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This Day in Track & Field, June 20, Jesse Owens wins 100m, 200m, 220y hurdles and long jump at NCAA, for second year in row! (1936), by Walt Murphy

This Day in Track & Field, June 11, Emil Zatopek sets 10,000m WR in Ostrava (1949), Henry Rono breaks 10,000m WR (1978), Impossible Games (2020), by Walt Murphy

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

 

This Day in Track & Field–June 20  

 

1936—World Records were set by Georgia’s  Forrest “Spec” Towns in the 110-meter hurdles(14.1 in his heat/6-19) and Cal’s Archie Williams in the 400 (46.1) at the NCAA Championships in Chicago (June 19-20). The wind in Towns’ race was +2.4, but the +2.0 limit wasn’t adopted until later in the year!

Ohio State’s Jesse Owens was a 4-time winner for the 2nd year in a row, finishing first again in the 100 (10.2), 200 (21.3),  220y-hurdles (23.1), and the Long Jump (25-10  ¾ [7.89]).  He was timed en-route in the 100 at 9.4 for 100-yards to equal the World Record he already shared with fellow American Frank Wykoff and South Africa’s Danie Joubert.

Photo of US Olympic team sprinters (from left) Jesse Owens, Ralph Metcalfe and Frank Wykoff on the deck of the S.S. Manhattan before they sailed for Germany to compete in the 1936 Olympics. They’re shown doing a light warm-up on the deck. Public domain, per wikipedia.

All 3 went on to Olympic glory later in the year in Berlin, Towns and Williams winning their specialties, and Owens, of course, becoming an instant legend by winning golds in the 100, 200, Long Jump, and 4×100 relay. And all are members of the Hall of Fame.

            A day after finishing 3rd in the 1500, Indiana’s Don Lash won the 5000 (event increased from 2-miles)

http://www.ustfccca.org/ncaa-100/don-lash-indiana-1936-ncaa-outdoor-track-field-championships-winner-hoosiers-second-fourth

USC repeated as the team champion with 103-1/3 points. Ohio State was 2nd(73).

NY Times(for subscribers):

https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1936/06/14/85402176.html?auth=login-email&pageNumber=129

WR Progression(110h): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Men%27s_110_metres_hurdles_world_record_progression

WR Progression(400): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Men’s_400_metres_world_record_progression

Resultshttps://trackandfieldnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/1936.pdf

Owens:

www.ustfccca.org/ncaa-100/jesse-owens-ohio-state-1936-ncaa-championships-four-titles-world-record-100-meters

 

1941–Indiana’s Archie Harris won his 2nd title in the Discus on the first day of  the NCAA Championships (6-20/21) at Stanford with a World Record throw of 174-8  ¾ (53.26).

2nd was Georgetown’s Al Blozis (164-4  7/8 [50.10]), who beat Harris to win the Shot Put(54-10  ½ [16.725?] to 51-4 [15.645]).

Other winners included…

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