Friday, November 02, 2012

1956 NCAA Men's Track and Field Championships

I attended this meet with my father, who was a track fan. I was 15 years old. We lived in San Francisco. I had just completed the first semester of my sophomore year at Lincoln High School, where I ran the 660 yards in the "B" classification. Classification was based on age, weight, and height. Unfortunately, I just missed being classified as a "C". The 660 yards started in the tunnel at Kezar Stadium, the home of the S.F. 49ers.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The 1956 NCAA Track and Field Championships were held in Berkeley, California in June 1956. UCLA won the team title, ending a seven-year streak by the University of Southern California. Nine NCAA meet records and one American record were broken at the event.[1]

Bobby Morrow of Abilene Christian led all athletes with 20 points in the meet. Morrow won both the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes.[1] Morrow went on to win three gold medals in the 1956 Summer Olympics.

Rafer Johnson led the scoring for team champion UCLA. Johnson scored 16 of UCLA's 55-7/10 points with second-place finishes in the broad jump and high hurdles.[1] Johnson went on to win the gold medal in the decathlon at the 1960 Summer Olympics.

The one American record that was broken at the meet was in the 800-meter run. Arnie Sowell of the University of Pittsburgh set the new American mark with a time of 1:46.7.[1]

Team scoring
1. UCLA – 55-7/10
2. Kansas - 50
3. University of Southern California – 34½
4. Michigan State – 29
5. Abilene Christian – 25
6. Villanova – 24
7. Oregon – 20
8. Michigan – 19-7/10
9. Oklahoma A&M – 19
10. Manhattan - 17
I got the following scores from the San Francisco Chronicle on Sunday, June 17, 1956.
11. California and Fresno State 14 each
13. San Jose State 13 1/2
14. Pittsburgh 12
15. Occidental 11 7/10
16. Indiana 11
17. North Carolina College and Notre Dame 10 7/10 each
19. Bowdoin, Cal Tech and West Chester State 10 each
22. Cornell, Duke, NYU, North Carolina, University of Missouri, Ohio State and Pennsylvania 8 each
29. Texas 7
30. MIT, Stanford, Mankato State Teachers, Dartmouth, Rice and La Salle 6 each
36. Morgan State 5 2/5
37. Boston U., Georgia, and Kansas State 4 each
40. Harvard, Iowa, South Dakota State, Oklahoma, Willamette 2 each
45. BYU 1 7/10
46. Santa Barbara State, Hawaii, Minnesota, Tennessee, Pacific Lutheran, Lincoln U., and Texas Christian 1 each
53. Pomona-Claremont and Oregon State 7/10

The first three results are from wikipedia. The remainder are from the San Francisco Chronicle and/or Track and Field News.

Event No. 1 - 10,000 Meter Run 4:50 p.m. (Friday, June 15, 1956)
This race was run on Olympic years 1948, 1952, and 1956.
NCAA Meet Record - 32:13.5, Bob Black, Rhode Island State College, Minneapolis, Minn. June 18, 1948.
Stadium Record - 32:25.1 Walt Dieke, Wisconsin, June 13, 1952
1. Selwyn Jones, Michigan State 31:15.3 (New meet and stadium record.)
2. Bob House, California 31:46
3. Bob Sbarra, Manhattan 32:01
4. Allen Frame, Kansas 32:24.7
5. Jerry McNeal, Kansas 32:42.6
6. Gordon McClenathen, UC Santa Barbara 33:13

Event No. 2 Hammer Throw, 12:30 p.m. (Saturday, June 16, 1956)
NCAA Meet Record - 176-4 3/4 Gil Borjeson, Brown, Boston, Mass., June 9, 1952
1. Bill McWilliams, Bowdoin – 195 feet, 3 inches (new NCAA meet record)
2. Albert Hall, Cornell – 193 feet, 8½ inches
3. John Morefield, MIT – 193 feet, 2 inches
4. Cliff Blair, Boston 183-11
5. Peter Harpel, Harvard 173-8
6. Tom Mullins, Hawaii 167-5 1/2

Event No. 3 Pole Vault 1:30 p.m.
1. (tie) Bob Gutowski, Occidental and Jim Graham, Oklahoma A&M – 14 feet, 8 inches
3. (tie) Walt Levack, USC and Eeles Landstrom, Michigan (Finland) – 14 feet, 4 inches
5. (tie) Ron Morris (USC) and O.W. Rhodes, San Jose State 14-0.

Event No. 4 - Shot Put 1:30 p.m.
NCAA Meet Record 58-7 1/4 Parry O'Brien, USC, Lincoln, Nebr., June 20, 1953
1. Ken Bantum, Manhattan – 60 feet, 1/2 inch (New meet record)
2. Bill Nieder, Kansas – 57 feet, 3⅛ inches
3. Dave Owen, Michigan – 57 feet, 2/3 inch
4. Don Vick, UCLA 55-7 3/4
5. John Kahnert, California 54-11 1/2
6. Bryl Thompson, Minnesota 54-6 3/4

Event No. 5 High jump 1:30 p.m.
1. (Tie) Phil Reavis, Villanova; Bob Lang, Missouri; Nick Dyer, UCLA – 6 feet, 6 1/4
4. (Tie) Bob Barksdale, Morgan State; Wayne Moss, Oregon State; Bernie Allard, Notre Dame; Charles McCullough, North Carolina College; Dick Hadden, Occidental; Bob Fendler, Pomona-Claremont; Mark Booth, Michigan; George Dennis, Morgan State; Hal Miller, UCLA, and Ralph Berham, BYU, all 6-4

Event No. 6 Javelin 2:00 p.m.
1. Phil Conley, Cal Tech – 239 feet, 11 inches
2. Doug Maijala, Univ. South. Calif. – 229 feet, 10 inches
3. Les Bitner, Kansas – 223 feet, 11½ inches
4. Bill Duckworth, Georgia 220-2
5. Kirk Nieland, Stanford 217-2 1/2
6. John Fromm, Pacific Lutheran 215-0

Event No. 7 Broad Jump 2:00 p.m.
1. Greg Bell, Indiana – 25 feet, 9 1/4 inches
2. Rafer Johnson, UCLA - 25 feet, 4 inches
3. Kent Floerke, Kansas – 24 feet, 5 inches
4. (Tie) Frank Herrmann, Stanford and Blaine Hollinger, Kansas 24-3 1/2
6. Dick Kanub, UCLA 24-3/4

Event No. 8 1,500-meter run 2:30 p.m.
NCAA Meet Record 3:50.7 Bob McMillen, Occidental, Berkeley, CA June 14, 1952
1. Ron Delany, Villnova – 3:47.3 (New meet record)
2. Jim Bailey, Oregon – 3:47.4
3. Sid Wing, Univ. South. Calif. – 3:49.7
4. Bob Seaman, UCLA 3:49.7
5. Ted Wheeler, Iowa 3:50.4
6. Ed Murphy, Tennessee 3:52.0

Event No. 9 Discus throw 2:45 p.m.
1. Ron Drummond, UCLA – 173 feet, 1/2 inch
2. Don Vick, UCLA – 171 feet, 5 inches
3. Rink Babka, Univ. South. Calif. – 170 feet, 9½ inches
4. Al Oerter, Kansas 168-9
5. Bob Van Dee, Oklahoma 167-10 3/4
6. Ken Bantum, Manhattan 167-5 1/4

Event No. 10 - 400-meter dash 2:45 p.m. (2 turns)
1. Jesse Mashburn, Oklahoma A&M – 46.4
2. John Haines, Penn – 46.4
3. Charlie Jenkins, Villanova – 46.6
4. Russ Ellis, UCLA – 46.7
5. Herb Washington, Morgan State 47.1
6. Bob Perkins, Lincoln 47.2

Event No. 11 100-meter dash 2:55 p.m.
1. Bobby Morrow, Abilene Christian – 10.4
2. Dave Sime, Duke – 10.6
3. Mike Agostini, Fresno State – 10.6
4. Leamon King, California 10.7
5. Ken Kave, Morgan State 10.7
6. Bobby Wilden, Texas, 10.7

Event No. 12 3,000-meter steeplechase 3:05 p.m.
NCAA Meet Record 9:31.2 Bob McMullen, San Jose State, Berkeley, Calif., June 14, 1952
Stadium Record Same as above
1. Henry Kennedy, Michigan State – 9:16.5 (New meet and stadium record.)
2. Ike Matza, BYU – 9:17.2
3. Geert Kielstrup, Michigan – 9:34.4
4. Don Hubbard, San Jose State 9:42.7
5. David Peterson, South Dakota State 9:46.1
6. Russ Ferguson, Stanford 10:01.1

Event No. 13 110-meter high hurdles 3:20 p.m.
NCAA Meet Record 14.0 Clyde Scott, Arkansas, Minneapolis, Minn., June 18, 1948; Jack Davis, USC, Berkeley, CA, June 14, 1952
Stadium Record 13.8 Dick Attlesey, LAAC, June 23, 1951
1. Lee Calhoun, North Carolina College – 13.7 (Meet and Stadium Record)
2. Rafer Johnson, UCLA – 13.8
3. Lee Looween, Mankato State Teachers – 14.0
4. Ancel Robinson, Fresno State 14.1
5. Dean Benson, E. Willamette 14.1
6. Bill Curtis, Texas Christian 14.2

Event No. 14 800-meter run 3:30 p.m. (4 turns)
American Citizens' Record 1:46.8 Tom Courtney, Fordham, 1955
National Collegiate Record 1:46.8 Tom Courtney, Fordham, 1955
NCAA Meet Record 1:49.5 Tom Courtney, Fordham, Los Angeles, Calif., June 18, 1955
Stadium Record 1:47.5 (880 yards) Lon Spurrier, Olympic Club, March 26, 1955 (3 turns)
The race started in what is now the tennis courts and finished in the northeast corner of the track. This was my first world record.
1. Arnie Sowell, Pittsburgh – 1:46.7 (New American Citizens', National Collegiate, Meet, and Stadium Record.)
2. Lang Stanley, San Jose State – 1:49.2
3. Doug Brew, Dartmouth – 1:50.5
4. Paul Johnson, Abilene Christian – 1:50.5
5. Ty Hadley, Occidental 1:51.1
6. Lowell Janzen, Kansas 1:52.9

Event No. 15 Hop, step and jump 3:30 p.m.
The triple jump, sometimes referred to as the hop, step and jump or the hop, skip and jump, is a track and field sport, similar to the long jump, but involving a "hop, bound and jump": the competitor runs down the track and performs a hop, a bound and then a jump into the sand pit. The triple jump has its origins in the ancient Olympic Games and has been a modern Olympics event since the Games' inception in 1896.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triple_jump
NCAA Meet Record 49 1 7/8 George Shaw, Columbia, Berkeley, Calif., June 14, 1952
Stadium Record Same as above
1. Bill Sharp, West Chester State Teachers – 50 feet, 4¾ inches (New meet and stadium record)
2. Kent Floerke, Kansas – 49 feet, 6¼ inches
3. Ira Davis, LaSalle – 49 feet, 3¼ inches
4. Jack Findley, USC 48-1
5. Martin Pedigo, Oregon 47-9 1/2
6. Braelon Donaldson, Indiana 47-4 3/4

Event No. 16 - 200-meter dash 3:40 p.m. (1 turn)
NCAA Meet Record-(one turn) 20.6 Andy Stanfield, Seton Hall, Philadelphia, PA., May 26, 1951.
1. Bobby Morrow, Abilene Christian – 20.6
2. Dick Blair, Kansas – 21.0
3. Bobby Whilden, Texas – 21.2
4. Mike Agostini, Fresno State 21.2
5. Ed Brabham, Michigan State 21.4
6. Jim Segrest, Abilene Christian 21.7
(Ties American and national collegiate record for 200 meters around one turn.)

Event No. 17 5,000 Meter Run 3:50 p.m.
1. Bill Dellinger, Oregon – 14:48.5
2. Jim Beatty, North Carolina – 14:51.1
3. Selwyn Jones, Michigan State – 14:52.2
4. Max Truex, USC 14:53.5
5. Ron Wallingford, Michigan 14:53.7
6. Bek Suk Shim, BYU 15:04.4

Event No. 18 400-meter hurdles 4:15 p.m. (2 turns, 36-inch hurdles)
NCAA Meet Record 51.7 Bob DeVinney, Kansas, Berkeley, Calif., June 14, 1952
Stadium Record Same as above
1. Aubrey Lewis, Notre Dame – 51.0 (New meet and stadium record.)
2. Glenn Davis, Ohio State – 51.4
3. Roy Thompson, Rice – 51.8
4. Gene O'Connor, Kansas State 52.6
5. Paul Thrash, Pitt 52.7
6. David Lean, Michigan State 53.2

References^ a b c d "10 Records Fall As UCLA Nabs NCAA Title". Independent Press-Telegram (Long Beach, California). 1956-06-17.
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r "NCAA Summary". Independent Press-Telegram (Long Beach, California). 1956-06-17.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1956_NCAA_Men's_Track_and_Field_Championships

http://web1.ncaa.org/ncaa/archives/otrack/d1/1956/results1956.pdf

Meet Program

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