15th Annual Compton Invitational
Track and Field Meet
Friday, June 4, 1954
Souvenir Program 35c
Compton College
Ramsaur Stadium
Santee – America’s Hope For the Fastest Mile…
May Sixth…Roger Bannister of England shatters one of the oldest records in the history of track…the four minute mile. Tonight, Wes Santee of the University of Kansas will be shooting to better that fabulous mar.
By Al Franken
Invitational Publicity Director
Interest in the Compton Invitational track and field meet, rated by Track and Field News as the finest meet of its type in the world for the past three seasons, has never before run so high. The chief reason is obvious even to those who have only casual interest in the cinderpath activity-Wes Santee will run the mile.
“A cinder is a pyroclastic material. Cinders are extrusive igneous rocks. Cinders are similar to pumice, which has so many cavities and is such low-density that it can float on water. ...Cinders have been used on track surfaces and roads to provide additional traction in winter conditions.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinder
Event NO. 5
8:50 p.m. – The International Mile
World Record: 4:01.4, Gunder Haegg (Sweden), Malmo, Sweden, July 17, 1945; 3:59.4 Roger Bannister (England), Oxford, Iffley Road, May 6,1954 pending
American Record: 4:02.4, Wes Santee (Kansas), 1953; 4:01.3, Wes Santee (Kansas), 1954 pending
Invitational Record: 4:02.4, Wes Santee (Kansas), 1953
Lane
1 Wes Santee (3) (4:01.3) Kansas
2 Ingvar Ericsson (1) (4:03.6) Sweden
3 Russ Bonham (62) (4:10.5) Whittier
4 Billy Tidwell (143) (4:13.5) Fort Ord
5 Walt Boehm (120) (4:13.4) San Francisco Olympic Club
6 Marty Montgomery (44) USC
1. Santee 4:00.6
2. Ericsson
3. Bonham
4. Boehm
1500 Meters 3:42.8
Keith Conning: Earlier that season I saw Wes Santee of Kansas run in a dual meet against Cal in Berkeley attended by 13,000. He ran a 4:05.5 mile and a 1:51.5 half-mile.
I watched Walt Boehm practice in San Francisco while I was in high school in the 1950’s. He ran a 1320 by himself in 3:09.
Ingvar Ericsson (Sweden) placed eighth in the 1952 Olympic Games 1500 meters. http://www.iaaf.org/mm/document/competitions/competition/p1-181_3701.pdf
Event No. 10
9:35 p.m. – 880 Yard Run
World Record: 1:48.6, Mal Whitfield (Grand St. Boys), 1954
American Record: 1:48.6, Mal Whitfield (Grand St. Boys, 1954
Invitational Record: 1:49.4, Mal Whitfield (Grand St. Boys), 1953
Lane
1 Mal Whitfield (1:48.6) LAAC
2 Jim Terrill (1:49.9) Occidental
3 Jerome Walters (1:51.8) Pepperdine
4 Bob Seaman (1:52.9) UCLA Frosh
5 Lang Stanley (1:49.5) Fort Ord
6 Bruce Weed (1:54.6) Whittier
7 Bill Taylor (1:53.2) USC
8 Ed Shinn (1:53.9) Occidental
9 Dave Casper (1:53.7) Fresno State
10 Roy Shumway (1:53.4) Arizona State
11 Bill Weiss (1:54.4) LAAC
12 Murry Colburn (1:53.3) USC Frosh
13 Jack Sage (1:51.1) LAAC
Results
1. Whitfield 1:49.8
2. Seaman 1:49.9
3. Casper
Keith Conning:
“Mal Whitfield, or "Marvelous Mal" as he was called, held his share of world records but he was an athlete who ran to win, rather than for time. Competitive at any distance from the 220 to the mile, Whitfield put together a record that included two Olympic 800m crowns, six world records and eight National AAU titles, six of them outdoors.” http://www.usatf.org/halloffame/TF/showBio.asp?HOFIDs=181
Bob Seaman (UCLA) placed fifth in the 1956 U.S. Olympic Trials 1500 meters in 3:50.5.
“Jim Terrill '54-1956 Olympic Trials in 800...world ranked with 1:48.9 best…4:09.9 mile…anchored world record-beating 2 mile relay team…Prominent collegiate track coach.” http://www.oxyathletics.com/sports/mtrack/HallofFame/1940-1959
Bill Taylor is the coach of Sir Francis Drake High School in San Anselmo.
Dave Casper has officiated at the Mt. SAC Relays for over 40 years.
Freshmen were not eligible to run for the varsity.
Fort Ord was an U.S. Army training base near Monterey.
Event No. 14
8:00 p.m. – Shot Put
Al Franken: Parry O’Brien has already moved the shot put record more than a foot beyond the 59 ft. 2 ¾ in. standard he set at Compton last year, and can do better than his current 60 ft. 5 ¾ in. best.
World Record: 59’ 2 ¼”, Parry O’Brien (USA), 1953 (Pending 60’ 5 ¾”, Parry O’Brien, USA, 1954)
American Record: 59’ 2 ¼”, Parry O’Brien (USA), 1953 (Pending 60’ 5 ¾”, Parry O’Brien, USA, 1954)
Invitational Record: 59’ 2 ¼”, Parry O’Brien (USA), 1953
Parry O’Brien (60’ 5 ¾”) LAAC
Don Vick (54’ 1”) UCLA Frosh
Ray Martin (53’ 8 ¼”) Valley JC
Jim Hollingsworth (52’ 3”) NTC
Tom Meyer (52’ 11 ¾”) Occidental
Clyde Wettre (52’ 8”) UCLA
Virgil Elwiss (53’ 5”) Pepperdine
Results
1. O’Brien 59’
2. Vick 53’ 2 ¾”
3. Martin 52’ 5 ¼”
4. Hollingsworth 51’ 8 ½”
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