This Day in Track & Field–January 23
1918—Future Hall-of-Famer Joie Ray (6:57.8) was a runaway winner of the Mile-and-a-Half at the Millrose Games, held at NY’s Madison Square Garden. It was the 2nd of his 7 Millrose wins at the distance, which would eventually become the Wanamaker Mile in 1926.
With World War I still going on in Europe, there were a number of races held for members of the U.S. Military, most notably the 1000-yards (with a crowded field of 30!), which was won by another future Hall-of-Famer, the Army’s Abel Kiviat (2:24.2), the silver medalist in the 1500 meters at the 1912 Olympics.
(For Subscribers): https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1918/01/24/102660651.html?pageNumber=11
1960—Gary Gubner (DeWitt Clinton H.S.,NY) set a U.S. High School Record of 63-0 (19.20) in the Shot Put at the St.Francis Prep Games at NY’s Armory. He was known for breaking light fixtures on H.S. gym ceilings during his prep career.
He would become one of the world’s best shot-putters (ranked #2 in 1962) and weight-lifters.
The former NYU star won two NCAA titles (1963,1964) and was the 1962 U.S. Champion.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Gubner
T&F News Rankings:
https://trackandfieldnews.com/mens-world-rankings-by-athlete-2/mens-world-shot-rankings-by-athlete/
1965–Junior Bill McClellon (DeWitt Clinton,NYC) cleared 6-10 ¼ (2.09) at the St.Francis Prep Games at NY’s Armory to set his 4th National H.S. Indoor Record in the High Jump. McClellon’s series of records, all set at the Armory, rated as the #5 Greatest Moment in Armory History (Through 2007). He would set his 5th (and final) Indoor Record when he cleared 6-11 at the beginning of his senior year.
He cleared 7’-0” outdoors at the 1965 U.S. Championships to become the first prep to top that barrier.
6-07 ¾ January 18, 1964 Cardinal Hayes Games (Previous record holder—John Thomas(!) 6-7 ½, 1958
6-08 February 29, 1964 PSAL Championships
6-09 ½ December 12, 1964 Bishop Loughlin Games
6-10 ¼ January 23, 1965 St.Francis Prep Games
6-11 October 21, 1965 Sao Paulo, Brazil
Armory’s Greatest Moments (Through 2007)
Marc Bloom traces the life and career of McClellon in this two-part series:
Part 1: https://www.runnerspace.com/gprofile.php?mgroup_id=44531&do=news&news_id=645265
Part 2: https://www.runnerspace.com/gprofile.php?mgroup_id=44531&do=news&news_id=645294
2000–Curt Clausen (New York AC) set an American Record of 2:11:00.4 for the 30k-Walk in Chula Vista, California . He was elected President of USATF at the group’s 2024 Meeting.
2021-Texas A&M frosh Athing Mu ran 1:25.80 for 600-Meters at the Aggie Inv. on her home track, breaking the 40-year old Collegiate Record of 1:26.56, set in 1981 by Tennessee’s Delisa Walton Floyd.
Born on This Day*
Agnes Ngetich-Kenya 25 (2001) 2026 World X-Country Champion…bronze medalist in 2023, 4th in 2024
4th in the 10,000-meters at the 2025 World Championships…6th in 2023
Set the current World Road Record of 28:46 for 10km in Valencia, Spain in 2024
PBs: 8:23.14 (2025), 14:01.29 (2025/#3 All-Time), 30:27.38 (2025), 1:03:04 (2024/#2 A-T),
Road: 14:13/5k (#2 A-T), 28:46/10k (2024/WR)
https://worldathletics.org/athletes/kenya/agnes-jebet-ngetich-14758189
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agnes_Jebet_Ngetich
WXC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCYU0VQPwBk World Athletics Report
Gelete Burka—Ethiopia 40 (1986) 4-time World X-Country Champion: Individual-2006 (long), Team-2006, 2007,
2008/2009-silver
Silver medalist in the 10,000 at the 2015 World Championships; 2005-1500 (8th), 2007-5000 (9th), 2009-1500
(8th), 2011-1500 (SF), 2013-1500 (1st round)
2008 World Indoor Champion-3000m; bronze medalist-1500 (2010), 3000 (2012)
3-time Olympian: 2008 (1500-1st round), 2012 (5000-5th), 2016 (10,000-8th)
PBs: 2:02.89 (2010), 3:58.79 (’09), 4:18.23 (’08), 8:25.92 (’06), 14:32.20 (’07), 30:26.66 (’16), 1:06:11 (’18),
2:20:45 (’18)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gelete_Burka
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/115228
I Love Running Because: https://worldathletics.org/news/series/gelete-burka-ethiopia-running
Irving Saladino–Panama 43 (1983) 2007 World and 2008 Olympic champion—Long Jump
Silver medalist at the 2006 World Indoor Championships
2007 Pan-American Games Champion
6th at the 2005 World Championships
#8 performer in history–28-7 ¾ (8.73);
All-Time List:
Top-10: https://trackandfieldnews.com/tfn-lists/world-all-time-list-men/
Retirement: https://www.worldathletics.org/news/news/irving-saladino-retirement
Wiki Bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irving_Saladino
2008 OG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNcTwYvUfb4
OG Report: http://www.olympedia.org/results/257321
Andrew Rock 44 (1982) 2005 World Champion—4×400; Silver medalist in the 400-meters at the 2005 World
Championships; 3-time NCAA Division III indoor and outdoor Champion while at Wisconsin-LaCrosse;
PB-44.35 (2005)
Married to Missy Buttry, who won 12 Div.III titles while at Wartburg
Currently the head coach at Bethel University in St.Paul, MN.
http://athletics.bethel.edu/staff.aspx?staff=287
1986 (60y) and 1987 (55m) U.S. Indoor Champion
3-time NCAA Indoor Champion—55-meters (Pittsburgh/1986-1988); 1986 NCAA Champion—100-meters
PBs: 6.00(55m/1986), 6.50 (60m/1987-WR at the time), 9.51y (1994), 10.07 (1987), 20.50 (1987)
https://pittsburghpanthers.com/honors/pitt-athletics-hall-of-fame/lee-mcrae/26
Bob Larsen 87 (1939) Hall-of-Fame Coach
Coached X-Country and T&F at UCLA from 1979 until his retirement (from college coaching) in 1999. Succeded
Jim Bush as the Head T&F coach in 1984. Led the Bruins to NCAA team titles in 1987 & 1988.
From Wikipedia: “Among the athletes on those championship teams were Olympic gold medalists Steve Lewis,
Danny Everett and Kevin Young. Other athletes on Larsen’s teams included Ato Boldon, John Godina, Henry
Thomas, Michael Granville and Meb Keflezighi”. He continued to coach Keflezighi, the 2004 Olympic silver
medalist in the Marathon, throughout his post-collegiate career.
Led the Jamul Toads to a surprising team title at the 1976 U.S. X-Country Championships
A recounting of the Jamul Toads’ odyssey is one of the highlights of the documentary about Larsen’s
coaching career–“City Slickers Can’t Stay With Me”. (http://www.boblarsenfilm.com/)
Formerly coached at Monte Vista High School and Grossmont College
Inducted into the National Hall of Fame in 2014. Received USATF’s Legend Coach Award in 2019
Married fellow Hall of Famer Martha Watson in 2025
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Larsen
Hall of Fame Bio: https://www.usatf.org/athlete-bios/bob-larsen
Go Be More Podcast: Part 1 Part 2
Memorable Moments at UCLA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=us-X2TkNmS4
UCLA HOF: https://uclabruins.com/honors/hall-of-fame/bob-larsen/38
Jack Mortland 91 (1935) 1964 U.S. Olympian—20k Walk (17th)
From Olympedia: In 1965 Mortland and Jack Blackburn started a small newsletter, Ohio Race Walker, which followed
race walking nationally. Mortland eventually took over the newsletter himself and published it for 51 years, retiring
it only in 2016, although it never had more than 700 subscribers.
http://www.olympedia.org/athletes/78815
Recalling Tokyo-64: https://www.clintonvillespotlight.com/articles/mortland-recalls-previous-tokyo-olympics/
Oldest Living Olympians: https://oldestolympians.sdsu.edu
Elliott Denman 92 (1934) 1956 U.S. Olympian—50k Walk (11th); 1959 U.S. Champion-3k & 50k Walk
Competed for NYU and the NY Pioneer Club. Currently a proud member of the Shore Athletic Club
Award-winning journalist has been covering the sport for more than 60 years, most notably for the Asbury Park
Press(NJ) and now for various internet outlets. (See his article on Horace Ashenfelter below).
The delayed celebration of his 85th birthday in 2019 was attended by close to 300 people, including a dozen
Olympians! Another celebration for his 90th birthday was again held at Tim McLoone’s Pier House in Long
Branch,NJ, and no less than 14 Olympians, including Carl Lewis, were among the huge crowd!
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/78319
https://gonyuathletics.com/hof.aspx?hof=1&path=&kiosk=
Shore A.C.: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HevIPu2BS8M
Oldest Living Olympians: https://oldestolympians.sdsu.edu
Stan Saplin Award:
http://amsterdamnews.com/news/2012/mar/09/elliott-denman-recipient-of-the-stan-saplin-award/
’56 Olympic Trials: https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-2000-09-02-0009020402-story.html
Deceased
Horace Ashenfelter 94 (1923-Jan.6, 2018) An FBI agent at the time, he was the 1952 Olympic gold medalist in the
steeplechase; 3-time U.S. Champion (’51,’53,’56)
Inducted into the National Hall of Fame in 1975
The indoor track at Penn State, his alma mater, bears his name;
Passed away in 2018 at the age of 94.
2010 Interview(Gary Cohen): http://www.garycohenrunning.com/interviews/ashenfelter.aspx
2012 Article: http://www.nj.com/olympics/index.ssf/2012/08/horace_ashenfelter_1952_olympi.html
2014 Article by Elliott Denman:
Running Past: http://www.runningpast.com/horace_ashenfelter.htm
Wiki Bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horace_Ashenfelter
NY Times Obituary:
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/07/obituaries/horace-ashenfelter-dead-olympic-steeplechase.html
Sergey Litvinov–Russia 60 (1958-February 19, 2018) Gold medalist 1988 Olympics (Hammer), 1983 and 1987 World
Championships
Set three World Records in the early 1980s; PB: 282-3 (86.04/1986), #2-Performer All-Time
Coached, among others, his son (also named Sergey), who was 5th in the hammer at the 2015 World
Championships in Beijing and has a best of 265-8(80.98).
https://www.worldathletics.org/news/iaaf-news/sergey-litvinov-hammer-throw-obituary
Wiki Bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergey_Litvinov_(athlete,_born_1958)
WR Progression: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Men%27s_hammer_throw_world_record_progression
All-Time Lists:
Top-10: http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/index.php/tafn-lists?list_id=9&sex_id=M&yyear=2008
Deeper(metric): http://www.alltime-athletics.com/mhammok.htm
Olympic Stats: http://www.olympedia.org/athletes/77543