans rush the floor. Pandemonium reigns. His coach, Valto (great name for a PV coach) Olenius, is lifted into the air. Backs are slapped, hands are shaken. The world record is back in Finland.

But rather than trotting off to the pub for a few cold ones, Pentti wants to try 16-6¾. After two failures, he clears. Why quit when you are hot? The bar is raised to 16-8¾. Over he goes on the first try. Two attempts at 17-0 go awry and Pennti is done for the night, secure in the knowledge that the WR is his. But remember the record can't be owned, only borrowed like a library book that has to be turned in in two weeks. Still and all, it is a pretty good night.

On the same evening at the Philadelphia Inquirer Games, Rolando Cruz of Villanova becomes the newest member of the 16 feet club, doing so with half an inch to spare. Just for fun Bruce Kidd drops down to the mile and handles Tom Sullivan 4:08.7 to 4:10.2.

A week has passed. It is February 9 and the promised LA Times meet is upon us. Let's start with the duals in the jumps. Valeryi Brumel's coach said he isn't in world record shape and indeed that is so. He takes three jumps to clear 6-8. John Thomas makes 6-10 on his first effort. Brumel takes two tries. Both clear 7-0¼ on their third attempts, but can go no higher and Thomas wins on misses, his first victory over Brumel in eight tries. In Brumel's defense, he has stepped on a TV cable and injured himself early on. His coach gives him credit for competing.

Ralph Boston and Igor Ter-Ovanesyan have at it again in the broad jump. The lead changes hands four times before the Russian pulls out a 26-3 to 26-1½ victory.

Herb Carper destroys the 60 field with his fifth world record equaling 6.0. The 6.0 club includes Jim Golliday, Charlie Tidwell, Roscoe Cook, Frank Budd, Dave Styron, Ralph Alspaugh and Brooks Johnson. Please, somebody run 5.9.

Hayes Jones runs the 60HH in his best time of the year, 7.1. More significantly, this is his 39^th straight hurdles win, breaking Harrison Dillard's record.

Nineteen year old Brian Sternberg becomes the ninth man to vault 16 feet, doing so by ¼ inch. Hal Bateman calls it “the greatest mass pole vaulting of all time. John Rose, C.K. Yang, Dave Tork and Mel Hein clear 15-8 while John Uelses, Mike Flanagan and Ron Morris are over 15-4

In the absence of Bruce Kidd, Bob Schul takes the two mile easily in 8:51.6.
Where is Kidd? He has opted for the mile where he can test his mettle 

Schul and Ron Larrieu following Bolotnikov in later years

against the great Peter Snell. Can he pull the upset? No, not close. He finishes well back in 4:12.7. But this is not to say there isn't an upset. Jim Grelle follows through a 2:02.5 half and takes over at the ¾ mark in 3:05.8. Snell is sitting 20 yards back and the crowd anticipates what is about to happen. It is only a matter of time before the king of the kick takes over. Or is it? Grelle looks around several times on the last lap for the Kiwi's challenge. It doesn't come. Grelle takes it easily 4:04.7 to 4:06.4. No explanation is given.

Friday, Feb. 15 finds meets on opposite sides of the country, the Golden Gate Invitational and the more significant New York AC Games which feature the touring Russian road show of Brumel and Ter-Ovanesyan. Thomas and Boston are not the competition tonight, but this is not a problem for either Russian. T-O leaps 25-6¾ and Brumel after a dismal showing last week, rights the ship to clear 7-4 for an indoor record.

The best races are the mile and two mile. Jim Beatty is matched against Tom O'Hara. O'Hara leads through the quarter at 59.7 before settling in behind Beatty for splits of 2:00.2 and 3:00.7 with Poland's Witold Baran in close attendance. O'Hara makes the early move and leads by two yards at the gun, but is unable to hold off the withering kick of Beatty on the final turn. The former North Carolina star surges strongly on the final turn to open a four yard margin at the tape for a world record 3:58.6. O'Hara has nothing to hang his head about. His 3:59.2 gives him the distinction of being the only man to run four minutes indoors without having done it outdoors. The two engage in the 1960's version of trash talking. Beatty: “It was a real honor to beat Tom tonight.” O'Hara: “I'll just have to work harder.”

Michel Bernard, the French record holder at two miles, is here to give 19 year old Bruce Kidd a run at this distance. He follows Kidd through half mile splits of 2:08.5, 4:20.8 and 6:33.2 at which point he is five yards down, ready to pounce. Kidd, who should be hanging out at the malt shop on Friday night, never gives him the opportunity. He closes in 63.2 and 62.6 to finish in 8:39.0. Bernard runs 8:41.4.

In San Francisco the competition is, well,......whimsical. There are four sprints, the 60, 50, 25 and weightman's 60. Herb Carper wins the first two, but the fun comes in the 25 when he lines up against fast starting Hayes Jones. Make that fast starting for a hurdler, Hayes Jones. Jones is no match for Carper who blows him away by a yard, 3.1 to 3.2. There will be a weightman's 60, but Parry O'Brien ain't running with the fat boys. No, he runs with the sprinters and is fourth at 3.5.

Jack Yerman is having a heck of an indoor season at 600. He drops to the 440 tonight and leaves Ulis Williams in his dust, 48.4 to 49.2. The aforementioned Mr. Jones runs his consecutive hurdle victory streak to 40 with a 7.1 clocking in the 60. Charlie Clark drops his 2M PR by two tenths to 8:45.8 thanks in great part to the 8:47.3 of San Jose State sophomore Danny Murphy.

The following night, Saturday, Feb. 16 and we are in the south for two vastly different meets. The first SEC meet is held in Montgomery, Alabama and the talent level among the competing schools is diverse. LSU wins with 30 points followed by Alabama 27. Mississippi State 25 and Auburn 24. None of the other seven schools score more than seven. In fact Mississippi and Vanderbilt take a goose egg. Marks are inferior to comparable size conferences. The high jump is won at 6-2, the mile relay at 3:31.1, the PV at 14-0, the mile at 4:28.7 and the two mile at 9:51.1. Integration has yet to come to the SEC.

In contrast, the Mason-Dixon Games in Louisville produce four world records. Bob Hayes has just returned from Jamaica where he tied the WR for the 200 meters on a turn at 20.5. He takes down the WR for 70 yards at 6.9. The other three records are aided by the Freedom Hall 220 yard track. As the runners wait for the gun in the 500, the WR is Charlie Jenkins' 56.4 set in 1956. One minute later and the record belongs to Earl Young who has knocked off a 55.5. Had Earl not been there, the record would have been broken anyway as Dave Mills, Ollan Cassell and Willie Atterberry all finish in 55.6.

Texas Southern and Georgetown have been waiting for this meet. The TSU guys obliterate Oklahoma State's 3:13.8 mile relay record with a 3:12.2. No one has split over 48.5 and Ray Saddler anchors in 47.2. The two mile relay WR falls to Georgetown in a race which is apparently timed by a watches with no tenths. The Hoyas run 1:55.0, 1:54.0, 1:50.0 and 1:50.0 for a time of 7:29.0, clipping two tenths off Kansas' record. The last two legs are run by Ed Duchini and John Reilly.



Michel Bernard (France)

Now we have returned to the Big Apple for the AAU Nationals where foreigners take home four American titles. Brumel handles Thomas 7-3 ½ to 7-0. Ter-Ovanesyan leaves no doubt that he is the world's best broad jumper by leaving Boston behind 26-6½ to 25-9¾. Bill Crothers returns to Canada with the US 1000 title after a 2:09.8 go round after numerous US talents don't survive the heats, among them Ernie Cunliffe, John Reilly and Cliff Cushman. The other non-US taxpayer with a title is Michel Bernard who cruises to a 13:38.4 win at 3M, narrowly escaping the kick of Bob Schul who finishes four tenths back.

Jack Yerman is the man this season at the 600 and proves it by running 1:09.4, only a tenth off George Kerr's record. Much credit for this goes to Norfolk State's Jim Johnson who leads until the final straight and finishes only a tenth back. One can only wonder how fast this might have gone without the earlier heats.

Jim Beatty runs a similar race to that in LA two weeks earlier, hitting the 1320 in 3:00.0 and finishing in 3:59.0, a second ahead of Jim Grelle.

 From the Quotable Quotes column we find this  "quantity-quality  conundrum" statement by Joe Faust. “My goal is to do 100 consecutive jumps of 6'6” or higher. If I can do this it would enable me to jump 7'4”.”
…

Ernie Shelton

....In the On Your Marks column we learn of the disaster that has befallen Ernie Shelton, NCAA high jump champ in '54 and '55 with a best of 6-11¼. He was injured while riding a motorcycle for a TV commercial. While riding 60 mph up a hill, he had to jump off when the throttle broke. However his foot caught on the pedal and he was dragged over the edge of a cliff. Falling to the bottom, he suffered nerve damage and spinal disc injuries. Currently he is hospitalized, unable to walk or move his arms...Ernie Shelton survived his injuries to go on to become a junior college art teacher and artist.  Still alive.  ....


Who holds the Tulane University record in the high hurdles? That would be noted radio and TV commentator Howard K. Smith who ran 14.5. in 1936.

Howard K. Smith

Hometown: Ferriday, La. Event: Hurdles Experience: 3L

Hall of Fame: 1983

Howard K. Smith, a 1936 graduate of Tulane University, was named one of the NCAA's 100 Most Influential Student-Athletes in 2006. As part of the NCAA's Centennial Celebration, a panel consisting of college and university presidents, athletics directors, NCAA committee members, conference office representatives, SAAC representatives and NCAA staff determined the prestigious list which celebrates each honorees professional accomplishments, athletics success and scope of achievement. Smith was a longtime newsman whose career began as a foreign correspondent for UPI in 1940. He joined CBS News in 1941 as its Berlin correspondent and covered many pivotal moments of the war, including the German surrender to Russia as well as the Nuremberg trials. In 1960, he was named chief of CBS's Washington Bureau and continued to build his impressive resumé, including serving as moderator of the first Kennedy-Nixon presidential debate. He would move on to ABC, hosting numerous news programs and was named co-anchor of the ABC Evening News, a position he would hold until 1975. He was also the author of four books, including the best-selling Last Train From Berlin, which chronicled his views of the conditions in Germany prior to his departure in 1942 - he was recognized as the last American correspondent to leave Germany after war was declared. As a student-athlete at Tulane, Smith earned three track letters and was captain of the team as a senior in 1936. He still holds the Tulane record in the 120-yard high hurdles at 14.5 seconds and was inducted into the Tulane Athletics Hall of Fame in 1983. He served as his class president for his sophomore, junior and senior years and also wrote for The Hullabaloo student newspaper and the Jambalaya yearbook. A Rhodes Scholar, he attended Heidelberg and Oxford after graduating from Tulane. Smith held honorary degrees from Tulane (LLD in Journalism, 1955), Maryland, Alfred, Thiel, St. Norbert, Roosevelt and Southern University. He also earned multiple honors from the NCAA, including being honored in 1972 with an NCAA Commemorative Plaque as one of a group of newsmen who achieved national prominence in the field after having won a varsity athletic letter. Born May 4, 1914 in Ferriday, La., Smith was married and had two children. He died on Feb. 15, 2002.

Who is Pete Brown?  Below a brief intro that Pete sent to me two years ago.  His devotion to and knowledge of Track and Field is profound.  

     Pete Brown winning a couple of races for the Lobos in the 1960's

George---I ran for UNM 61-62-63 and was only good enough to place 2^nd or 3^rd in conference (PR 1:52.1 880 in Tempe the night Plummer ran 44.9 and smashed WR) and I never ran after college. I missed Q for 63 NCAA in ABQ by .2. I got married after my soph year and only did 10k type stuff after that. I saw my first big-time meet in the Coliseum in 1950---USC, Yale and Michigan State and have been a fan ever since. I have boxes and boxes of track “stuff” I’ve collected over a lifetime and still go to the NCAA meets. 

Vol. 2 No. 47 March , 1962 and Introducing A Brief History of Track Shoes

Once again for the 137th posting on this blog, Roy Mason, our track historian does his customary and expected great job of bringing us a review of our sport's history. Some pictures of the Los Angeles Track Club are from 1963, a year out of sequence, but I thought some of you West Coasters would get a little teary eyed looking at them. In addition we will be introducing a section of track and field shoe history from our friend Phil Scott of Clayton, Ohio who among his many talents has a hobby of collecting old track shoes. Phil is one of the most dedicated and knowledgeable track nuts around as well as being a former National Junior College decathlon champion and bike racer and specialist in bicycle restoration. He is also the proud father of Jason Scott who is currently threatening to clear 18 feet in the pole vault and qualify for the Olympic Trials. Phil has shared some of his vast collection displaying it at Endurance Sports in Bellbrook, OH. Joe Sargent, entrepreneur of Endurance Sports allowed me into his establishment to photograph some of the shoes, without requiring me to actually make a purchase. Joe, always a gentleman.


And so we begin with Roy's review of March 1962 taken from the pages of Track and Field News and his encyclopedic memory.

MARCH 1962

      Snell on the Turf

Let's get this straight right off. In the world of track and field in 1962 there are two divisions. One is Peter Snell. The other is everybody else. After throwing down five world records in three weeks, you would think the man would take a break. Nope, the week after adding the indoor records at 880 and 1000 yards in the LA Times meet, he returns to New Zealand and takes a shot at his own WR in the mile. The fact that he fails is beside the point. His 3:56.8 on February 22 is the sixth fastest ever run and his second best. If this is failure, we'll take a second helping, please. His splits are more even than in his record run three weeks earlier: 59.1, 59.4 (1:58.5), 60.3 (2:58.8) and 58.0. Except when Gary Philpott moved ahead briefly on the second lap, Snell led the entire way.

Four weeks later in Tokyo on March 18, he became the first man to run sub 1:50 in the indoor 880 with a 1:49.9 breaking his own 1:50.2 record. Six world records so far this year; one can only wonder what is yet to come.

As with last month's issue, this one covers indoor action more by events than meets. Frank Budd ties the world record in the 60 with two 6.0's in the ICAAAA meet. Hayes Jones gets his long awaited 6.9 WR in the highs in the Chicago Daily News meet. Also in the Daily News meet Kansas takes down Manhattan's WR in the 2MR by two seconds. Kirk Hagan blows the race open on the first leg with a 1:52.2. Tonnie Coane and Bill Thorton do their parts with 1:54.4 and 1:53.1 before Bill Dotson anchors in 1:51.1 for a 7:30.8. Two weeks later at the Kansas State Relays, the Jayhawks lower this mark to 7:29.2. None of those annoying details or splits are given. 

Dave Mills tops the indoor 440 list at 47.8. Scanning further we find that this Toomey kid who resembled a Timex watch at Colorado (“Takes a licking, but keeps on ticking.”), is running for the Santa Clara Youth Village and may have found an event. He is ranked seventh at 49.1. Jack Yerman has the fastest 600 time, 1:10.1, a tenth of second ahead of old rival George Kerr. Jim Beatty likes newspaper sponsored meets. He set the indoor record in the mile of 3:58.5 in the Times meet (documented in last month's report) and now adds the only other sub 4:00 clocking with a 3:59.7 at the Daily News meet. In news somewhat akin to

God having an off day, Ralph Boston loses for the second time this season when he comes up half a foot short of Michigan's Dave Raimey's 24-3¾ in the Daily News meet. Dave Raimey, from my home town of Dayton, OH, had a good football career at Michigan and was a Hall of Famer in the Canadian Football League. ed. Boston does have the longest effort of the season, 25-2. A couple of Big Ten football players have displayed their long jump wares. Ohio State's Paul Warfield has the second best mark of 24-11½, but tastes defeat in the Big Ten meet at the hands of Michigan State's Sherm Lewis who leaps 24-6. Warfield as some will remember was an NFL pro bowler at Cleveland. ed. John Thomas is the only seven foot high jumper at that exact mark. John Uelses' 16-0¾, reported last month, provides him a nearly half foot cushion over the next vaulter. The outdoor season is in an embryonic state, with a few promising marks, but nothing to write home about and so we shan’t. If you are a top athlete who has used up his college eligibility and you are not in the service, you have probably moved to Southern California. The

Southern California Striders have a long history of dominating national championships, but now two more teams have formed. The Los Angeles Track Club, coached by Mihaly Igloi, seems to have cornered the market on middle distance and distance runners. Wearing the LATC singlet are Bob Seaman, Lazlo Tabori, Jim Grelle, Max Truex, Jim Beatty, Willie Atterberry, Bob Schul and Nick Kitt.

 LA Track Club withTom Rodda (Kansas St.) and Jim Grelle (Oregon) leading Paul Ebert (Oklahoma) in 1963 Southern Pacific AAU Cross Country Meet (contributed by Paul Ebert)

 

LATC Team Photo. Ebert Top Row second from Left. Igloi on the right. Front, Peter Mundle (Oregon) Rodda, Grelle Ray Hughes (Arizona), Meryle McGee Can anyone ID the other runners?

 If you are a top notch weight-man, your affiliation is with Joe Mangan's Pasadena Olympians, at least Parry O'Brien, Rink Babka, Hal Connolly, Tony Conkle and Bob Humphries seem to think so. The following is gleaned from the writings of Bert Nelson in his Of People and Things column. You probably want to resist the urge to invest in a company producing metal vaulting poles. Eleven of the top twelve vaulters this indoor season use fiberglass, J.D. Martin being the exception.(In those days J.D was told by the manufacturers that a fiberglass pole strong enough to hold him would have weighed more than 50 pounds ed.)......................Thinking of setting a world record in a race longer than 220 on a track that is oversized or the event is not run as a complete oval? You'll be wasting your time, Bucky. The IAAF has decreed that records that are produced on less than an oval (one turn 440 or three turn 880) shall not be recognized for record purposes. But how are the rules makers handling that sticky 220 on the straight vs. 220 on the curve thing? Minds wiser than yours or mine have produced the only possible result: there will be separate (but equal) records for each type of race. Any race involving a curve run on a track exceeding 440 yards will not be considered for record purposes......Get your big meet tickets early. The NCAA will be in Eugene June 16-17, the AAU at Mt. SAC June 22-23 and the USSR-USA meet at Stanford July 21-22. Who is the best all around hurdler (highs, lows and intermediates) as determined by the Portuguese Scoring Tables? Rex Cawley is fifth (13.9m, 22.5ys, 49.9m) with 3013 points. Fourth goes to Glenn Davis (14.3y, 22.5mt, 49.2m) with 3019. Surprising Fran Washington takes third (13.6y, 22.3ys, 51.5y) with 3020. But these guys aren't close to the top two. Second goes to Germany's Martin Lauer (13.2m, 22.5mt, 51.2m) at 3073.. And the winner is …......Don Styron (13.7y, 21.9ys, 50.1y) with 3084. Make special note of this as it could be on the midterm.

Page 17 has an ad for Elmer's Weights (Big Spring, Texas) which sells hand, leg and vest weights. You can get Olympic Style (“Used by Olympic Champions”) or, if you can't clear your calendar for Tokyo in '64, you can just get the Regular Style. Elmer also sells Bobby Morrow's Kick Gauge (to measure your starting block position). You can also buy a Track Leveler and if you have to ask what that is, you don't need to know. An ad for Archie's Little Black Book takes up all of page 20. I'm thinking Archie is having some trouble getting endorsements. Aside from a high school coach who during the time he has been giving the books as prizes every school record has been broken, the only other endorsement is from Charles (Chick) Evans, “one of America's greatest all-time amateur golfers”. Charles (call me Chick) says, “I put the book down with the thought that one should persevere no matter what the odds may be”. On page 17 there is an ad for Minerva Watches which has a photo of a ten second face split timer. This caused your reporter to clutch his chest an emit a cry best described as unmanly. I had one of those. I loved it more than life itself. Wonder where it is now? Just to assure equilibrium in your life, let me report that, yes, Cliff Severn Sporting Goods is still selling Adidas on the back page and the cost of a subscription continues to be only $3 a year.

 The pictures seen below are all of the same pair of shoes which are thought to be from the 19th century, approx. 1879. Phil purchased this pair in Lancaster, PA from a gentleman who had run a sporting goods store in the 1920's when the shoes were only 50 years old. Through searching old Sears and Roebuck and Montgomery Ward catalogues, Phil found advertisements from the 1880's for shoes much resembling this pair. The old gentleman told Phil that sometimes these shoes which all originated in England would be marketed under the local store's name. Top grade shoes were made of kangaroo leather, which is what Adidas and Puma and Dresske advertised in the 1950's and 60's as well. Eventually A.J. Spaulding began having shoes made in Massachusetts. J.W. Foster and Sons founded 1895 in England (later to become Reebok in 1958) was an early manufacturer. I personally held these shoes and found them to be very light and supple despite their age and rather thick sole in which spikes, quite long, were pounded into the sole. In these days the spikes were not interchangeable and started out rather long. Many were eventually made with a hardened steel and did not wear out. Believe me, getting spiked in those days meant some serious damage. Phil and I both remember wearing long spikes on good cinder tracks and the incredible grip you sometimes felt that you had and the sense of the shoe pushing you forward. We also remembered eating a lot of cinders being thrown up by these long spikes, and on wet tracks a lot of wet, mucky cinders covering those who ran back in the pack. Only the leader stayed clean, and even he usually kicked up a lot of dirt onto the back of his uniform. Also the inevitable cinders working their way into your shoes during a race and irritating your feet or causing blisters or abrasions was a common part of the sport. If you have any thoughts and memories of long permanent spikes and want to share them, click on the word "comments" at the end of this article. A box will then appear box below in which you can make a comment. We'll publish them as we continue our blog.< Smelly Feet

Vol. 1 No. 79 March, 1960

MARCH 1960

A conundrum to test your problem solving skills. To wit: An athlete sets a world record. Two weeks later he still is the record holder only now three competitors have passed him and indeed have left him in the dust. Your homework for tomorrow is to have a logical explanation for how this seemingly incongruous situation has come about. Be prepared for class discussion.
Our protagonist is one Parry O'Brien, the two time Olympic shot put champion, the world record holder in both the indoor and outdoor shot, the man who has dominated the event like no other since Ralph Rose 50 years ago. As we pick up our story it is March 5 and O'Brien's co-holder of the WR, 19 year old Dallas Long, has just bettered the 63-2 record they share by five inches. But it doesn't count because it was his seventh throw of the day. Still, the message has been sent.
March 12 sees O'Brien break his indoor WR (62-1¾) at the Milwaukee Journal Games with a throw of 62-5, leaving his most significant competitor, Dave Davis, nearly two and a half feet behind. On the West Coast, Long throws 61-4 in a dual meet.
The next week the track world is shocked by Bill Nieder. Competing in the Stanford Invitational, Big Bill drops it 63-10 from the toe board. And he isn't alone; Dave Davis has raised his PR to 62-8. Long is in the West Texas Relays where he throws 61-8¾. He and Davis (have shot, will travel) will tangle next week in the USC – So Cal Striders meet.
And what a match up it is. Long explodes 64-6½. This jaw dropping effort is needed because Davis is close behind at 63-10½. Nieder's WR has lasted a week.
At the end of the day the all time list reads:
Long 64-6½
Davis 63-10½
Nieder 63-10
O'Brien 63-2
In two weeks Parry O'Brien has gone from world record holder to a distant fourth. Can the Air Force lieutenant find another gear or will the young guys pull away? He will begin his outdoor season next month. Stay tuned.........Oh, and as for that class assignment, O'Brien is still the world record holder indoors.
Speaking of world records, John Thomas just upped his half an inch, jumping 7-2½ in the Chicago Daily News Relays.
Stanford's Ernie Cunliffe has busied himself racing longer than his usual 880. On March 5 the Stanford Winter Championships sees him split 58-2:00-3:03 en route to a solo 4:04.4 mile. Two weeks later in the Stanford Invitational his 2:55.7 1320 relay leg is the highlight of the track activity. “The Stanford co-captain hit 55.7, 1:56.6 and finished strongly, unlike his usual dying half mile windup, in 2:55.7. Only Brian Hewson (2:55.2) has run faster and the best on record by an American is Jim Grelle's 2:57.7.” No results for the Stanford team are given. Eight days later the then politically correct Indians take a shot at the American record for the four mile relay in a dual meet with the Santa Clara Valley Youth Village (identified as SCVYV from now on). Although their time of 16:57.8 misses by 5.2 seconds, it isn't Ernie's fault. His 4:02.4 anchor is the second fastest mile of the year.
Aside from the aforementioned world records, the most amazing performance of the month is that of San Jose State sophomore, Vance Barnes. Not even on the team three days earlier, Barnes, a basketball player with a high jump best of 6-4, is pressed into service at the Stanford Relays when the Spartans third string jumper is injured. Six feet four inches is achieved easily enough and so are 6-6 and 6-8 on his first efforts. Six feet nine inches doesn't come until his second try as does 6-10. When he finally misses it is at 6-11, a foot over his head. We'll have to see what the future holds for this young man.
On March 12 Bobby Morrow makes his 1960 debut in Southwest Recreation meet in Fort Worth, winning special races in 9.5 and 21.3, but real stars are the Styron twins.

Running in the college division, Dave takes the 100 and 220 while Don wins the highs and lows. They both run on the winnng 440 and mile relay teams. Don also runs a heat in the 440 before being relieved of duty for the final when the team championship is assured. His 22.4 time in the lows is the fastest in the world this year and his seventh race of the day.
A week later Morrow's comeback hits a bump in the road when he is defeated twice by Jimmy Weaver who runs 10.5 and 21.0. No time is given for the Olympic champ. Eddie Southern is third and fourth.
After a low key year, Herb Elliot is preparing for the Olympics. On March 5 he runs 1:50.1 and 4:02.1, but nine days later the best he can do is a 1:53.5 sixth place behind some guy from New Zeland named Snell who runs 1:51.3. Five days later Elliot clocks 1:52.1.
Another Australian is setting records in the US. On March 2 in Houston Al Lawrence runs 10K in 29:36.4 to meet the Olympic qualifying standard and set the American record. Wait a minute, he isn't an American. Apparently citizenship isn't required to set an AR. All that is needed is that you set the record on US soil. The record he broke was 30:11.4 set in 1932 by Poland's Janusz Kusocinski.
As T&F News is located in the Bay Area it is privy to the doings of Cal, Stanford, San Jose State and the SCVYV. This time we have Cal time trials for you. Recently Jerry Siebert and Jack Yerman tangled in a 660 with Yerman winning by inches in 1:18.0 for both. In another workout Siebert ran a 1320 in 3:00.0. Other bits and pieces from columns: Glenn Davis is teaching junior high mechanical drawing in Columbus, Ohio. He is ten pounds overweight, but is working at losing it by the National AAU meet..... A high school junior in Compton, CA has just set the class record 48.0 in the 440. His name is Ulis Williams.....Ron Delany and Don Bowden are training together on the polo field in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. Both are recovering from tendon problems and hope to race in April......Ira Murchison has recovered from the illness that saw his weight to drop to under 100 pounds. He is now at his usual 135 and feeling strong.
From the Quotable Quotes column come the following. Glenn Cunningham: “Our races were strictly competitive, to beat the other fellow. But in the workouts sometimes I did run all out. Yes, I bettered four minutes. But I didn't think anything about it. I was just curious to see what I could do,”......J.D. Martin: “Jim Graham, the Oklahoma State vaulter, helped me a lot when I competed against him last year. He's that kind of a guy. At the Drake Relays I was trying 14-6. I'd never cleared it. Graham told me that I wasn't rocking back on my pole at the top of my jump. On my last jump, I rocked and sailed over. Graham knew that if he gave me that tip I might beat him. Of course, I didn't. He was first and I was second.”

J.D. Martin early in his coaching years, about 1968
We'll close with the first non-track related add I can remember. It is for the Desert Star Motor Hotel in Phoenix, AZ. Among its many benefits are air conditioning, phones and TV, a heated swim pool, and private sun decks. A little short on folding money? Not to worry, all this can be paid for with a credit card.