This Day in Track & Field, April 30, Joe McCluskey set steepe AR of 9:28.6 (1932), and other stories of the Penn Relays, curtated, edited and written by Walt Murphy

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

This Day in Track & Field–April  30

1921—Finishing in a 4-way tie for first place in the High Jump at the Penn Relays was Illinois’ Harold Osborn, who also won the Triple Jump (46-9  ½ [14.26]). He would win Olympic gold in the High Jump and the Decathlon in Paris in 1924.

Earl Eby, the silver medalist in the 800-meters at the 1920 Olympics, anchored Penn to its 2^nd-straight win in the Sprint Medley(3:31.8).

Penn’s George Bronder set a Relays Record of 183-1/4 (55.79+) in the Javelin. He won 6 consecutive U.S. titles from 1914-1919.

For Subscribers: https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1921/05/01/98679617.html?pageNumber=102

Results

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

1927—M.I.T.’s Henry Steinbrenner, whose son George (a hurdler at Williams College) would become the owner of the New York Yankees, won the 120y-Hurdles at the Penn Relays in 15.4.

The Steinbrenner Family Heritage Award was established in 2001 to recognize multi-generational families for their support and dedication to the Penn Relays.

For Subscribers: https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1927/05/01/96644411.html?pageNumber=137

Results

1932—Fordham’s Joe McCluskey set an American Record of 9:28.6 in the Steeplechase at the Penn Relays in Philadelphia. It was the 2^nd of McCluskey’s three wins in the event at Penn (1931-1933).  He would lower the mark to 9:14.5 in July.

A 9-time U.S. Champion in the steeple, McCluskey won the bronze medal at the 1932 Olympics (after being forced to run an extra lap when officials misjudged the finish), and remained active in Masters competition (in many events) until the age of 85. (I used to watch him practicing for the long jump at my local track in Forest Park-Queens!). He was elected to the National Hall of Fame in 1996.

Manhattan College won for the first time at Penn, setting an American record of 10:14.0 in the Distance Medley with a lineup of Bill McGeogh (50.6), Joe Burns (1:54.4), Jackie Ryan (3:09.8), and Frank Crowley (4:19.2).

Bill Carr’s 48.2 anchor split helped Penn smash the previous Relays Record of 3:18.0 in the Mile Relay, a record set by another Penn squad 17 years earlier, with its winning time of 3:15.4. Carr had run the lead-off leg on Penn’s winning team in 1931. He would win the gold medal in the 400-meters (and set a World Record of 46.2) at the L.A. Olympics later in the year. He was named to the National Hall of Fame…