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By Walt Murphy’s News and Results Service (wmurphy25@aol.com), used with permission, used with permission.
This Day in Track & Field–April 13
1910–The first edition of the Drake Relays was held in a snowstorm. A chilled group of 82 competitors were barely outnumbered by a “crowd” of 100 fans.
Sports Illustrated article on Relay meets in general: https://vault.si.com/vault/1955/05/02/the-relays
Drake Site: https://godrakebulldogs.com/index.aspx?path=dr
1940–Cornelius “Dutch” Warmerdam got the first of his seven “World Records” in the Pole Vault and became the first man in history to clear 15’, getting over that exact height (4.572m) in Edwards Stadium in Berkeley, California.
While many of his seven record vaults were in good condition, the IAAF ratified only three for administrative reasons.
Dutch’s WRs (bold-ratified)
15-00 4.57 Berkeley,CA April 13,1940
15-01 1/8 4.60 Fresno,CA June 29, 1940
15-02 5/8 4.64 Stanford,CA April 12, 1941
15-04 ¼ 4.68 Compton,CA June 6, 1941
15-05 ¾ 4.72 Compton,CA June 6, 1941
15-06 7/8 4.74 Berkeley,CA May 2, 1942
15-07 ¾ 4.77 Modesto, CA May 23, 1942 (The last WR set with a bamboo pole!)
1996—Fresno State frosh Melissa Price, one of the early stars of American pole vaulting, jumped 13-5 ¼ (4.10) in Fresno to set the 9th (and last) American Record of her career. The 5’-2” Price had set her first seven records the year before as a senior at Kingsburg(CA) H.S.
Price was ranked #1 in the U.S. by Track & Field News in 1994 and 1995, but then the Stacy Dragila era kicked in later in 1996, relegating Price to the #2 position that year and in 1997 (She would remain in the top 10 through 2000).
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