The Trials are comin’!

 

                         

 Eugene is Mecca … The 2008 and 2012 U.S. Olympic track and field trials will be held at legendary Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. Eugene will also host the 2009 and 2011USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. If you are a passionate track and field fan and have not been to a meet in Eugene you owe it to yourself to attend one of these upcoming meets.Eugene truly is Tracktown USA!

 

When track was a BIG spectator sport … At the 1960 Olympic Trials in Stanford’s Stadium, over 108,000 track fans attended the then two-day Trials.Twelve of the 17 events (men only then) had better marks than the ’56 Melbourne Olympics.  

 

              

“The Trials in the Trees”-’68 at South Lake Tahoe’s Echco Summit …

Because the ’68 Mexico City Olympics would be held at over 7200 ft. altitude the USOC constructed a track in the middle of boulders and trees at Echo Summit. World records by pole vaulter Bob Seagren (Mt. SAC/ USC) and intermediate hurdler Geoff Vanderstock (Mt. SAC/ USC) were among the highlights of those Trials. The decathlon trials were held in Santa Barbara and Rick Sloan (Fullerton/ UCLA/ present Wash.St. coach) 

finished second to make the team. He would finish seventh in Mexico City.

(More ’68 Trials stories to follow)

 

California CC Alumni

Olympic Trials Champions

 

100-Frank Wykoff (Glendale CC/USC) 1928 Trials-10.6

       Eddie Hart (Contra Costa CC/UC Berkeley) 1972 Trials-9.9

 

200-Millard Hampton (San Jose CC/UCLA) 1976 Trials- 20.10

       Valerie Briscoe (Long Beach CC/CS Northridge) 1984 Trials-22.16

                

400-Lee Evans (San Jose CC/San Jose State) 1968 Trials-44.06

       Maxie Parks (Fresno CC/UCLA) 1976 Trials-45.38

 

800-Johnny Gray (Santa Monica CC) 1988 Trials-1:43.96

        1992 Trials-1:42.80; 1996 Trials-1:44.00

         

1500-Ruth Caldwell Wysocki (Citrus CC) 1984 Trials-4:00.18 … finish picture of her upset win over Mary Decker Slaney was on cover of Track & Field News            

 

440 Hurdles-Geoff Vanderstock (Mt. SAC/USC) 1968 Trials-48.94

 

Javelin-Pam Schmidt (LBCC/Long Beach St.) 1972 Trials179-7;

 1976 Trials-213-5

                                                                               

Frank Covelli (Cerritos CC/Arizona St.) 1964 Trials 252-9 ¼

 

Pole Vault-Bob Seagren (Mt. SAC/USC) 1968 Trials 17-9; 1972 Trials 18-5 ¾

 

Discus-John Powell (American River CC/San Jose St.) 1984 Trials 220-3

          Sim Iness (Compton CC/USC) 1952 Trials 174-10 ¼

 

Long Jump-Arnie Robinson (San Diego Mesa CC/ San Diego State)

                1972 Trials 26-4 ¾; 1976 Trials 27-5 ½w

                    

High Jump-Charles Dumas (Compton CC/ USC) 1956 Trials 7-0, first man over 7

              Ed Caruthers (Santa Ana CC/Arizona U.)1964 Trials, 6-10;1968 Trials,