Walt Murphy’s News and Results Service (wmurphy25@aol.com)
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This Day in Track & Field–January 17
(Nurmi, Stones, 4-Mile Relay, ’86 Sunkist/Birthdays-Jaydon Hibbert, Masterkova, Tom Sullivan, Kip Keino, Jaydon Hibbert)
1925–After completing a mind (and body) numbing roundtrip to Chicago, Paavo Nurmi returned to New York for the Fordham University handicap meet. Ville “Willie” Ritola warmed up the overflow crowd at the 102nd Engineers (168th St.) Armory (the same one that’s in use today) by setting a World Indoor Record for five miles (24:21.8).
Competing in the final event on the program, Nurmi, apparently putting his problems in Chicago behind him (see Jan.16), got his 8th world record of his U.S. tour (and 5th in 3 nights) by establishing a new mark of 5:33.0 for 2000-meters. (From the NY Times Archives)
1975–Dwight Stones, who already had the outdoor best, got the first of his seven World Indoor Records in the High Jump when he cleared 7-5 (2.26) in Pocatello, Idaho, bettering the previous mark of 7-4 ½ (2.25), which was set by the legendary Valeriy Brumel. Alternating between the straddle and his customary flop styles at lower heights, Stones cleared the record height on his second attempt.
The added significance of his record performance wasn’t lost on Stones, who idolized Brumel. “It was terribly important to me that I broke a Brumel record. I remember being really annoyed at Pat Matzdorf in July 1971 when he broke Brumel’s outdoor record at the U.S. vs U.S.S.R. in Berkeley. I had just graduated from high school and didn’t expect anyone to approach the record before I would, nearly exactly 2 years. later.”
On the same day, Steve Smith, competing on the professional tour (ITA) in Montreal, set an unofficial world record of 18-2 ½ (5.55) in the Pole Vault.
1976–The 4-mile relay was not contested very often indoors and the World Record was a modest 16:34.8, set by Indiana University in 1974. In an effort to bring some respect to the event, three loaded teams from Villanova, the NY Athletic Club, and the Philadelphia Pioneers traveled to the Dartmouth Relays in Hanover,New Hampshire, for a summit meeting.
Pete Squires, the former All-American steepler from Manhattan College, gave the NYAC a narrow lead with his 4:08.9 lead-off leg, while Wildcat junior George McKay and the Pioneers’ Julio…
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