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Walt Murphy’s News and Results Service (wmurphy25@aol.com), used with permission.
This Day in Track & Field–February 19
1965—This was the first year that the Men’s and Women’s U.S. Indoor Championships were combined, requiring a 2-day format at Madison Square Garden (2-19,20).
On the first night of competition, Marine Lieutenant Billy Mills, the surprise gold medalist in the 10,000-Meters at the previous year’s Olympics in Tokyo, won the Men’s 3-mile and set an American Record of 13:25.4.
From his Road to Tokyo Report
“It is Friday evening, February 19, 1965 here in New York City. There is an excitement that only a sports event held in Madison Square Garden can produce.
We are ready for the USA National Indoor Track and Field Championships three-mile race. It will be the first true test of my conditioning level. For the past two months I have been comfortable coaching myself, but I do miss Coach Tommy Thomson (who had coached Mills leading up to the Olympics). His presence was always reassuring. Frequently I am asking Patricia (Billy’s wife) for her opinion or to confirm mine.
I may as well call her my coach. She said several times how mental training and competition seems to be. And added: “Please don’t call me your coach, but being your psychiatrist fits perfectly”. My smile tries to hide how perceptive I think she is.
We are called to the starting line. The starter gives the command as he raises the pistol. He fires and the USA indoor three-mile championship race is underway.
Wanting to start out under American record pace, I sprint to the front. Racing indoors on the shorter tracks, 11 laps to the mile and banked curves, makes the races very intimate, as if the fans are on the track with us.
My effort was comfortable and under American record pace. Dave Ellis from Canada took the lead, but soon was passed by Frank Pflaging from Baltimore. The pace was slowing so I moved back in front, picking up the pace. Two laps later, we were back under American record pace and Pflaging began to fade.
Ellis again makes several attempts to pass me, but each time by gently increasing my pace ever so slightly he backs off. He is conveying to me he doesn’t want a faster pace. With one lap to go I start a hard drive, my lead increases. Breaking the tape, I glance toward the timer’s clock. It reads 13:25.4, a new American indoor three-mile record. My confidence for a six-mile world record in June and the 10,000 meter world record in July soars! (Mills would get the 6-mile WR in June, but not the 10k Record).
Other winners:
Men: 60y-Sam Perry (6.0), 600y-Jack Yerman (1:11.3), Mile-Jim Grelle (4:07.4); High Jump-Valeriy Brumel (7-2 [2.185?]), Long Jump-Igor Ter-Ovaneysan and Ralph Boston continued their rivalry, both jumping 26-2 (7.975?) with “Ter-O” getting the win with a better 2nd jump,
Women:60y-Wyomia Tyus (6.8), 880y-Canada’s Abby Hoffman (2:11.7/longest event for the women), High Jump-Romania’s Iolanda Balas (5-9 [1.755?]), Long Jump-Great Britain’s Mary Rand (20-4 [6.195?]), Shot Put-Soviet Union’s Tamara Press (57-2 ½ [17.435?]).
Sports Illustrated Vault:
https://vault.si.com/vault/1965/03/01/what-the-men-can-do-for-an-encore
“Women Invade Garden”
https://vault.si.com/vault/1965/03/01/a-startling-invasion-of-women
“Indoor track had never looked more fetching. At last week’s two-day AAU meet in New York fans were treated to the spectacle of lithe young women leaping, running and soaring in a colorful selection of Capri stretch pants, turtleneck blouses, Bermuda shorts, leotards and bikini-short shorts.”
1966— Doris Brown (Heritage) became the first American woman to break 5-minutes for the mile when she set a World Indoor Record of 4:52.0 in Vancouver, British Columbia.
The race had been advertised locally as an attempt by Canadian Roberta Pico to break the indoor 5-minute barrier, while Brown had been invited merely to provide some competition for her.
Brown would return to Vancouver a year later (Feb.18) to smash her own World and American Records with her winning time of 4:40.4.
Video(w/commentary by Ron Delany, the 1956 Olympic champion at 1500 Meters!)
1971–In only his 2nd race in almost two years (he won a low-key mile in San Francisco in 4:04.4 a few weeks earlier), Jim Ryun ran 3:56.4 for the Mile in San Diego to tie Tom O’Hara’s World Indoor Record.
Ryun was not expecting to run that fast, but had no choice after Chuck LaBenz set a super-fast pace of 54.2 and 1:54.5 through the first ½-mile. Ryun had fallen 50-yards off the lead, sitting in 4th behind LaBenz, John Mason, and New Zealand’s Dick Quax.
Jim Ryun on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Patiently working his way towards the front, Ryun burst into the lead with a lap to go and, looking like the dominating runner everyone had hoped to see again, sprinted away for the win and the share of the record. Mason (3:58.0) edged Labenz (3:58.1) for 2nd, while Quax (3:58.9) finished 4th.
Mentally drained, Ryun had stopped running after finishing a disappointing 2nd in the 1500 meters at the 1968 Olympics and going through a subpar 1969 season, one which ended on a sour note when he dropped out of the final of the Mile at the U.S. Championships in Miami (A race won by his old rival Marty Liquori).
While Ryun’s race was the emotional highlight of the night, the best performance of the meet came in the 2-mile, where Australia’s Kerry O’Brien smashed the World Record of 8:27.2 with his winning time of 8:19.2. 2nd was fellow Aussie Kerry Pearce (8:20.6), and 3rd with a new American Record was Frank Shorter in 8:26.2. All three were under the previous world record, which was shared by Pearce and American George Young (4th here in 8:34.6).
Sports Illustrated Vault: https://vault.si.com/vault/1971/02/01/back-in-the-running
http://tinyurl.com/Ryun3564
1971–Tom von Ruden regained his World Indoor Record for 1000-meters by running 2:20.4 at the U.S. Olympic Invitational in Madison Square Garden. And Ireland’s Frank Murphy regained the European Record with his runnerup time of 2:20.6.
1972–Greg Gibson (Connell,WA) ran 2:10.1 in San Diego to set the U.S. High School Record for 1000-yards. Gibson went on to the University of Washington, where he finished 3rd in the 1000-yards at the 1974 NCAA Indoor Championships.
1977—Czech Helena Fibingerová set the current World Indoor Record in the Women’s Shot Put with her toss of 73-10 (22.50) in Jablonec. She would win the bronze medal at the 1976 Olympics and became the first World Champion in the event in 1983. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helena_Fibingerová
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/76546
1978—Colorado freshman Mary Decker was a double winner at the Big-8 Championships in Lincoln, Nebraska, finishing 1st in the Mile (4:41.3) and the 880y (2:05.3).
https://cubuffs.com/sports/2012/7/10/205501672.aspx
1982–Three World Indoor Records were set in San Diego by Mary Slaney 4:20.5y (Mile) Willie Banks 57-1 ½ [17.41] (Triple Jump), and Billy Olson(18-9 ½ [5.73], Pole Vault).
A confident Banks told SI’s Kenny Moore as fans started filing into the arena, “It’s time for a World Record. If those people out there want to see one, all they have to do is ask”. And the man credited with inaugurating the now standard practice of rhythmic clapping by fans during all jumping events, also said, “What’s so special about jumpers that they need quiet? I need attention. Without the emotion that comes from a yelling crowd, there’s a missing ingredient. I am made to translate that emotion into punch.”
Just a week after setting the AR for 5000-meters at the Millrose Games, a “tired” Doug Padilla won the 2-mile in 8:16.8 to break Steve Prefontaine’s 8-year old American Indoor Record of 8:20.4. It was the last of Pre’s ARs to be broken.
New Zealand’s John Walker (3:52.8) won a fast mile over Tom Byers (3:53.6), Ireland’s Ray Flynn (3:54.1), and Steve Scott (3:55.0).
1983–Diane Dixon ran 37.50 in Norman, Oklahoma, to set an American Indoor Record for 300-meters.
1993–It’s easy to forget that Allen Johnson was better known as a long jumper before developing into one of the greatest hurdlers in history, but he jumped a lifetime best of 26-8 ½ (8.14m) on this day in Johnson City, Tennessee.
1995–Linford Christie edged Frank Fredericks, 20.25-20.26, in Liévin, France, as both bettered Bruno Marie-Rose’s previous World Indoor Record of 20.37, which was set on the same track in 1987. Fredericks would return to Liévin a year later to set the current Record of 19.92.
World Record Progression: http://trackfield.brinkster.net/RecProgression.asp?RecCode=WI&EventCode=MA2&P=F
1998–Kenya’s Daniel Komen ran 12:51.48 for 5000-meters in Stockholm to break Haile Gebrselassie’s World Indoor Record of 12:59.04. (Now #4 All-Time)
Top-10 Lists: https://trackandfieldnews.com/tfn-lists/world-indoor-all-time-list-men/
2000–Stacy Dragila cleared 15-feet (4.57) for the first time on her home runway in Pocatello, Idaho. After clearing that height on her second attempt, Dragila then raised her American Record to 15-1 ½ [4.61m ](also on her 2nd jump), a 1/2-inch higher than the Outdoor Record of 15-1 [4.60m], held by Australia’s Emma George.
At the same meet, Jearl Miles Clark set the current American Indoor Record of 1:00.61 for the seldom-run 500-yards.
Hall of Fame
(Miles Clark) https://www.usatf.org/athlete-bios/jearl-miles-clark
(Dragila) https://www.usatf.org/athlete-bios/stacy-dragila
2011–Just six weeks after moving his family to Portland, Oregon, to train with his new coach, Alberto Salazar, Great Britain’s Mo Farah won the 5000-meters in Birmingham, England, setting a new European Indoor Record of 13:10.60. Finishing 2nd was Farah’s new training partner, Galen Rupp, who just got under Bernard Lagat’s American Record (13:11.50) with his time of 13:11.44. Farah and Rupp would go on to win the gold and silver medals, respectively, in the 10,000-meters at the 2012 Olympics, Farah also winning gold in the 5000.
Farah repeated the double win at the Rio Olympics in 2016 and ran 13:09.16 in Birmingham in 2017 to break his European Indoor Record for 5000-meters.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/feb/20/mo-farah-athletic-grand-prix
2011–Ryan Crouser (Barlow H.S.,OR) set the current U.S. High School Indoor Record of 77-2 ¾ (23.54) in the Shot Put at the Simplot Games in Pocatello, Idaho. Crouser initially broke Brent Noon’s previous record of 74-11 (22.83/1990) with a toss of 75-3 ½ (22.95) before adding almost 2-feet on his 5th throw! He finished off his amazing series with another monster throw of 75-11 ½ (23.15). Crouser, of course, went on to an All-American career at Texas before winning 3 Olympic titles and becoming the World Indoor and Outdoor Record holder.
https://www.runnerspace.com/video.php?video_id=36924
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryan_Crouser
2012–After running 1:00.95 in his heat, Brycen Spratling, a sophomore at the University of Pittsburgh, set a Collegiate Record of 1:00.63 for 500-meters (since broken) at the Big East Championships, which were held at NY’s Armory.
Returning to the Armory as a professional, Spratling set a World Record (since broken) of 1:00.06 at the 2015 Millrose Games!
Spratling played football and basketball at Webster Schroeder High School in New York, then decided to go out for track in the spring of his senior year. He wound up winning the New York State high school title and ran 46.81!. He spent his freshman year of college at Eastern Michigan in 2011 before transferring to Pittsburgh.
2014—Sprinter Lauryn Williams won a silver medal in the 2-woman bobsled at the Winter Olympics.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobsleigh_at_the_2014_Winter_Olympics
http://olympics.nbcsports.com/2015/02/12/lauryn-williams-retires-bobsled-winter-olympics/
2015—Ethiopia’s Genzebe Dibaba set the current World Indoor Record of 14:18.86 for 5000-Meters in Stockholm.
www.runnersworld.com/races-places/a20848996/genzebe-dibaba-sets-5000-meter-world-indoor-record-of-14-18-86/
2023—The Netherlands’ Femke Bol, a medalist in the 400-meter hurdles at the 2021 Olympics (bronze) and 2022 World Championships(silver), set a World Indoor Record of 49.26 for 400-meters at the Dutch Championships in Apeldoorn. She broke the oldest indoor track record on the books (indoors/outdoors-men/women), the 49.59 that Czech Jarmila Kratochvilova ran back in 1982! She went on to win gold in the 400-hurdles later in the year at the World Championships in Budapest. https://worldathletics.org/news/report/femke-bol-world-indoor-400m-record-apeldoorn
Significant Birthdays
Born On This Day*
Wadeline Jonathas 27 (1998) Gold medalist in the 4×400 at the Tokyo Olympics (1st round)…semi-finalist in the 400m
2020 U.S. Indoor Champion—400m
2019 World Outdoor Champion in the 4×400 relay (anchor leg)—finished 4th in the 400-meters in Doha
Bronze medalist in the Mixed 4×400 at the 2022 World Championships (1st round)
2019 NCAA Outdoor Champion at 400-meters…Anchored South Carolina to a win in the 4×400 relay at the
NCAA Indoor Championships last March…gave up her final year of collegiate eligibility when she joined
the professional ranks earlier this year
Native of Haiti moved with her family, including 3 brothers and 3 sisters, to Worcester, Massachusetts, in
September, 2013. Joined the track team in her sophomore year at Doherty High School in Worcester
Didn’t receive many college recruiting offers, so she enrolled at UMass-Boston because of their financial aid
package. Went on to win 9 NCAA Division III titles in various events (including the Long Jump) in 2017
and 2018 before transferring to South Carolina!
PBs: 51.32i (2020), 49.60 (2019); Last competed in 2023
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wadeline_Jonathas
https://www.usatf.org/athlete-bios/wadeline-jonathas
Jeff Henderson 36 (1989) 2016 Olympic gold medalist—Long Jump…Came through in the final round to win the gold
medal in Rio (had been in 4th place); 6th at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials
2015 Pan-American Games Champion; Silver medalist at the 2019 World Championships
3-time U.S. Champion (2014, 2016, 2018)
4th at the 2016 World Indoor Championships (qualifying round in 2010 & 2014)
9th at the 2015 World Championships (qualifying round in 2017);
3-time Junior College Champion—LJ (Hinds C.C./2008, 2009-indoors & outdoors)
2011 NAIA Champion-60m(Florida Memorial)
2013 NCAA Division II Champion-100-m, LJ (Stillman College)
PBs:6.58 (‘14), 10.18 (‘13), 20.65 (‘13), 27-11 ½ (8.52/’15); 2024 SB: 24-9 (7.54)
Was coached by Al Joyner, the 1984 Olympic champion in the Triple Jump (and the husband of the late
Florence Griffith Joyner)
Dedicated his Rio win to his mother Debra, a long-time Alzheimer’s victim
“The medal is just for her! Everything I did was for her. It was for God , for her and my family”
http://www.thepostgame.com/jeff-henderson-brings-gold-mom-alzheimers
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Henderson_(athlete)
Rio Video: https://www.olympicchannel.com/en/video/detail/usa-s-henderson-leaps-to-long-jump-gold/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athletics_at_the_2016_Summer_Olympics_–_Men%27s_long_jump
https://www.worldathletics.org/news/feature/jeff-henderson-long-jump-usa
Dan Wilson 46 (1979) In a classic David vs Goliath moment, anchored UConn to a narrow win over powerhouse
Arkansas in the distance medley at the 2000 Penn Relays. It was one of the biggest upsets in Penn
history. Went on later in the season to win the 1500-meters at the Big East, New England, and IC4A
Championships
PBs: 3:38.60 (2004), 3:59.14i (2001), 7:54.18 (2005)
www.nytimes.com/2000/04/29/sports/track-and-field-uconn-stuns-arkansas-in-the-distance-medley-relay.html
Wilson Recalls That Penn Race
“I remember two days before heading to Penn our DMR was milling around the track after practice and I said to Coach (Greg) Roy, “You know, we really could…’I trailed off at the end. We all knew what I was thinking but none of us wanted to actually say it. The thought of beating Arkansas, of actually winning the Penn Relays, was still very much a dream.
The same four guys had finished 4th indoors at NCs in the DMR so we knew we were good, but we were all local kids and not nearly on the level that the Arkansas guys were on. The race couldn’t have played out any better; Our first two legs (Kevin Jensen-2:56.0 and Haven Barnes-46.9) kept us in the race and our 800 guy, Elliott Blount, ran the fastest split(1:47.6) and gave me the baton side by side with Sharif Karie. Karie got the baton behind me and beat me indoors and was the HS mile national champ when we were seniors in HS (his PR was 14 seconds faster than mine in HS) and I was very much aware of who he was and what he had done. I was content to let Sharif lead and take my chances with a kicker’s race and, after a first 800 of 2:06, it became evident that he too thought he would win in a kick. The slow first 800 allowed about six other teams back into the race and with 600 to go things were bunching up. I made sure to stay up front, either in the lead or on the leaders’ shoulder, covering every move.
With just over 200 meters to go I went. The last 200, because of the slow start, was pretty much all out. Coming off the turn I glanced back and Sharif was right there, on my shoulder. As my legs began to lock up I concentrated on one thing only- getting to the finish line. Eventually, after what felt like a five minute one hundred meters, I hit the line with Sharif .03 behind me. Neither one of us were able to gain more than an inch on each other in the last 200.
The race was won with 215 meters to go when I made my move. If Sharif had gone first, he probably would have won. I remember looking up after we won and seeing my teammates running straight at me from the paddock area. They were in a full sprint and I could barely stand up. They grabbed me and basically pulled me on a victory lap.
It was such a euphoric feeling to have actually won. I remember feeling like everything was in a haze, but part of that was probably because we had just closed in 54 seconds and my legs were screaming at me to stop running. To this day, that was the most amazing win I’ve ever been a part of. Although I was running well before the race, the win gave me a lot of confidence. That season my PR improved from 3:50 to 3:39. I won Big East, New Englands and IC4As and qualified for the Olympic Trials.”
John Moon 87 (1938) Head T&F coach at Seton Hall from 1972-2010. Stayed on as X-Country coach after the school
dropped Men’s & Women’s T&F after the 2010 season. Plans to retire at the end of the 2025 season.
All-American sprinter at Tennessee State—3rd in the 100y at the 1959 NCAA Championships (7th-220y)…roommate
.was future Hall-of-Famer Ralph Boston
4-time finalist at the U.S. Championships—‘63-220y (3rd), ‘64-100m (7th), 200m (3rd), ‘66-220y (5th)
Assistant U.S. men’s coach at the 2000 Olympics
Seton Hall Bio: https://shupirates.com/sports/womens-cross-coun
