TRACK AND FIELD
Information & links for Track & Field,
from San Diego, to California to the United States and the World!

SAN DIEGO TRACK & FIELD HISTORY-
San Diego has a rich history of world Class and Olympic Athletes.
Here are a few stories of these athletes.

http://www.sandiegohistory.org/collections/sports/champs.htm

BILL MILLER ~ Track & Field, Inducted 1957
One of San Diego's long line of champion pole vaulters, won gold medal in 1932 Olympics with world-record of 14 feet, 1 7/8 inches. Won two national intercollegiate titles (1932-33) for Stanford, and tied for the IC4A titles same years.
Won three state prep titles (1927-29) for San Diego High.

WILLIE STEELE ~ Track & Field, Inducted 1958
Won 1948 Olympic broad jump gold medal in London with a jump of 25 feet, 8 inches. Hoover High grad won 27 of 29 major meets in career. At San Diego State, won two NCAA titles (1947-1948) and three National AAU championships (1946, '47, '48.)

BOB GUTOWSKI ~ Track & Field, Inducted 1965
Set American and World records in pole vault 1957 and won silver medal at 1956 Olympic Games. Rangy La Jolla High grad smashed Cornelius Warmerdam's 15-year-old world mark by one-half inch with a vault of 15 feet, 8 1/4 inches at Palo Alto, California, April 27, 1957.

BUD HELD ~ Track, Inducted 1968
First American to hold the world javelin record. Grossmont High grad, converted from pole vault to javelin at Stanford. Won three NCAA titles (1948, '49, '50) and six National AAU titles. Set world mark of 263 feet, 10 inches in 1953, raised it to 268-2 1/2.
Career best throw was 270.

BILLY MILLS ~ Track & Field, Inducted 1970
A seven-sixteenths Sioux Indian and U.S. Marine lieutenant, became first American to win Olympic 10,000-meter run in 1964 at Tokyo. Set new Olympic record of 28:24.4. Set world six-mile record (27:11.6) in 1956 National AAU meet at Balboa Stadium.

BOBBY SMITH ~ Track & Field, Inducted 1977
Emulated pole-vaulting feats of his father and fellow Hall of Famer, Ralph, and his Uncle Harry, winning three national championships. At San Diego State, won NCAA titles in 1949-50, setting mark of 14 feet, 11 inches with new Fiberglass pole.
Won Junior National AAU in 1948.

JACK RAND ~ Track & Field, Inducted 1979
Gave San Diego State its first NCAA title, winning pole vault in 1934. Also three-time all-conference end in football (1932-34)
and student body president. NCAA co-champ in pole vault in 1935. Earned doctorate at USC,
won Pacemaker and Freedom Foundation awards as education administrator.

RALPH SMITH ~ Track & Field, Inducted 1982
First local pole-vault champion, to be followed by brother Harry and son Bobby, won National Jr. AAU title and set American record (13 feet, 5-3/4 inches) in 1926. Accomplished boxer, won county AAU welterweight crown in 1927.

ARNIE ROBINSON ~ Track & Field, Inducted 1985
Native San Diegan, won two Olympic medals and six National AAU titles in long jump. Climaxed great career with gold at 1976 Olympics in Montreal, leaping 27 feet, 4-3/4 inches. Morse High and San Diego State grad won NCAA title in 1970.

TIM DANIELSON ~ Chula Vista High School 1966
Tim broke 4 minutes for the mile as a high school student in 1966, running 3:59.4 at Balboa Stadium.

WILLIE BANKS ~ Track & Field, Inducted 1988
Popular Oceanside High and UCLA grad set triple jump world record of 58 feet, 11-1/2 inches in June 1985, first American to hold record since 1912. Won state prep title first year triple jump was included, repeated with CIF record of 51-3.
Won four national open titles. USOC Sportsman of the Year in 1985.

GAIL DEVERS ~ Track & Field - USATF Bio
100 meter dash and hurdles specialist. Sweetwater High School in National City.

FELIX SANCHEZ ~ 400m Hurdles World & Olympic Champion-more.
Sanchez, a University City High alumnus, won the 2004 Olympic gold medal in the 400-meter hurdles to become the first Dominican athlete to win an Olympic gold medal in track and field. He also was a two-time world champion in his event, winning gold medals at the 2001 and 2003 World Championships.Sanchez was born in New York, but his parents were born in Dominican, and he has chosen to compete for the Dominican Republic since 1999. After winning his gold medal, a picture of his was painted on the wall of a building similar to one of baseball star Sammy Sosa. Sanchez, who lives in Los Angeles, was plagued by injuries for the past year, but he has been training to open the 2007 season in April at the Mt. SAC Relays in Walnut and a meet in the Domican Republic. After his high school career as a CIF San Diego Section champion, he was a two-time state junior college champion at Mesa College and a Pac-10 and NCAA champion at USC, where he earned a degree in psychology

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