Walt Murphy is one of the finest track geeks that I know. Walt does #ThisDayinTrack&FieldHistory, an excellent daily service that provides true geek stories about our sport. You can check out the service for FREE with a free one-month trial subscription! (email: WaltMurphy44@gmail.com ) for the entire daily service. We will post a few historic moments each day, beginning February 1, 2024.
by Walt Murphy’s News and Results Service (wmurphy25@aol.com), used with permission
This Day in Track & Field-December 27
1963–The Gerry Lindgren era began in earnest on this date. Running against an all-star prep field in the 2-mile at the San Francisco Examiner Holiday Inv., the senior from Rogers H.S. in Spokane, WA, ran 9:00.0 to smash the previous U.S. High School indoor record by more than 23 seconds. The mark also bettered the outdoor record by more than 9 seconds. Finishing 2nd in the race was another precocious youngster, Jim Ryun, who was also under the old record with a time of 9:22.6. Ryun had to make up a massive deficit after falling shortly after the start of the race.
In 1964, Lindgren lowered the record to a fantastic 8:40.0 (on the same track), made the U.S. Olympic team at 10,000 meters (Ryun made the team in the 1500), and beat the Soviets at 10,000 meters. The 2-mile record lasted nearly 50 years until Edward Cheserek ran 8:39.15 at the 2013 Millrose Games.
Tracy Walters, LIndgren’s coach at Rogers H.S., said of his 9-flat race a year later, “I’ve wondered how well Gerry would have fared if he had not been invited (to that meet). We knew he was good, but that meet led immediately to other invitations to top races where he gained great experience and fast marks. This set him (up) for the outdoor season. He might not have been adequately prepared psychologically for the national meets. I really don’t know how he would have done”. (From T&F News)
Lindgren was inducted into the U.S. Hall of Fame in 2004 and the National H.S. Hall of Fame in 2018.
2012 Interview: http://www.garycohenrunning.com/Interviews/Lindgren.aspx
Hall of Fame Bio: https://www.usatf.org/athlete-bios/gerry-lindgren
Wiki Bio: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerry_Lindgren
H.S. HOF: http://nationalhighschooltrackandfieldhof.org/showcase/gerry-lindgren/
Lindgren: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vywkRFyBNNI
Acceptance Speech: https://www.runnerspace.com/video.php?video_id=236373
Tracy Walters talked about Lindgren during his appearance on Pat Tyson’s Footprints in the Sand podcast in early 2022.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgflPyEe5Ro
Born On This Day*
Maicel Uibo—Estonia 32 (1992) 2-time NCAA Champion—Decathlon (Georgia/2014,2015/2013-5th/2016-3rd)
Silver medalist at the 2019 World Championships—scored a personal best of 8604 in Doha
Bronze medalist in the Heptathlon at the 2018 World Indoor Championships
World Championships: 2013-19th, 2015-10th, 2017-DNF, 2019 (2nd), 2022 (7th)
2016 Olympics-24th; 2021 Olympics-15th; PBs-6265i (’18), 8604 (‘19);
Competed sparingly in 2023 (injured?)…didn’t compete in 2024
Married to Shaunae Miller, the 2-time Olympic gold medalist at 400 meters (2016,2021). They were teammates at
the University of Georgia
https://www.worldathletics.org/athletes/estonia/maicel-uibo-249490
Ato Boldon’s Interview With the Couple: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1Er7fQwTY4
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/133731
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce 38 (1986) One of the greatest (and most popular) sprinters in history
3-time Olympic gold medalist—100m (2008, 2012), 4×100 (2016)…2016-100/bronze); 2021-200 (4th)
Joined Wyomia Tyus and Gail Devers as a 2-time Olympic Champion in the 100 with her win in London in 2012
4-time Olympic silver medalist—2012 (200,4×100), 2016 (4×100), 2021 (100)
Competed in her 5th (and final?) Olympics in Paris in 2024—withdrew after finishing 2nd in her heat of the 100-
meters.
Won her record 5th World title in the 100 in Eugene in 2022 (2009, 2013, 2015, 2019, 2022)…won bronze in 2023
Has won an additional 5 World titles: 2009 (4×100), 2013 (200, 4×100), 2015 (4×100), 2019 (4×100)
5-time World Championships silver medalist—4×100 (2007,2011, 2022, 2023), 200 (2022)
2019 Pan-American Games Champion—200; 2014 World Indoor Champion—60m;
Gave birth to her son Zyon on August 7, 2017. Didn’t compete from August 19, 2016 (Olympic 4×100) until May 5,
2018.
The “Mommy Rocket” showed up for a sprint race at her son’s school’s sports day:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sz_s5E_fsbM
PBs: 10.60 (2021/#3 All-Time), 21.79 (2021); 2024 SB: 10.91
All-Time List: http://www.alltime-athletics.com/w_100ok.htm
Videos(100): 2008 OG 2009 WC 2012 OG 2013 WC 2015 WC 2019 WC 2022 WC
2021 4×100: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2Wp1GgEqW8
IAAF Profile: https://www.worldathletics.org/athletes/jamaica/shelly-ann-fraser-pryce-14285680
Wiki Bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shelly-Ann_Fraser-Pryce
Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/realshellyannfp
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/114740
Jesse Williams 41 (1983) 2011 World Champion—High Jump (qual. Round in ’05, ’07, ’13, ’15)
PB: 7-9 ¼ (2.37/2011/=#4 All-Time U.S.); Only 6’-1/2” (1.84) tall (also listed as 1.83)
4-time NCAA Champion (USC/2005 Indoors and outdoors, 2006 Indoors and outdoors)
2-time U.S. Olympian—2008 (qual.), 2012(9th)
3-time U.S. Champion—2008, 2010, 2011; 3-time U.S. Indoor Champion (2010-2012)
Ranked #1 in the World in 2011(’06-9, ’07-8, ’08-6, ’09-4, ’10-2, ’11-1, ’12-4)
Highlights Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uS5QIHQztyA
Wiki Bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesse_Williams_(high_jumper)
T&F News Rankings: https://trackandfieldnews.com/rankings/
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/114953
Stephanie Herbst-Lucke 59 (1965) 3-time NCAA Champion—1986 (Wisconsin/3000i, 5000,10,000/1988-10k/2nd)
Member of Wisconsin’s 1984 and 1985 (#1 scorer) NCAA X-Country Championship teams
Former Collegiate Record holder—10,000 (32:32.75/1986)
Returned to running as a Masters competitor after taking a 20-year break from the sport (see links—don’t know if
she’s still competing)
Up-And-Down Career: http://www.runnersworld.com/masters/shattering-the-silence
https://uwbadgers.com/news/2006/6/29/Student_and_Athlete_Stephanie_Herbst.aspx
Minnesota Sports Hall of Fame:
http://downthebackstretch.blogspot.com/2011/01/hall-of-fame-inductee-stephanie-herbst.html
(2011 Race): http://time-to-run.us/news/herbst-lucke-masters-record
Tim Hacker 62 (1962) 1985 NCAA X-Country Champion—helped Wisconsin win the team title. Also ran on the Badgers’
1982 NCAA Championship team
1985 NCAA Indoor Champion—Distance Medley (1984-2nd)
NCAA Outdoor: 1984-4th/5k, 1985-2nd/1500
Son Olin, also a Wisconsin Badger, won the 5000 at the 2022 NCAA Championships
PBs: 3:34.66 (1987), 3:55.19 (1989), 13:37.89 (1988), 28:41.64 (1995)
Currently the Director—Cardiovascular Physiology Core Facility, Medicine at the University of Wisconsin
https://stemcells.wisc.edu/staff/hacker-timothy-a/
https://uwbadgers.com/honors/university-of-wisconsin-athletic-hall-of-fame/tim-hacker/84
https://uwbadgers.com/news/2018/11/11/mens-cross-country-catching-up-with-the-champs-tim-hacker.aspx
Doina Melinte—Romania 68 (1956) 1984 Olympic gold medalist—800m (1500-silver)
2-time World Indoor Champion—1500m (1987,1989)
1987 World Championships silver medalist—1500m
Won a $100,000 bonus when she set a World Indoor Record of 4:17.14 for the Mile at the 1990 Vitalis Inv. at the
Meadowlands in New Jersey. (Also set a WR of 4:00.27 for 1500 meters en route)
PBs: 1:55.55 (1982), 3:56.7 (1986), 4:00.27i (1990/ WIR at the time), 4:17.14i (WIR at the time, now #4 All-Time
Indoors), 4:18.13 (1990)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doina_Melinte
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/75097
https://www.worldathletics.org/athletes/romania/doina-melinte-14352777
Video (4:17.14): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGMBeN_Vmiw