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Walt Murphy’s News and Results Service (wmurphy25@aol.com), used with permission.
This Day in Track & Field–February 20
1960—Befitting the early stages of an Olympic year, no less than four World Records were set at the AAU Indoor Championships in New York.
Australia’s Al Lawrence, a sophomore at the University of Houston, was hoping to impress his country’s Olympic selectors and did so with a bang, winning the 3-mile in 13:26.3 to take more than 10 seconds off Bill Dellinger’s previous mark of 13:36.9.
Lawrence, who had set a 2-mile record of 8:46.0 the week before in Los Angeles, was the 1956 bronze medalist in the 10,000-meters at the 1956 Olympics and won NCAA and U.S. X-Country titles in 1959 and 1960.
Another sophomore, Boston University’s John Thomas, had one bad miss at 7-2 (2.184) before clearing on his 2nd attempt to better his own High Jump mark of 7-1 ½ (2.17).
The 3rd record at Madison Square Garden was set by former Cornell football and T&F star Bo Roberson, who won the Long Jump with a leap of 25-9 ½ (7.86) to take down one of the sport’s most venerable marks, Jesse Owens’ 25-9 (7.84) that was set at this meet in 1935!
The 4th record took place earlier in the day, uptown at the Squadron A Armory in Manhattan, where Hal Connolly, the 1956 Olympic champion in the Hammer Throw, won the 35-pound Weight Throw with a toss of 71-2 ½ (21.70), well above the previous best on record, the 68-8 (20.93) that he threw the week before in Los Angeles. Connolly’s win ended the 6-year reign as U.S. Champion of his friendly rival, Bob Backus.
https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1960/02/21/99478268.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&ip=0
Roberson: http://ivy50.com/blackhistory/story.aspx?sid=1/24/2007
https://vault.si.com/vault/1960/03/14/now-i-can-beat-those-chaps
1965—Bill McClellon (DeWitt Clinton,NYC) set a meet record of 6-10 (2.085?) at the AAU Interscholastic Championships at Madison Square Garden. McClellon cleared 6-8 (2.03) earlier in the competition to break John Thomas’s previous meet mark 0f 6-7 5/8 (1958), then cleared 6-9 (2.06) before getting over his winning height. He missed twice at 7-feet (2.135), believed to be the first attempts ever by a prep to clear that still-significant barrier. McClellon would eventually become the first prep to clear 7-feet at the U.S. Outdoor Championships in June.
Two of the legends of the NY City track scene hooked up in the 440y, with Vince Matthews edging Andrew Jackson teammate Julio Meade, 51.3-51.4.
Jim Meehan (Oliver Ames,Ma-2:15.5) won the 1000y over Byron Dyce (Erasmus,NYC-2:16.2) and Jim Jackson anchored Boys High (NYC) to a win in the 2-mile relay (7:59.6).
Climb to 7-feet: https://www.runnerspace.com/gprofile.php?mgroup_id=44531&do=news&news_id=645265
1975–Tony Darden, a junior at Norristown (Pa), H.S., ran 30.6 at the Philadelphia Coaches meet at Princeton to set a National High School Record for 300-yards.
Darden went on to be ranked #3 in the world in the 400 in 1979 and #4 in 1981. Darden beat the great Alberto Juantorena to win the gold medal in the 400 at the 1979 Pan-American Games. His daughter, Dominique, was a 3-time All-American in the 400-meter hurdles while at the University of Miami.
1976–John Radetich, competing in the professional International Track Association (ITA) meet in Salt Lake City, cleared 7-6 (2.29) to better Dwight Stones’s World Record in the High Jump (7-5 3/4 [2.28]). Radetich’s celebration ended quickly after he was told that Stones had jumped 7-6 1/4 (2.295) the same day in New York!
Dwight Stones’ “Combo Platter”
20/21 1975 (21)–After convincing meet director Jesse Abramson to set up the high jump approach at Madison Square Garden to accommodate his flop style, Dwight Stones made good on his promise to set a World Record, clearing 7-5 ¾ (2.28) at the Olympic Inv. to better his previous mark of 7-5 ½ (2.275). Abramson was the legendary NY track and field journalist who is the namesake for many journalism awards.
1976(20)–Feeling listless earlier in the day, “Big D” needed all of his energy to fight off a strong challenge from Rory Kotinek (7-5 [2.26]) and went on to set another world record at the Olympic Inv. (7-6 1/4). His mark also bettered the professional best of 7-6 (2.29) that John Radetich had set earlier in the day in Salt Lake City. The Pole Vault produced another global best as Dan Ripley jumped 18-3 ¾ (5.58) to regain the World Record in the Pole Vault. Finishing 2nd (17-10 [5.435]) was Poland’s Wladyslaw Kozakiewicz, who had set the previous mark of 18-3 ½ (5.575) the week before in Toronto.
1976(21)–Traveling back to his native California for the Jack-in-the-Box meet in San Diego, a tired Stones set his 2nd World Record in 24 hours, his 7-6 ½ (2.30) clearance netting him his 7th (and final) Indoor mark. It also matched his outdoor World Record.
T&F News Cover
https://trackandfieldnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/1976_03.jpg
1981–A record attempt in the mile “was on”, as the runners would say, at the Jack-in-the-Box meet on San Diego’s fast 11-lap track, but who would win the race? Steve Scott had already beaten Eamonn Coghlan, the present record holder (3:52.6 on this same track), twice earlier in the season, and the field also included John Walker and Ray Flynn. Those were the 4 fastest indoor milers in history at this point.
Phil “Tiny” Kane, Coghlan’s former teammate at Villanova, was the designated rabbit and he took the field through the 1/2-mile in 1:55.4. Scott then took over and led at the 3/4-split in a slower-than-expected 2:55.4, allowing Coghlan to regroup. (“I was running back and forth like a yo-yo [in the first half]”.
Starting his kick with two laps to go, Coghlan, who had been pointing towards this race all season, passed Scott and pulled away to win in an amazing 3:50.6, smashing his previous mark by a full 2-seconds. Scott held on for 2nd, setting a since-broken American record of 3:51.8, Walker followed in 3:52.8, and Flynn completed the greatest indoor mile mass-finish in history with his time of 3:53.6.
Coghlan, while thrilled by his great effort, admitted later that he was actually hoping to get under 3:50–something he would finally do two years later when he ran 3:49.78 at the Meadowlands in New Jersey.
Sports Illustrated Vault—Right Omen’s For Eamonn
https://www.nytimes.com/1981/02/21/sports/coghlan-sets-mile-record-of-3-50.6.html
http://villanovarunning.blogspot.com/2012/02/eamonn-coghlans-wr-3506-indoor-mile.html
1981–The mile wasn’t the only big event on this day in 1981. 19-year old Carl Lewis, a sophomore at the University of Houston, got his first World Record when he long-jumped 27-10 ¼ (8.49) at the Southwest Conference Championships in Fort Worth, Texas, to break Larry Myricks’s previous mark of 27-5 ¾ (8.375). It was the 2nd conference title for Lewis, who had earlier won the 60-yard dash in 6.06, only .02s off the world record. Said Houston coach Tom Tellez, in what would prove to be quite an understatement, “People just didn’t believe in Carl Lewis. I think they will now”.
1981—Margaret Groos set a World Record of 15:34.5 for 5000-Meters in Blacksburg, VA.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Groos
1987—Maren Seidler’s 9-year old American Indoor Record of 61-2 ¼ (18.65) in the Women’s Shot Put took a pounding from Ramona Pagel at the Los Angeles Times meet in Inglewood, California.
Pagel, already the U.S. Outdoor Record holder at 62-9 ¼ (19.13), raised the Indoor best to 62-2 ¼ (18.95) in the first round and went to another level with her next two puts of 63-11 ½ (19.49) and 64-1 ¾ (19.55). She “slacked off” to 63-2 ¼ (19.26) in the 4th round, fouled in the 5th, then broke another barrier with her final toss of 65-3/4 (19.83)!
Before her career was over, Pagel would become a 4-time U.S. Olympian (1984-1996) and would win seven Indoor and five Outdoor U.S. titles. The 65-3/4 would remain her indoor best, but improved her American Outdoor Record to 66-2 ½ (20.18) in 1988. That mark lasted for 25 years until Michelle Carter threw 66-5 (20.24) in 2013.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramona_Pagel
1988–Bulgaria’s Stefka Kostadinova raised her World Record in the High Jump by 1/4-inch to 6-9 (2.06m) in Piraeus, Greece.
1994—41-year old Eamonn Coghlan became the first man over 40 to run a sub-4 minute mile when he ran 3:58.15 during a high school meet on Harvard’s super-fast 220-yard banked track.
Coghlan had fallen short in his previous attempts to put this final touch on his great career and he knew, as the 1994 indoor season was drawing to a close, that he was running out of time and meets. He had originally planned to use this race, which had been hastily organized by local meet promoter Bill Clark, as a warmup for an all-out effort at the U.S. Indoor Championships in Atlanta, where he would run in the “open” mile. But prodding from Clark and photographer Victor Sailer convinced Coghlan to give it his all here at Harvard.
World-class 800 runner Stanley Redwine, Coghlan’s Foot Locker teammate, was recruited to set the pace. It was certainly a different setting than Coghlan had been accustomed to during the peak years of his career, when he would run in front of packed houses at Madison Square Garden and the other indoor arenas around the U.S. But PA announcer Larry Newman made sure the 3000 or so high school runners, coaches. and parents, and a handful of lucky fans, knew exactly what was going on and the roar was Garden-calibre as the gun went off. With Redwine doing an excellent job of pacing through splits of 59, 1:59, and 2:59, a hurting Coghlan, struggling at times to maintain close contact, rode the encouragement of the crowd as he ran alone over the last two laps.
Marc Bloom, who had organized some of Coghlan’s previous Masters races, wrote in Runner’s World, “Coghlan couldn’t afford to save anything, and he didn’t. This was his final indoor race. ‘Run your heart out for this one lap,’ he told himself. ‘Worry about the last lap later.’ Coghlan’s legs wobbled, but he held form and ran the seventh lap in 29.38, his fastest since the opener. One lap more to go. He needed a 31.39”…..”Going into the first turn on the final lap, Coghlan dug deeper. He pumped, he grimaced, he pumped some more. Did he have enough left? He was still flying when he came off the final turn and sprinted for the tape.” All of his hard work, the physical therapy needed to get his 41-year old body to accept the training necessary to run a 4-minute mile, had paid off when the clock stopped at 3:58.15. ‘It was like old times,’ he said later. ‘Those last two laps brought it all back to me. My eardrums hurt from all the cheering, but my legs responded.’
The following day, at the weekly meeting of the NY Track Writers, Coghlan, a native of Dublin, was greeted by the Irish Consulate General, who read letters of congratulations from Ireland’s President and Prime Minister.
He later revealed that he then turned down a lucrative offer to run against Noureddine Morceli at the U.S. Indoor Nationals in Atlanta the following week, saying with a smile, “I received my masters degree at Harvard, and I’d like to end my career on that note”.
Bernard Lagat, who had broken Coghlan’s Wanamaker Mile Record and his record for most wins in the famed race, took a 3rd record away from his friend by setting a new Masters mark of 3:54.91 at the 2017 Millrose Games!
RELATED LINKS:
NY Times Coverage: http://tinyurl.com/y9f2hre
http://faculty.randolphcollege.edu/tmichalik/4min.htm (scroll down)
http://villanovarunning.blogspot.com/2010/01/running-sub-400-past-40.html
1997—Australia’s Emma George, one of the pioneers in the Women’s Pole Vault, edged closer to 15-feet by clearing 14-11 (4.55) in Melbourne, topping her previous World (Outdoor) Record by 2 inches. It was the 7th of her 11 World Records.
WR Progression: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women%27s_pole_vault_world_record_progression
https://worldathletics.org/athletes/australia/emma-george-14272068
1997–Ethiopia’s Haile Gebrselassie became the first man to break 13-minnutes indoors for 5000-meters by running 12:59.04 in Stockholm. https://trackandfieldnews.com/article/25-years-ago-today-the-5ks-first-indoor-sub-13/
2000–Denmark’s Wilson Kipketer, the holder of the World Indoor (1:42.67) and Outdoor (1:41.11/since broken) Records in the 800, improved his own 2-week old record (2:15.25) in the 1000-meters by running 2:14.96 in Birmingham, England.
Ethiopia’s Hailu Mekonnen ran 8:09.66 for 2-miles to break the 27-year old World Indoor Record of 8:13.2, set by Belgium’s Emiel Puttemans in 1973.
2004–Ethiopians stole the show at the Norwich Union meet in Birmingham, England. 21-year old Kenenisa Bekele won the 5000-meters in 12:49.60 to break countryman Haile Gebrselassie’s World Indoor Record of 12:50.38. And Meseret Defar edged Tirunesh Dibaba in a terrific Women’s 3000-meters, 8:33.44-8:33.56.
National Records were set in the Women’s 1000-meters as Great Britain’s Kelly Holmes (2:32.96) beat American Jen Toomey (2:34.19).
Bekele’s record in the 5000 stood for 21 years until Grant Fisher ran 12:44.15 on February 14, 2025
IAAF Report:
https://www.worldathletics.org/news/news/bekele-dips-inside-1250-to-break-the-world-in
2011–France’s Teddy Tamgho broke his own World Record (58-8 ¼ [17.90]) in the Triple Jump by leaping 58-9 ¼ (17.91) in Aubière, France. Tamgho would improve the record to 58-9 ½ (17.92) two weeks later in Paris.
https://worldathletics.org/news/news/tamgho-triples-to-1791m-world-indoor-record-i
2016—Some veteran observers called the 2017 NYRR Millrose Games the best since the venerable meet moved to the Armory in NY in 2012, but, as exciting as that meet was, the argument could be made that the 2016 edition was even better! Consider the following:
Matthew Centrowitz won a thrilling Wanamaker Mile over New Zealand’s Nick Willis and set a Meet Record of 3:50.63, which turned out to be the fastest time in the world in 2016. Willis set a National Record of 3:51.06, and he was followed across the finish line by Scotland’s Chis O’Hara (3:52.91), Robby Andrews (3:53.16), and Cory Leslie (3:53.87).
For the first time in the relatively short history of the event, two women cleared 16-feet in the women’s Pole Vault, with Greece’s Katerina Stefanidi getting the win over Demi Payne on fewer misses, with both clearing 16-3/4 (4.90). 3rd at 15-5 (4.70) was Sandi Morris, who went on to win the silver medal at the Rio Olympics (Stefanidi won the gold).
There was great depth in the Men’s 3000, with Ryan Hill (7:38.82) winning a photo-finish over Hassan Mead (7:38.85), while Eric Jenkins finished a close 3rd in 7:39.43. Next were Evan Jager (7:40.10), Mo Ahmed, who set a Canadian Record of 7:40.11, and Oregon junior Edward Cheserek, who ran a personal best of of 7:40.51.
The Men’s 60-meter hurdles featured a battle between Olympic Champions-to-be, Jamaica’s Omar McLeod (110h) beating Ashton Eaton (Decathlon), 7.46-7.53.
Ajee’ Wilson won the Women’s 800-meters for the 3rd year in a row and ran a personal best of 2:00.09. A close 2nd was Brenda Martinez (2:00.14/PB), while Laura Roesler (2:00.49) and Oregon soph Raevyn Rogers (2:00.90) also ran PBs.
The Women’s 5000 provided another close (and deep) race, with Kenya’s Betsy Saina (14:57.18), who won 3 NCAA titles at Iowa State, beating Molly Huddle (14:57.31), Emily Sisson (15:00.91), Marielle Hall (15:06.05), Shelby Houlihan (15:06.22), and Abbey D’Agostino (15:24.44), with all setting PBs. Huddle, Sisson, Hall, and Houlihan moved to 2-3-4-5 on the All-Time U.S. Indoor list (at the time).
Running at Millrose for the first time since she finished 4th in the Women’s 60 in 2004 and 2005, when the meet was held at Madison Square Garden, Allyson Felix (7.15) won the 60 over Tianna Madison (7.20). It was Felix’s first appearance at the Armory since 2002, when she won the 60 at the National Scholastic Indoor Championships (and finished 2nd to Sanya Richards in the 200)!
Johnny Gregorek, whose dad John was an Olympic steeplechaser, won the Invitation Mile with a personal best time of 3:56.57, but the big news was the 4th-place finish of Drew Hunter, who ran 3:57.81 to break his own U.S. High School Record of 3:58.25, which he had set at the Armory the previous month. Hunter also got credit for a new record in the 1500-meters—3:41.93.
Pretty tough to top that array of performances! (At least that’s how I felt at the time—later editions would be even better!)
Results: http://www.armorytrack.com/gprofile.php?do=view_event&event_id=574&mgroup_id=45586&year=2016
Significant Birthdays
Born On This Day*
Elinor “Elle” Purrier-St.Pierre 30 (1995) 2024 World Indoor Champion-3000 Meters—beat Gudaf Tsegay and set an
American Record of 8:20.87…silver medalist at the 2022 World Indoor Championships
2-time Olympic finalist in the 1500-Meters—2021 (10th), 2024 (8th)
Won the 1500 at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials, 3rd in 2024
Won the 5000 at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials—only ran the 1500 at the Paris Olympics
2018 NCAA Indoor Champion—Mile (New Hampshire)
2-time U.S. Indoor Champion-3000m (2022, 2024)…
3rd in the 1500 at the 2022 U.S. Championships—eliminated in the semi-finals at the 2022 World Championships
Won her 3rd Wanamaker Mile at the Millrose Games on Feb.11, 2024—improved her American Indoor Record to
4:16.41…former AR holder in the 2-Mile (9:10.28/2021)
Competed in the 1st round of the 5000-Meters at the 2019 World Championships
4th in the steeplechase at the 2017 NCAA Championships (7th-2015, 3rd-2016);
Also 2nd in the Indoor Mile (3rd-2017)
2-time ECAC Champion—Steeplechase (2015,2016)
2014 U.S Junior Champion—Steeplechase (9th-World Juniors)
Coached by Mark Coogan
PBs: 1:59.99 (’21), 4:00.20i (‘20/#2 All-Time U.S.), 3:55.99 (’24), 4:16.41i (‘24/NR/#3 All-Time), 8:20.87
(’24/NR/#3 A-T), 9:10.28i-2m (#2 A-T U.S., #6 A-T World), 14:34.12 (’24/#5 A-T U.S./ind-out),
College PBs:4:10.21i (‘18), 4:26.55i (’18/#11 A-T), 8:55.68i (Dec.’17), 9:43.65sc (’17)
Married Jamie St.Pierre in September, 2020….gave birth to son Ivan in March, 2023…couple is expecting their 2nd
child in May, 2025
https://www.runnersworld.com/news/a63249630/elle-st-pierre-expecting-second-child/
Pronounces Elle as “Ellie”
2024 WIC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMQmYX23JWg
From the Farm to the NCAA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLqxyCA_8dA
https://www.tfrrs.org/athletes/4533092/New_Hampshire/Elinor_Purrier.html
All-Time Lists: https://trackandfieldnews.com/index.php/lists
College Stats: https://www.tfrrs.org/athletes/4533092/New_Hampshire/Elinor_Purrier.html
2021 Trials: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWHDvK_mePM
Brigid Kosgei—Kenya 31 (1994) 2021 Olympic silver medalist-Marathon…injury kept her out of the 2024 Olympics
Set a World Record of 2:14:04 at the 2019 Chicago Marathon (since broken/now #4 All-Time)…also won in
Chicago in 2018
2-time winner of the London Marathon (2019, 2020)
2024 SB: 2:19:02
WR: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kn3y50MRGjY
https://worldathletics.org/athletes/kenya/brigid-kosgei-14730790
Athletics Weekly Coverage
Dennis Mitchell 59 (1966) 1992 Olympic gold medalist—4×100 (1996-silver); 2-time World Champion—4×100
1992 Olympic bronze medalist—100m (1988-4th,1996-4th); Also the bronze medalist at the 1991 and
1993 World Championships; 1989 NCAA Champion—200m (Florida)
Ran the 3rd leg on four World Record 4×100 teams
PBs: 9.91 (1996). 20.09 (1989), 45.26 (1986); ran 46.02 as a senior at Edgewood(NJ) H.S.
Twin sister Denise had a best of 51.72 for 400-meters
Among the athletes he currently coaches is sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson
Wiki Bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dennis_Mitchell
WR Progression(4×100)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Men%27s_4_×_100_metres_relay_world_record_progression
Coaching Controversy(2014)
(2016) http://olympics.nbcsports.com/2016/04/05/dennis-mitchell-justin-gatlin-relays-coach-usa-track-and-field-rio-olympics/
(2017) https://www.flotrack.org/ar`ticles/6062955-justin-gatlin-fires-coach-dennis-mitchell-amidst-doping-controversy
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/78798#
Deceased
Reverend Bob Richards 97 (1926-February 26, 2023) Only man to win two Olympic gold medals in the Pole Vault—1952,1956 (bronze in
1948)
9-time U.S. Champion (1948-1952,1954-1957)
8-time U.S.Indoor Champion (1948,1950-1953,1955-1957)
3-time U.S. Champion—Decathlon (1951,1954,1955)
1947 NCAA Champion (Illinois/6-way tie for 1st/tied for 2nd in 1946)
Winner at the Millrose Games 11 years in a row (1947-1957)
Had 4 sons who were also vaulters—Brandon set a U.S. High School Record of 18-2 (5.54) in 1985, Bob,Jr. was ranked #7 in the
U.S. in 1973, Tommy was a 2-time All-American in the Decathlon (S.F.Austin). Grandson Riley has vaulted 17-10 ½(5.45).
Ranked #1 in the world 8 years in a row from 1947-1956); Ranked #1 in the world in the Decathlon in 1951 & 1954
Mentored by fellow vault great Cornelius “Dutch” Warmerdam early in his career
97 at the time of his passing in 2023, he had been the oldest living Olympic gold medalist in Track & Field
Inducted into the National Hall of Fame in 1975
Known as the “Vaulting Vicar”…ran for President of the U.S. in 1984 on the Populist Party ticket
First athlete to appear on boxes of Wheaties
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Richards
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/78946
’52 OG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTiue4naosQ
2015 Address(Great!): https://vaultermagazine.com/bob-richards-addresses-crowd-at-zero-g-elite-pv-2015/
T&F News Rankings: https://trackandfieldnews.com/rankings/
