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This day in the field of athletics – April 4
1959— Kansas junior Bill Alley set an American record in the javelin with a winning mark of 270-1 ½ (82.33) at the Texas Relays. Her victory at the NCAA Championships in June helped the Jayhawks win the team title. He would win 2th NCAA title in 1960 and made the US Olympic team that competed in Rome (did not make the finals).
Alley threw 283-8 (86.46) in 1960, which bettered Al Cantello’s world record of 282-3 (86.04), but the mark was never validated because it was ruled to have been done on “slanted ground”.
Before moving to Kansas, Alley won the 1956 IC4A title while competing for Syracuse.
A native of New Jersey, Alley, a prolific inventor, moved to Vermont in 1969 to open Research Engineering Corporation, a company that makes everything from T&F equipment to fishing rods and medical devices. Check out the links below to learn a lot more about Alley’s accomplishments.
http://tinyurl.com/BillAlley300
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/78037
1964-Dallas Long set his 5th 65-11 ½ (20.10) official world record in Los Angeles.
WR progress: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Men’s_shot_put_world_record_progression
1964— Arizona State’s Henry Carr ran 20.2 on his home track in Tempe, tying his own single-year world record for 220 yards. He would win Olympic gold in the 200 and 4×400 relays in Tokyo later in the year.
1975– Competing at the ITA Professional indoor meet in Daly City, California, the colorful Brian Oldfield, using a still-new swing technique (the “Oldfield Sling”), won the longest throw in history with a throw of 72-6 1/2 (22.11), better than George Woods’ “Amateur” record (world record 222-20).
Raven Saunders, a 4-time NCAA champion from Southern Illinois and Ole Miss (and 2021 Olympic silver medalist), learned the spin technique by watching videos of Oldfield in action.
Tribute Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HVjS6kdPjg
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/30/sports/brian-oldfield-shot-putting-superstar-dies-at-71.html?_r=0
T&F News Interviews: (1973) (1976)
1987– Recruited as a relay runner by Baylor coach Clyde Hart, a young freshman named Michael Johnson ran a 45.5 3rd leg as the Bears won the 4×400 at the Texas Relays.
Texas senior Dag Wenlund of Sweden set a collegiate record of 271-1 (82.62) in the Javelin. (still #10 All-Time Div.I College). He set the previous record at 268-7 (81.86) in 1986. Venlund went on to win the NCAA title in June and compete in 3 Olympics (1988-1992-1996).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dag_Wennlund
1991– Just 2 weeks before running the London Marathon to get a good 10K race (she would finish 2nd in 2:27:35), Francie Larrieu-Smith, 38, surprised herself by running a solo 31:28.92 in the Texas Relays to break her own American record of 35:52. “I didn’t realize I was on record pace until the PA announcer called the four-mile split and said I was on record pace. In fact, for me, only the last two miles of the race were a record attempt, not the first four.” It would be the latest of many American records set by the 5-time Olympian and Hall of Famer, who retired after the 2018 season after 20 years of coaching at Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas.
A look back: https://texassports.com/news/2007/3/1/030107aaa_575.aspx
https://www.usatf.org/news/2020/larrieu-smith’s-10-000m-record-earns-her-usatf-thr
HOF Organic: https://www.usatf.org/athlete-bios/francine-larrieu-smith
Retirement: https://www.southwesternpirates.com/general/2017-18/releases/20180509m6v5w5
1998— Paul Tergat of Kenya set world records in the 20,000 meters (56:18) and half marathon (59:17) in Milan, Italy. Tergat’s marks were the first at those distances to be validated by the IAAF
2009-Texas alum Andra Manson cleared a lifetime best of 7-8 ½ (2.35) while winning the high jump for 4th at the Texas Relays.th back-to-back years (the first two were still as a Longhorn).
Manson was the 2004 NCAA indoor and outdoor champion and was a 2008 Olympic qualifier.
Born on this day*
Nicole Bush 40 (1986) 2013 US Champion – Jumping;
3-time All-American at Michigan State (’06 NCAA-5th’07-7th’09-2:th)
13:00th at the 2016 US Olympic Trials
At the 2009 U.S. Championships, he suffered a broken leg tripping over a diving barrier, which
was set too high. (See link)
PB:: 9:24.59 (2014)
2013 Victory (Race Results Weekly)
Video:: https://www.runnerspace.com/gprofile.php?mgroup_id=45365&do=videos&video_id=94333
Too high a barrier:
http://www.mlive.com/sports/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2009/06/nicole_bush_breaks_foot_after.html
WikiBio:: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicole_Bush
Jason Richardson 40 (1986) 2011 World Champion — 110 meter hurdles; 2012 Olympic Games silver medalist
2008 NCAA Champion (South Carolina);
5:00th at the 2016 US Olympic Trials;
The 2011 Worlds gold medal came after “winner” Cuba’s Dayron Robles was disqualified in the final two hurdles for impeding (unintentionally) China’s Liu Xiang, who appeared to be on his way to victory. (Lew crossed the line at 3th place).
PB::12.98 (’12/=#14 All Time USA);
2011 WC
Video:s:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bsQuifkRSU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_cSFAVaj3U
Summary::
WikiBio:: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason_Richardson_(hurdler)
Work Leisure Game (IAAF): https://www.worldathletics.org/news/feature/jason-richardson-work-rest-play
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/126725
Edith Masai – Kenya 59 (1967) 8-time X-Country World Championship medalist (long course).
Gold (individual). 2002, 2003 (and team), 2004
Silver (Team): 2001, 2002, 2004
Bronze (individual) 2001
Also 2003 World Championship 5000m bronze medalist (2001-7)th)
8 o’clockth In the 2007 World Championships in the marathon … participated in the first stage of the 5000 in 2004.
Olympic Games
PBs8:23.23 (2002), 14:33.84 (2006), 30:30.26 (2005), 1:07:16 (2006), 2:27:06 (2005)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edith_Masai
XC Legend:: https://worldathletics.org/news/news/a-kenyan-xc-legend-edith-masai
https://worldathletics.org/athletes/kenya/edith-masai-14289263
Dead
Johnny “Lam” Jones 60 (1958-March 15, 2019) 1976 Olympic gold medalist — 4×100 (6th-100)
Legend of Texas HS track for his anchor leg in the mile relay at the 1976 state meet (see
Rocky Road link)
Since T&F News’ Coverage
“….. Lampasas needed to win the race to win the team title, but after three games it didn’t seem quite possible because;
Jones finished the relay in 7th place less than 40 years ago. He overthrew both teams around the first turns, went into overdrive
drop in behind, picking teams along the way. The moment Jones came out in his top gear
on the final bend it was all over. His 45.5 foot was his fifth sub-46 of the year…”.
Played 5 seasons with the NY Jets
Played football at Texas and in the NFL with the NY Jets
Died in 2019 after a long battle with cancer
https://texassports.com/news/2019/3/15/texas-athletics-remembers-johnny-lam-jones.aspx
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/15/obituaries/johnny-lam-jones-dead.html
Rocky Road:: http://tinyurl.com/LamJones
http://www.barkingcarnival.com/2012/6/25/3117718/johnny-lam-jones-running-to-gold
WikiBio:: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lam_Jones
http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/J/JoneLa00.htm
https://nypost.com/2019/03/15/former-jets-star-johnny-lam-jones-dies-at-age-60/
http://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/26273485/texas-icon-ex-nfl-wr-johnny-lam-jones-dies
Nelson Prudencio-Brazil 68 (1944-November 23, 2012) Double Olympic medalist: triple jump (1968-silver, 1972-bronze)
At the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, he set a world record of 56-7 ¾ (17.27), but had to settle for a silver medal.
after Viktor Saneev of the Soviet Union jumped 57-1/2 (17.39) in the final round to take the World.
Record and gold medal.
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/65613
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelson_Prudêncio
WR progress: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triple_jump_world_record_progression
1968 T.J: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athletics_at_the_1968_Summer_Olympics_%E2%80%93_Men%27s_triple_jump
Wilson “Buster” Charles 98 (1908 – June 6, 2006) 1932 US Olympic – decathlon (4:th)
1930 US Champion
A Native American member of the Oneida Tribe, he also played basketball and football at Haskell Indian Institute.
Member of the inaugural class of the American Indian Sports Hall of Fame.
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/78221
