Bill Russell…the high jumper

Hall of Fame basketball center; 7th world ranked jumper-’56

 

     Celtics’ Hall of Famer could jump over a bar too … After leading the University of San Francisco to the NCAA basketball title 6-10 Bill Russell competed and won often throughout the 1956 track and field season. Russell high jumped 6-9¼ to tie for the West Coast Relays title and also won six other meets. Against national level competition he placed second at the California Relays and third at the Compton Invite.He won six meets and had three jumps over 6-8 during the 1956 season.

     *Track & Field News ranked Russell the seventh best jumper in the world and third best in the USA for the 1956 season. Of course, Russell led the Boston Celtics to 11 world titles, was selected Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated in 1968 and is a member of the NBA, college basketball hall of fame. He was the NBA’s first African-American coach.

-Track & Field News, January 1957; LA 84 Foundation Sports Library records

 

 

 

1979 women’s state meet 1500…QUALITY!

 

1.     Ruth Caldwell Wysocki (Citrus) 4:34.44

2.     Pam Bowers (West Valley) 4:35.42

3.     Emily Whitney (Glendale) 4:37.87

4.     Connie Hester (Fresno) 4:41.33

*All four runners under old record-4:43.4;

Wysocki (’84, ’88 Olympian) won SoCal Finals easily in 4:36.

 

 

State meet reflections… Hat’s off to Riverside’s men and Cerritos’ women for continuing their state meet domination…when’s the last time two men’s teams (Moorpark, Cerritos) tied for second?...There were many D-1 level marks and a surprising number by freshmen: Lauryn Newsom (Laney frosh) wins both sprints and anchors the 4x1to lead Laney to 2nd in the meet; Cooper Thompson (BC frosh) sets state meet mark at 220-0 in the javelin; Ray Stewart (Merritt frosh) takes the highs in 13.83 over LBCC frosh Mike Hancock-13.87…both marks would have scored high at the PAC-10 meet…Moorpark frosh Dennis Aliotta  gets a double win by throwing 60-7¼ to take the shot and 181-2 in the hammer…Ryan Butts (Antelope Valley frosh) jumps an impressive 25-4¾ to take the LJ…Sophs who doubled

Curtis Mitchell (Southwestern) with 10:31, 20.58 (both non-wind aided); Dan Tapia (Hartnell) with a 5, 10k double in the heat…Other national level marks were Cerritos’ Jessica Barfield’s 41-01 triple jump win; Cerritos’ Nick Armstrong’s dominating 6867 decathlon win (2nd was over 700 pts. back!); and last, and most historic, was the *new national record (10:44.46) in the steeplechase by Cassie Mitchell (Orange Coast soph)…Mitchell returned to win the 5000-comfortably in the heat.  Great marks, performances in San Mateo.

 

Charonda makes history at the PAC-10…Charonda Williams, Laney’s athlete of the state meet-2007, became the first ever female sprinter to win the 100 (11:14)-200 (23.5) at the PAC-10 Championships. She also anchored the 4x1 relay (44.10) to first place and help Arizona State finish second in the final team standings.

 

 

Only at Oregon!... Oregon’s legendary Hayward Field has another story to add to the legacy: With nearly 6000 watching the annual Twilight Meet several weeks ago, the Duck coaches decided to step out of the conventional. Rather than concluding the meet with their traditional featured mile run, the management opened the gates and let the entire amped crowd onto the outside of the entire track to cheer on the Duck 4-man, 4-mile relay. The result was a spine-tingling, emotional collegiate, meet, and stadium record time. Quotes in the media by the four Duck milers indicated the infusion of adrenaline made it near to impossible to stay on pace the first lap.