This Day in Track & Field/Road Running, Nina Kusick becomes first official female to win Boston Marathon (1972), Grete Waitz sets WR at London (1983), edited and compiled by Walt Murphy

Walt Murphy’s News and Results Service  (wmurphy25@aol.com)

This Day in Track & Field–April  17

1937—Alton Terry (Hardin-Simmons), the 1936 NCAA Champion in the event (he was 6^th at the Berlin Olympics), threw 229-2  ¼ (69.85) at the Kansas Relays to set his 3^rd American Record in the Javelin.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alton_Terry

1948–Two World Records were set at the Kansas Relays. Michigan’s Charles Fonville broke the 58’ barrier in the shot put with his winning toss of 58-3/8 (17.68) and Harrison Dillard ran 13.6 to set a new mark in the 120-yard hurdles (also bettered the metric record).

Fonville, who had raised the World Indoor Record twice in February (56-6 ¼ [17.23m], 56-10 5/8 [17.34]), won his 2nd NCAA title later in the year, but missed a chance for Olympic gold when a back injury held him to a disappointing 4th-place finish at the U.S. Trials.

Dillard had his own problems at the Trials when he failed to finish in his specialty, the 110-hurdles. However, he had earlier made the team by finishing 3rd in the 100-meters and went on to  a surprising win in that event at the London Olympics.

Fonville: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Fonville

1972–New York’s Nina Kuscsik became the first official female winner at the Boston Marathon (3:10:26). Previous winners Roberta “Bobbi”  Gibb (1966-1968) and Sara Mae Berman (1969-1971) ran without race bib numbers. Kuscsik was inspired to start running at the age of 15 after hearing about Roger Bannister  becoming the first man to break 4-minutes for the mile in 1954.

Gibb: http://www.runningpast.com/gibb_story.htm

Kuscsik

http://blog.oregonlive.com/runoregon/2009/05/run_like_a_girl_a_documentary.html

1976—Future Hall-of-Famer Steve Williams set an American Record of 19.9 for 200-meters in Gainesville, Florida.

HOF Bio: https://www.usatf.org/athlete-bios/steve-williams

1978–Two milestones at the Boston Marathon–it was the largest field ever as 4,212 runners went to the starting line, and the Men’s race was the closest in Boston history. Hometown favorite Bill Rodgers won for the 2nd time, but his margin of victory was only 2 seconds over fast-closing Jeff Wells (2:10:13-2:10:15). Frank Shorter, who was near the front for the first half of the race, finished 23^rd (2:28:15). Other notable finishers: 4^th-Jack Fultz (1976 winner/2:11:17), 5^th-Randy Thomas (former Boston College women’s coach/2:11:25), 7^th-Don Kardong (1976 Olympian/2:14:07), 10^th-Tom…