This Day in Track & Field–October 30
1976—Cal. State Northridge’s Julie Brown, competing in a race that served as a qualifier for the AIAW X-Country Championships (the precursor to the NCAA Championships), ran 16:14.0 for 5000-meters on her home track to break Jan Merrill’s 6-month old American Record of 16:16.2. Brown went on to win the AIAW XC title two weeks later.
Wiki Bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julie_Brown_(athlete)
https://www.worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/julie-brown-14346981
Born On This Day
Ronald Levy—Jamaica 33 (1992) 2021 Olympic bronze medalist—110m-Hurdles
2018 Commonwealth Games Champion
2017 Penn Relays Champion (UTech)
World Championships: 2017 (1st round/DNF), 2019 (Semis/DQ)
PBs: 10.17 (2017), 20.81 (2014), 1:52.47 (2016), 7.49i (2018), 13.05 (2017)
Tested positive for a banned substance in late 2023, and was subsequently hit with a 4-year ban running
through 2027
Said Levy after being notified of his positive test, “I am stunned at the turn of events because I have always
conducted myself with the highest level of integrity in the sport, which I love dearly and would never seek to
gain an unfair advantage. I intend to defend my integrity during this process because I am certain I did not
knowingly breach the rules.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronald_Levy_(athlete)
https://worldathletics.org/athletes/jamaica/ronald-levy-14540136
https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/sports/20240825/curtains-levy-career
Nicole (Schappert) Tully 39 (1986) 2015 U.S. Champion—5000m; Finalist at the 2015 World Championships—13th
Fell in the final of the 5000 at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials; 9th at the 2017 U.S. Championships.
All-American at Villanova—2010 NCAAi-3000 (6th)
Coached by Frank Gagliano during her post-collegiate career
PBs: 2:02.86 (’12), 4:05.89 (’15), 4:29.78 (’16), 8:54.28 (‘17), 15:04.08 (’16);
Dad Ken was the 1973 NCAA Indoor Champion in the 880y (Villanova)
Married to Sean Tully, a former teammate at Villanova; Was coached by Frank Gagliano
Wiki Bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicole_Tully
Muna Lee 44 (1981) 4-time NCAA Indoor Champion—(LSU/60m-2003,2004, 200m-2002,2003);
3-time NCAA Champion—4×100 (’01,’03,’04—anchored each year)
3-time Olympic finalist: 2004-200 (=7), 2008-100 (5), 200 (4)
2005 World Champion—4×100 (100-7th); 2009 Worlds—200 (4)
2008 U.S. Champion—100m (Olympic Trials)
NCAA History (20-time All-American)
2001—100 (4), 200 (2), 4×100 (1); 200i (5)
2002—100 (3), 200 (4), 4×100 (2); 60i (3), 200i (1), 4x400i (3)
2003—100 (2), 200 (2), 4×100 (1); 60i (1), 200i (1)
2004—100 (2), 200 (4), 4×100 (1); 60i (1), 200i (4)
PBs:7.11i (’05), 10.85 (’08), 22.01 (’08)
Currently an Assistant Coach at Alabama-Birmingham
https://lsusports.net/sports/tf/roster/player/muna-lee/
Teri Steer-Cantwell 50 (1975) 1996 NCAA Champion—Shot Put (SMU/7th-1994&1995, 2nd-1998[discus-5th])
1998 NCAA Indoor Champion (1995-6th, 1996-2nd)
2002 U.S. Indoor & Outdoor Champion
Bronze medalist-1999 World Indoor Championships (9th Outdoors);
2000 U.S. Olympian (Qual.Round)
PBs: 63-1/4 (19.21/’01), 198-1 (60.38/’02)
Husband is former world-class shot-putter Christian Cantwell
Son Jackson, now a Senior at Nixa H.S. (MO), topped the 2025 U.S. High School list with a toss of 76-11 ¼
(23.45/#3 All-Time). The #1 football recruit in the country will enter the University of Miami in December after
an early H.S. graduation
Check out the great interviews from 2018 at the MileSplit link below.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teri_Steer
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/89165
Rodolfo Gómez—Mexico 74 (1950) Runnerup at the 1980 and 1982 NY City Marathons…involved in a memorable duel
with eventual winner Alberto Salazar in 1982, with Salazar emerging from a cloud of dust kicked up the lead
vehicles as they entered Central Park.
3-time Oympian–Marathon:1976-19th, 1980-6th, 1984-DNF);
1976—5000&10,000 (1st round), 1980—10,000 (1st round)
PBs: 13:27.52 (1977), 27:57.83 (1983), 2:09:12(1983)
Wiki Bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodolfo_Gómez
Video(1982 NYCM): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNCIGNWVkzc
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/73514
Deceased
Bill Cornell—Great Britain 76 (1939-March 28, 2016)
Former coach at Murray State and Southern Illinois
Member of the USTFCCCA Coaches Hall of Fame
All-American at Southern Illinois:
2nd in the mile at the 1962 NCAA Championships, 1963–2nd—880y
http://tinyurl.com/CornellUSTFCCCAHof
Kostas Tsiklitiras-Greece 25 (1888-Feb.10, 1913) 4-time Olympic medalist in the standing field events
Long Jump—Gold (1912), Silver (1908)
High Jump—Silver (1908/tied), Bronze (1912)
Died of meningitis at the age of 24
From Wikipedia: “As of October 2012, his family home still exists in Pylos, and holds a museum of his athletic
achievements. There is a marble statue in front.”
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/70865
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konstantinos_Tsiklitiras
Johnny Miles-Canada 97 (1905-June 15, 2003) 2-time winner of the Boston Marathon (1926, 1929)
From Wikipedia: In 1926 Miles’s neighbours raised a few hundred dollars to send him to the Boston Marathon by
train. This would be Miles’s debut marathon, having never run a race longer than 10 miles.
2-time Olympian—1928 (17th), 1932 (14th)
Born in England, he moved to Canada as a young boy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Miles
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/66175
1929 Boston-NY Times (for subscribers)
Nova Scotia Sports Hall of Fame: https://nsshf.com/inductee/johnny-miles-2/
www.runnersweb.com/running/johnny_miles.htmlhttps://www.runnersweb.com/running/johnny_miles.html