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The purpose of the USATF Niagara Association Hall of Fame is to recognize open and masters athletes, coaches, officials, and administrators who made significant and outstanding contributions to the Sport of Athletics, iincluding track & field, long distance running, race walking, and cross country, while living within the geographic boundaries of Niagara Association territory that covers Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Jamestown, Ithaca, and Binghamton, and represents the State of New York west of and including counties of Oswego, Onondaga, Cortland, and Broome. Nominations for the Niagara Hall of Fame close on May 1st each year. Any person may submit nominations for the USATF Niagara Hall of Fame. Nomination forms may be requested from the Chairman of the USATF Niagara Hall of Fame Committee. Class of 2009  J. Kimberly "Kim" Batten, Athlete, born March 29th 1969, graduated from East High School in Rochester, NY and later from Florida State University in 1991. In 1995 Batten set the World Record of 52.61 for the 400 meter hurdles when she won the 1995 World Championship in Goteburg, Sweden. Batten is a two-time Olympian, winning an Olympic Silver medal in 1996, and was the 1995 Pan-Am Games Champion in the 400 meter hurdles. Batten also won Bronze medals at the 1991 Grand Prix Finals, 1993 Grand Prix Finals, 1997 World Track and Field Championship, the 1998 World Cup. She is a six-time US Outdoor Track and Field Champion in the 400 meter hurdles (1991, 1994, 1995. 1996, 1997, and 1998). Batten won the 1996 ESPY Award as Women’s Track and Field Performer of the year and appeared on the cover of the June 1996 edition of Track & Field News, pictured here. She was inducted into the Class of 1997 of the Florida State University Hall of Fame, Class of 2006 of the Florida Track and Field Hall of Fame, and was nine-time NCAA All-American while attending Florida State. Lewis "Deerfoot" Bennett, Athlete, (1828-1897) was a Seneca Indian of Cattaragus Reservation in New York and professional runner from 1856 to 1870 setting six Word Records in 1862 and 1863 at 10 miles, 1 hour run (4 times), and 12 miles. Deerfoot won his first race at the 1856 Erie County Fair, running 5 miles in 25 minutes and winning a $50 prize award. Bennett is buried at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Buffalo, NY next to Red Jacket, the famous Seneca Indian Orator. Deerfoot is also a member of the National Distance Running Hall of Fame, Class of 2005.  Steve Dering, Athlete, is a graduate of Christian Brothers Academy High School, Albany, NY and Syracuse University '91. Dering is a three-time All-American who specialized in the hammer throw. He won six Big East Championships (four in the hammer throw and two in the 35 pound weight throw). Dering was the 1988 US Junior Champion, the 1990 Penn Relays Champion, and 1990 IC4A Champion in the Hammer Throw. He set the Syracuse University school record in the hammer throw twice (1990, 1991). Dering won the 1991 Big East Outstanding Performer Award and the 1991 Bud Brown Outstanding Thrower Award from Syracuse University. Dering was ranked in the US Top Ten six times from 1992-1997 for the Hammer Throw.  Sonja Fitts (Walters), Athlete, is a graduate of Gates-Chili High School, near Rochester NY, and St. John’s University. Fitts specialized in the Hammer and Weight Throw after college, but competed in all throwing events in high school and college. She set a world record for the 20 pound Weight Throw in 1992 at 18.92m / 61’ 1” and won the silver medal in the Hammer Throw at the 1991 Pan-Am Games. Fitts is an eight-time US Champion winning the 20 pound weight throw five-times from 1991-1995 – the first five times it was held, and the hammer throw three-times from 1992-1994 – the first three times it was held. Fitts won twelve Big East Championships and earned All Big East honors twelve times (five times indoors and seven times outdoors). She also won three ECAC Conference Championships, eight Metropolitan Conference Championships, and is a five-time All East Selection and won six Empire State Games Championships. Fitts was the top ranked US hammer thrower in 1994 and 1995. She was inducted into the St. John’s University Hall of Fame, was named Metropolitan Athletic Congress Women Athlete of the Year, and 1992 Big East Indoor Championships Performer of the Meet.With the election of the Class of 2009, the number of members of the Niagara Track & Field Hall of Fame is 53, consisting of 47 men and 6 women. There are 41 athletes (35 male, 6 female), 9 coaches, and 3 contributors in the Hall. Class of 2008  9-10-2008_niagara_hof_dc_article 68.68 Kb William "Brad" Sumner, Athlete born April 8th 1970 still holds Section V Outdoor record for 800 meters, 1:50.76 in 1989 while attending McQuaid Jesuit High School in Brighton, NY. An unassuming, yet prodigious athlete who became the greatest middle-distance runner in Section V history. Holds Section V indoor records in 600, 1,000, and 1,500-meter runs, and outdoor record for 800 and 1500-meter runs. Set a national high school record for indoor 600-meter run. Anchored 3,200-meter relay teams that won two national indoor, three Eastern States, and two state outdoor championships. Voted Knight of the Year. Ran for Villanova and competed in Olympic Trials twice. ...(Villanova Coach Marty) Stern describes Sumner as having “the best heart of any runner that I’ve ever coached.” And Uncle Marty, who has been coaching at Villanova for 10 years and coaching somewhere for 35 years, knows heart. “I played a lot of playground basketball,” said Stern, a native of Philadelphia. “I don’t remember wanting to win any more than when I was in those situations because there were so many kids waiting to play the next game. Winners stayed in. “You don’t see that a lot anymore... (Brad) is the kind of guy who’s running because winners stay in.”... -Dick Jerardi, Philadelphia Daily News, April 22, 1993William J. "Bill" Cox, Athlete 1904-1996, in 1924 Paris Olympics was a Bronze Medal winner in the 3000 meter Team Race, one of 3 high school boys to make the trip. At Penn State College in 1925 he set the New Worlds 2 Mile Record and at Chicago the Worlds Schoolboy 1 Mile in 4:22.2. While attending Penn State was IC4A Champion at 1 mile in 1927 in 4:18.6 and 1928 in 4:20.0. Class of 2006 halloffamemembers2006 107.11 KbWith the election of the Class of 2006, the number of members of the Niagara Track & Field Hall of Fame is 42, consisting of 39 men and 3 women. There are 31 athletes (28 male, 3 female), 8 coaches, and 3 contributors in the Hall.  Doriane Lambelet Coleman, is a Professor of Law at Duke Law Schoo, National Collegiate Champion from Cornell University at 800-meters, won the 1982 Indoor National Collegiate Championship (AIAW) and is a five-time All American. She won six Heptagonal Championships and set five school records. She also set six national records for Switzerland and represented the US and Switzerland during her career. Now lives in Durham, NC.  Edward T. O’Brien, Athlete (9/12/1914-9/15/1976) 1936 Olympic Silver Medalist from Syracuse and 400-meter specialist from Syracuse University '37, set three world records, won three US Championships, won three Conference Championships, and was world ranked (top 10) two times. Catherine "Katy" Schilly Laetsch, All-American and US Marathon Champion from Central Square High School in the Syracuse NY area is a distance runner and marathoner who won the 1984 US Marathon Championship. She set one World Record and two American Records, is a five time All American, and won one conference championship. She also set twenty Syracuse Charger club records, many of which still stand. She was twice US ranked in the marathon and qualified for the US Olympic Trials three times. Katy attened Iowa State University and now lives in Palos Verdes Estates, CA.  Anthony Washington, Athlete as discus thrower World Champion and three-time Olympian from Rome Free Academy High School who graduated from Syracuse University, is the 1999 World Champion, a two-time US Olympic Trials Champion, three-time US Champion, the 1992 World Cup Champion, and the 1991 Pan Am Games Champion. Washington was world ranked six times and US ranked thirteen times (consecutive years). Now lives in Tucson, AZ Class of 2005 Kevin T. Atkins, Athlete who still holds the Section V High School Boys record for Discus in 1978 throwing 185'-1" from Webster HW. Schroeder High School and Ohio State University and lives in Plain City, OH. Edward T. Cook, Jr. Athlete (November 27, 1888 – October 18, 1972) competed in pole vault at the 1908 Summer Olympics and tied for gold with fellow American vaulter Alfred Gilbert. Cook graduated from Cornell University in 1910 and was elected to the Sphinx Head Society during his senior year. Ross E. Donoghue, Athlete 3:58 miler from Bishop Cunningham High School in Oswego, as a new Villanova University junior at the NCAA Indoor T & F Meet in 1982, "took the race (mile) through the half in 2:05.5, with the Tanzanian (Suleiman Nyambui of UTEP) right behind him, and through three-quarters in 3:03.0. As the gun lap began, Nyambui moved up high on the track and tried to shoot past Donoghue. Donoghue wouldn't yield. Down the backstretch they dueled, with Nyambui never quite pulling even. Finally, off the last turn, Nyambui surged forward, inexorably overhauling Donoghue in the last 15 yards, finishing in 4:00.65 to Donoghue's 4:00.74. "The two-mile will be easier," Nyambui said with a wide grin. His mile victory had made him the first four-time winner of an event in the history of the indoor championships. Donoghue was ranked 6th at the 1500 meters/Mile in 1983 and now lives in Phoenixville, PA. In 1982 while at Villanova set a conference record in the 1500 meters in 3:45.8. Donoghue transfered from St. John's and still holds many meet records like the 1000 meters performance in 2:21.5 at the BIG East Indoor Meet in 1980. Henry A. "Hank" Russell, Athete (December 15, 1904 - November 1986) was winner of the gold medal in the 4x100 m relay at the 1928 Summer Olympics. A Cornell University student, Henry Russell won the IC4A championships in 100 yd (91 m) in 1926 and in 220 yd (200 m) in 1925 and 1926. Russell was elected to the Sphinx Head Society during his senior year.At the Amsterdam Olympics, Russell reached the semifinals in 100 m and ran the anchoring leg in the American 4x100 m relay team, which equalled the world record of 41.0 s, in the final. Henry Russell died at 81 in West Chester, Pennsylvania. Class of 2004  Tell S. Berna, Athlete(b. July 24, 1891, Pelham Manor, New York; d. April 5, 1975, Nantucket, Massachusetts) was an American athlete who competed mainly in the 3000 metre team. His 1912 American record at two miles stood for twenty years. He competed for the United States in the 1912 Summer Olympics held in Stockholm, Sweden in the 3000 metre team where he won the Gold medal with his team mates Norman Taber and George Bonhag. He also finished fifth in the individual 5000 meters.Berna graduated from Cornell University in 1912 and was a member of the Sphinx Head Society. After college, Berna had a career in the machine tool industry; in 1937 he became general secretary of the National Machine Tools Business Association, and he served in that post through World War II.[1] He was serving as general manager of the organization in 1950 when he contributed an article to American Affairs Thomas McCants, Athlete born 27 November 1962) is a retired American high jumper. He finished twelfth at the 1987 World Championships. He also competed at the 1989 World Indoor Championships without reaching the final. His personal best jump is 2.37 metres, achieved in May 1988 in Columbus, Ohio and Jerome Carter set a new American record in the high jump Sunday by clearing 7 feet 9 inches in the sixth annual Jesse Owens track and field meet at Columbus, Ohio. The old record was 7-8 1/2, set by Jim Howard of the Pacific Coast Club in 1985. McCants, of the University of Alabama, cleared the height on his second try, while Carter, from Edgewood, Md. Charles L. "Charlie" McMullen, Athlete, late Charlie McMullen was a 1969 graduate of Spencerport HS where he won the NY State Cross Country individual title his senior year. The track at Spencerport has a commemorative plaque at the entrance honoring Charlie McMullen. Once again, the McMullen Mile was part of the Rochester Runner-of-the-Year Series.  Patrick G. "Pat" Wyatt, Coach, head track coach at Sweet Home High School in Amherst New York. The method of training for the shot put I am going to relate to you now, was developed and used for over 30 years. It has been used by national champions and beginning throwers with equal success. It has given as much as a improvement in one season. Most increases in distance are anywhere from 5 to 10 feet, and this is with veteran throwers. It has been the basis of our program and has never failed to improve distance, with the exception of injury, in over 30 years of use. I first used this program while attending Indiana University in the early 60's. Class of 2003  Jack T. Daniels, Coach (born 1933) was a professor of physical education and cross-country running coach at State University of New York at Cortland. He received his doctoral degree in exercise physiology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Named “The World’s Best Coach” by Runner's World magazine,[1] he led Cortland runners to eight NCAA Division III National Championships, 31 individual national titles, and more than 130 All-America awards.[2] He is famous for writing Daniels' Running Formula, a 1998 book detailing his unique training philosophies. Dr. Daniels resides in Flagstaff, Arizona where he mentors and coaches some of America's top distance runners. Frank K. Foss, Athlete (May 9, 1895 – April 5, 1989) was an American athlete who competed in the men's pole vault. He competed at the 1920 Summer Olympics and won gold, beating Danish pole vaulter Henry Petersen. Foss set a world record in winning the event with a height of 4.09 meters, or approximately 13 feet, 5 and 1/8 inches. After clinching the victory with a height of 13 feet, 3 and 5/6 inches, he made the new record height on his third attempt. Foss graduated from Cornell University in 1917, where he was also a member of the Quill and Dagger society. He was born in Chicago, Illinois and died in Hinsdale, Illinois. ANTWERP, Aug. 20.--One of the most brilliant performances that has yet thrilled the spectators at the Olympic Games was that of Frank K. Foss of the Chicago A.A. today when the sturdy American athlete not only won the final in the pole vault but established a world's record for the event. Oscar B. Jensen, CoachSince the early ‘80’s, Oscar has been active in the USATF, the governing body of Track & Field and Cross Country running. His experience as a physics and biology teacher, coach and power lifter made him a valuable staff member of USATF coach's certification schools, where he specialized in biomechanics and throwing events. He has served on a number of national, state and local committees. He retired from Liverpool in 1996 after having coached six New York State Champions. Retirement lasted only two years as he began similar coaching duties at Baldwinsville. His coaching honors have been numerous and he has been a coach for USA Track and Field events many times since 1988, traveling around the world representing our country. A 1960 graduate of Syracuse University, Oscar has been chairman of Section III boy’s indoor and outdoor track since 1970 and currently OHSL chairman for boys cross country, indoor and outdoor track. He was a mainstay of the Empire State Games scholastic and open track competition for seventeen years and was inducted into the Liverpool High Athletic Hall of Fame in 1996. His service to USATF led to a number of coaching staff positions, including the 1994 World Championships in Lisbon, Portugal, the 1998 World Cup Championship in Johannesburg, South Africa and the 1999 World Youth Championship in Bydgoszcz, Poland Received the 2002 National High School Athletic Coaches Association "National Coach of the Year" award in boy’s track and field. In 2003, Oscar was inducted into the Niagara Track and Field Hall of Fame during a ceremony at the Niagara Track and Field Hall of Fame Awards luncheon in Rochester, N.Y. He also received the USATF's Coaching Lifetime Achievement award. Oscar's coaching career was read into the Congressional Record 1996, at which time he received a citation from Onondaga County Executive Nick Pirro, who declared May 31st as "Oscar B. Jensen Day". Robert J. Kane, Contributor Robert J. Kane, 81, Ex-Olympic Official And Aide at Cornell Published: Monday, June 1, 1992 a former president of the United States Olympic Committee and a longtime director of athletics at Cornell University, died yesterday at Tompkins Community Hospital in Ithaca, N.Y. He was 81 years old. He died of heart and respiratory failure after a long illness. A track athlete at Cornell, Mr. Kane began a long career in college sports administration as assistant athletic director at his alma mater in 1939. He became the director in 1941 and continued in that post until his retirement in 1976. Mr. Kane had a long association with the Olympic movement and served as president of the U.S.O.C. from 1977-1981. It was during his tenure that President Carter ordered the United States boycott of the 1980 Summer Games in Moscow. Mr. Kane also served two terms as a vice president of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. He was a charter member of the Cornell Athletic Hall of Fame, founded in 1978, and was inducted into the United States Olympic Hall of Fame in 1986. He is survived by his wife, Ruth Brosmer; a daughter, Karen Nichol, of Freeville, N.Y.; a son, Christopher, of Phoenix; a brother, Thomas J. Kane, of New York; three sisters, Claudine Malone, of Oneida, N.Y.; Kathleen Reynolds, of Palos Verdes Estates, Calif., and Eileen McNamara of Ridgewood, N.J., and six grandchildren. Allen Woodring, Athlete (February 15, 1898 – November 15, 1982) was an American athlete, the 1920 Olympic champion in the 200 m. Little is known of Woodring, who originally did not qualify for the 1920 Summer Olympics, placing 5th in the American trials. However, he was given a chance to compete in favour of the 4th-placed runner. After arriving in Antwerp, his track shoes fell apart, and Woodring was unable to obtain new ones. He was finally able to borrow shoes from another runner, for the duration of the competition. Woodring made good use of these shoes in the 200 m final, beating favourite Charlie Paddock, who had already won the 100 m, with a strong finish. He was born in Hellertown, Pennsylvania and died in Clearwater, Florida.At the 1920 Olympics in Antwerp, he won a gold medal in the 200-meter dash. Allen Woodring originally did not qualify for the 1920 Summer Olympics, placing 5th in the American trials. However, he was given a chance to compete in favour of the 4th-placed runner. After arriving in Antwerp, his track shoes fell apart, and Woodring was unable to obtain new ones. He was finally able to loan shoes from another runner, for the duration of the competition. Woodring made good use of these shoes in the 200 m final, beating favourite Charlie Paddock, who had already won the 100 m, with a strong finish. Class of 2002  John F. Andreson, Athlete He won a gold medal in the discus at the 1932 Olympic Games with a throw of 162-4 7/8, which set the Olympic record. He also competed in the discus at the 1928 Olympic Games, where he placed fifth. Captain of the track team as a senior, he won the shot put at the indoor IC4A championships while placing second in the discus at the outdoor IC4As in 1929. He broke the meet record in winning the discus at the Penn Relays in 1929. He was also a three-year letter winner as a tackle of the varsity football teams of 1926, 1927 and 1928. Albert W. "Al" Hall, AthleteAugust 2, 1934 - October 9, 2008) was an American hammer throw champion, who competed in the Olympics on four occasions. Hall grew up on the family's farm in Hanson, Massachusetts, where he built up his physique using a set of weights he had constructed from concrete cylinders. Hall attended Whitman High School (now part of Whitman-Hanson Regional High School), where he was a running back on the school's football team and became an active participant on the track team during his senior year. Hall graduated from the school in 1952. Peter "Pete" Pfitzinger, Athlete(born August 29, 1957) is a former American distance runner, who later became an author and exercise physiologist. He is best known for his accomplishments in the marathon, an event in which he represented the United States in two Summer Olympic Games: the Los Angeles Olympics (where Pfitzinger finished 11th) and the 1988 Seoul Olympics (where he placed 14th). In the 1984 Olympic Marathon Team Trials in Buffalo, New York, Pfitzinger cemented his place among the best American marathoners of all time in stirring fashion by taking the lead halfway through the race, relinquishing it in the final mile, and storming past the heavily favored Alberto Salazar in the final fifty yards to win the race. Pfitzinger won the San Francisco Marathon in 1983 and 1986. Pfitzinger is the co-author (with Scott Douglas) of two highly popular training books for distance runners - Advanced Marathoning and Road Racing for Serious Runners. He is also a senior writer for Running Times Magazine. Pfitzinger is a graduate of Cornell University. He also holds a Master of Business Administration from Cornell's Johnson Graduate School of Management and a Master of Arts in exercise science from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Pfitzinger's wife Christine is also a former world-class runner. The Pfitzingers have lived in New Zealand - Chrissey's country of origin - since the mid-1990s. John B. Tuttle, Athlete graduated from Alfred-Almond High School (New York) in 1977 where highlights included a Penn Relays 2-mile victory in 8:57.2 and a New York Class C State Cross Country Championship in 1976. He also won the 1977 New York State Indoor mile and 1000 yard runs, singlehandedly leading Alfred-Almond to a team State Championship. He is a 1981 graduate of Auburn University where he raced personal bests of a 1:49.54 800 meters, 3:43.94 1,500 meters, 4:01.9 mile and 8:35.74 3,000 meter steeplechase for the Tigers. Tuttle was a five-time SEC Champion in track and field and a four-time All-SEC cross country runner. He placed 1984 Olympic Trials to make the Olympic Team behind Pete Pfitzinger and Alberto Salazar with a time of 2:11:50. He also finished third overall at the 1983 New York City Marathon in his personal best marathon time of 2:10:51. John was the 1999 Runners World Masters Runner of the Year and earned USATF Masters Age Division Runner of the Year titles in 1999, 2000, 2005 and 2006. Since turning 40, Tuttle set the American master's record at a number of distances including the Half Marathon (1:05:11 in 1999), 12k (36:12 in 1999)[1] and the 5K (14:49 in 2000),[1] and he still competes at a number of road races. Tuttle was inducted into the RRCA Hall of Fame in 2000.[1] Tuttle was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation and has had a heart operation to address the problem. Tuttle resides in Villa Rica, Georgia and has two sons, Joshua and Michael.  John F. "Jack" Warner, Sr., Coach coached the Big Red from 1967 to 1990, and was inducted into the Cornell
Athletic Hall of Fame in 1994. Head coach of men's cross country and track from 1967 until his retirement in 1990; was also head coach of women's track and cross country since 1982-83. Compiled 23-year overall record for all sports of 276-151-4. His men's teams won 4 Heps titles and had 5 second-place finishes. Named NCAA District II Men's Track Coach of the Year in 1978 and was NCAA District II Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year in 1983. He coached three Olympians, 18 All-Americans and 91 Heps champions. Jack Warner has over 50 years of experience in the track & field and cross country coaching arena. Beginning his career in 1954, his impressive span includes coaching stints at Cornell University, Colgate University, as well as his current tenure at William Smith College (1995-present). A 1951 graduate of Syracuse University with a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts and education, Warner served three years active duty in the U.S. Marine Corps following graduation. Upon discharge from the Marines, he spent a year as a physical education teacher-coach in the North Syracuse Central School System. Warner then served as an assistant coach at the University of Kansas from 1955 to 1956, where he also received a master’s degree in education prior to his move to Colgate. He served as co-coach of the Uganda Olympic Team in 1960. In 11 years at Colgate, Warner’s overall record stood at an impressive 135-82-3. He continued that success at Cornell, where he coached five Olympians and 24 NCAA All Americans, compiling an overall record of 267-149-4. He retired in 1990 before returning to coaching in 1995 to head the William Smith program. In 2000, William Smith had its first runner reach the national championship meet: Amy Young finished 33rd overall, also earning All American honors. Warner’s Herons have been honored by the Cross Country Coaches Association as an All Academic Team 13 consecutive times. Warner has also contributed to the sport outside of his coaching duties. He has been a key figure in the success of the Great Heron Road Race, which has raised thousands of dollars for the fight against breast cancer. Also, as a New York State-certified track & field and cross country official, Warner served as referee of the NCAA Division III Indoor Track Championships in 1996. Befitting his impressive career, Warner has received numerous honors. In 1978 he was named the NCAA District II Men’s Track Coach of the Year, and in 1983, the District II Women’s Cross Country Co-Coach of the Year. In 1988, his alma mater honored him as a Letter Winner of Distinction. Also, he is a member of the Rome (NY) Sports Hall of Fame, the Cornell Sports Hall of Fame, and the Niagara Association of USA Track & Field Hall of Fame. Class of 2001  Robert J. "Bob" Bradley, Coach An outstanding coach and teacher with an ability to bring out the best in athletes. Led his Knights to two state titles, 19 Section V cross-country and track championships, plus numerous individual and relay honors in sectional, state, and national meets. Founded McQuaid Invitational, among the nation's finest cross-country meets. Co-founder of high school indoor track in Rochester. Inspired countless students in athletics, faith, and life. Taught perseverance, integrity, discipline, and respect for others. Meredith C. "Flash" Gourdine, Athlete was an outstanding track and field athlete at Cornell University, becoming a silver medalist in the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki. He was also an excellent physicist who pioneered the research of electrogasdynamics. He was responsible for the engineering technique termed Incineraid for aiding in the removal of smoke from buildings. His work on gas dispersion developed techniques for dispersing fog from airport runways. Dr. Gourdine served on the Technical Staff of the Ramo-Woolridge Corporation from 1957-58. He then became a Senior Research Scientist at the Caltech Jet Propulsion Laboratory from 1958-60. He became a Lab Director of the Plasmodyne Corporation from 1960-62 and Chief Scientist of the Curtiss-Wright Corporation from 1962 to 1964. Dr. Gourdine established a research laboratory, Gourdine Laboratories, in Livingston, New Jersey, with a staff of over 150. Dr. Gourdine has been issued several patents on gasdynamic products as a result of his work. Dr. Gourdine suffered from diabetes, and lost his vision and one leg. He died not let blindness deter his creative work. 1929 Born in Newark, New Jersey on September 26 1952 Wins silver medal at Olympics in Helsinki, Finland; joins Navy 1957 Takes job on the technical staff of the Ramo-Woolridge Corporation 1958 Becomes a senior research scientist at the Caltech Jet Propulsion Laboratory 1960 Receives Guggenheim fellowship; takes job as lab director of the Plasmodyne Corporation 1962 Serves as chief scientist of the Curtiss-Wright Corporation 1964 Serves on the president’s panel on energy 1965 Founds Gourdine Systems, in Livingston, New Jersey 1971 Earns first of seventy career patents 1973 Founds Energy Innovations in Houston, Texas 1987 Patents method of removing fog from airport runways 1998 Dies in Houston on November 20 John F. "Jack" Moakley, Coach Jack Moakley Rounds Out His Twenty-Fifth Year at Cornell Dean of University's Coaches Implants Ideals as Well as Track and Field Supremacy in Quarter Century Here JOHN F. MOAKLEY came to Cornell as track coach in the fall of 1899. Before the end of the year they were calling him Jack. That is to say, the members of the track squad referred to him among themselves as Jack, but deferred to him always as Mr. Moakley. 'The same feelings of affection and deference have persevered for the quarter century during which Moakley has been track coach at Cornell. Coincident with his coming there began a marvelous series of victories in cross country, seldom interrupted in the earlier years nor interrupted then for long periods. In '99, the year of Moakley's arrival, Cornell won the intercollegiate cross country, and this victory was repeated in 1900. Cornell was third in 1901 and was first for ten successive years, or until 1912, when the team finished second. From 1908 to 1912, four years without'a break, Cornell had the individual winner. Was Pioneer Here It may be interesting to go back to the days when Mr. Moakley first came to the Campus. In that year Charles Courtney was crew coach, Glenn Warner was football coach, Hugh Jennings, later leader of the Detroit Tigers, was baseball coach, and George Connors was Mr. Moakley's immediate predecessor in charge of track. Track events themselves were somewhat different in those days. They included one-mile and two-mile bicycle races and the mile walk, but did not then include either the discus or the javelin throw. There was even a difference in nomenclature, so that when one spoke of athletics the phrase was somewhat confined to the events of track and field. Those who participated in these events were known as athletes in contradistinction to football players, oarsmen, and wrestlers. The term "sports" in those days included athletics as one of its specific branches. Track athletics were not by any means in the ascendant until after Moakley arrived and began the development of his series of distance runners. Mr. Moakley's success with distance men has been so outstanding that it threatens somewhat to overshadow the success he has had with other specialized forms of track and field competition, and to give rise to the idea in the minds of those who have not closely followed track affairs at the University that distance men are his forte and his limitation. He has, happily, made athletes in other lines, and generally when and where they were needed. Hurdlers and pole-vaulters stand out, for example, as also quarter and half-milers, to make record-breaking relay teams. He has developed or conserved at least six sprinters who ran the century in less than ten. Before Jack came to Cornell, such an idea as winning the Intercollegiates was scarcely entertained in Ithaca. The oldestablished lords of track, Harvard, Yale, Pennsylvania and Princeton, were invincible. Tradition was too strong. JOHN F. MOAKLEY But in 1901, only a little more than a year after Moakley arrived, Cornell was up among some kind of first four or big four. True, the place was only fourth, with Harvard, Yale, and Princeton ahead in the order named. Yet in that year Princeton was beaten in a dual meet; and a special intercollegiate meet at the Buffalo Exposition was won handily by Cornell with Chicago, Georgetown, and Pennsylvania in the next three positions in the order named. This was when Arthur Duffy was running for the institution on the Potomac. In 1901, after two years of victory in cross-country, Cornell dropped to third place in that sport, the farthest back a Cornell team was to be for many years to come. It was an off year in track, but Moakley's men were being noted. In 1902 Cornell made its first trip to Michigan for an indoor -meet, and lost. Cornell gained only three points at the intercollegiates though Jack said that Cornell's team was the best one from Ezra's Hill that had entered these events. But victory against all comers was on its way, and Jack knew it. In 1903 Cornell triumphed in dual meets over Syracuse, Princeton, and Pennsylvania. Cornell was still going up to the intercollegiates, and coming back home. Yale had got the last leg on one cup in 1903. In 1904 Eli's name was the first one to be engraved on the new one. In 1905, after "an athletic history of but few year's growth,"—and Mr. Maokley was using the word athletics as synonymous with track-and-field—Cornell won the Intercollegiates, placing men in practically all the events except the dashes. This was the first time Cornell's name went on the Intercollegiate Cup and no other University has obtained permanent possession of an Intercollegiate Cup in the twenty years that have elapsed since then. Eventually that one came to Cornell and all the others permanently awarded since then. Not that there haven't been many other winners of intercollegiate track meets, but none of them were consistentenough to prevent Moakley's men from getting the requisite number of victories to bring home for a final resting place in the trophy cabinets these most valued of trophies. Victory Becomes a Habit No one, and especially no sporting writer, expected Cornell to win in the succeeding year, 1906. The victory of the novices from Ithaca was generally regarded as a fluke, but its repetition in 1906 made the critics sit up and take notice. Moakley in writing up the 1906 victory expressed his worry lest his charges become overconfident. Said he, "Continued supremacy is likely to lead to carelessness among the members of a team." His forebodings must have had some foundation, for in 1907 Cornell dropped back to fourth place in the inter collegiates. In 1908, Cornell's two relay teams were victorious in all the eight events they entered; the intercollegiates were won again; and Cornell had a group of stars at the Olympics. In the meantime Cornell continued to win the cross-country championships with a consistency that must have been worse than monotonous to the other contestants. Until 1912, when Cornell came in second, there was an unbroken string of championships for ten years from 1902. For five years in succession Cornell had the team victory, the individual winner, and usually the second place man as well. It is easy to get into superlatives, because the facts prove that Moakley's men were superlative. Of course, there were some set-backs and lean years. In 1909 and 1910, for example, the Ithacans were fourth and fifth in'the Intercollegiates, respectively, and in 1910 Pennsylvania, 508 C O R N E L L A L U M N I N E W S Princeton, and Michigan all won from Cornell in dual meets. And then on the memorable May 27, 1911, at what Moakley designated as "the greatest track meet ever held," at which world and intercollegiate records were shattered in many events, Cornell again triumphed, making records to do it. This year, also, Cornell's four-mile relay team made two world's records, one the indoor and one the outdoor record. It was on this day in May that the Red-and-White also won two boat races, and two baseball games, the string of victories furnishing the inspiration for an editorial in the Boston Transcript, a little essay that Cornellians since that day have almost adopted as a sort of athletic credo. Ups and downs have come and gone since those days. Pennsylvania won the Intercollegiates in 1912. Jack continued to develop well-rounded teams, seeming to be able to turn the trick with what material he had. If he did not have first place men, he won with seconds, thirds, fourths, and fifths. One year the intercollegiate title came to Cornell without an out-and-out first place by a Cornell man, the best performance being a tie for first place in the pole-vault. Then came another year with what seemed a pitifully small team, but they all did a little better than they knew how, and the meet was won almost with first places alone. Jack was continuing to make athletes of unknown men; or he added to the laurels of such school-boy athletes as came to Cornell by keeping them from burning themselves out. One could give a list of his great products, except to mention any makes invidious distinctions, where the Moakley tradition is that each man must give all he has. Just now track and cross-country do not seem to be at their brightest, but they are crescent and not on the wane. Jack Moakley never was a better coach than he is right now. Take the case of Harvey Gerry, who didn't begin to run until his junior year. As a senior, last year, he won in the mile, and was second in the half in a dual meet with Pennsylvania, and won third place in the mile at the Intercollegiates in fast company on a raw and windy day at Cambridge. Presumably, another year of Moakley's coaching would have put his name among those of the great Cornell stars, for track athletes are not made in a year, or in two years, even by Mr. Moakley. Gerry, of course, was doing many things besides running, in various student activities, including the labors and the responsibilities of managing editor of The Cornell Daily Sun. Jack Moakley has always wanted to win; that is one reason he is so likely to gain victories. The other reason is that coupled with that desire is a lot of knowledge about how to turn out winners by training and conditioning his athletes, and mainly by taking the raw material and moulding it under his own hands. Not that he does not wish for good school-boy athletes who may come to Cornell unspoiled by too much petting and adulation. It is merely recording circumstances to say that most of the best of Moakley's athletes did not know what they could do until they came under Jack's tutelage. Lads who were ambitious to become crosscountry harriers have had their distance shortened by Jack to the length of the high-jump runway; ^printers have become two-milers, and on some occasions, when victory has seemed remote, an over-night change of men and events has "out-foxed" an opponent and garnered enough additional points to win. An example of this was the running of Kirby in the two-mile —which he won—at the Pennsylvania dual meet this past spring, and letting Gerry, after he won the mile, stave off thePennsylvania half-milers by taking an easy second to Rauch. The point is this; given a modicum of physique, a good heart—physically and figuratively—and what some one has euphemistically described as a sufficient intestinal investiture, and Mr. Moakley can be reasonably sure of turning out an athlete in at least some one of the many forms of contest on track and field. His methods are quiet and effective; he never raises his voice, he never indulges in invective or irony. Indeed, some of his methods seem to be almost without method to one who does not see the whole process from day to day.. Usually he beckons a man to him with a crook of his finger; then he may say in a low tone: "Swing your arms a little more." "Lengthen your stride instead of increasing your pace." "Run around easy once more and that will do for today." "Keep your chin down; don't let your head go back." "Watch Smith a while; he has good form." "Let your arms and the upper part of your body help your legs; don't carry them as a dead weight; loosen up your spine and shoulders, and swing your arms—see, like this." Those are sample comments. One is struck by the constantly encouraging words, "There, that's better; you're getting it." "You have improved on that swing since yesterday; try it with your left hand a little higher on the pole." This does not mean that Moakley lacks forcefulness; but his severities, like his encomiums, are somewhat like those of a father. He expects his boys to do what they should do and they rarely disappoint him. He has no use for triflers and for the half-hearted, and tells them so,—more in sorrow than in wrath. The fatherly quality of the man is apparent to others as it is—almost without their knowing it —to his pupils. Last year a guest at a hotel where Jack and his cross-country team were staying, was so impressed with the demeanor of the whole group that he wrote to Cornell congratulating the University on having such students who were so quiet and respectful to their coach, who appeared more in the guise of a parent than an athletic coach. One wonders what may have been the experiences or the preconceived notions of the writer as to the generally accepted behavior of athletic teams! The track squad, and the cross-country squad, are like a happy family. Good nature has always prevailed. The track men eat simple meals and sing at the table. On trips they are boyishly happy and not unduly hilarious; they play little tricks on one another and hugely enjoy laughs at someone else's expense, each one learning to join in the laugh when it is on him. They reflect, in short the general good nature of their mentor. Every year they give a "surprise party" to Jack on his birthday; and every year he is astonished when the seniors on the squad troop into his home after having gathered in the chill night air on a street corner nearby, guarding some package as their gift,—a humidor with cigars, or a set of books—and Mrs. Moakley magically produces the kind of good things that they can eat, and they all sit around and talk, and look at the pictures on the wall and hear the story that goes with each, from Jack's marvelous memory. They soak in the tradition; they see the frame containing the three medals, gold, silver, and bronze, that were given to Jack by three of his own boys who ran to a triple tie for first place for Cornell. They sing songs of " their own composing, with their own track parodies on popular hits of the day. And when they go away from Cornell, none of their memories quite equals those of the associations with Jack and track; the birthday party, the crisp walk out to Varna on the winter night of the crosscountry feed; the hill-and-dale runs at dusk with the wind blowing cool against their throats and in their hair; even the near-to-heartbreak when legs just won't go any faster, when lungs are pumping fit to burst ribs, and yet the dark jersey of the opponent creeps alongside and passes ahead-/ιαec olim meminisse juvabit. It is all a part of youth and life and competition, under the guidance of a man who asks only that one gives one's best, but insists on having all of that given. And the qualities Jack instills are bound to stick in the after days. And the rest of the world? Well, Jack was Olympic coach in 1920 for all the American track athletes, when they won handily. He is head of the track coaches of America, not only in popular esteem but by official election to the presidency of the official organization. He has been the teacher of track coaches at Berkeley this summer. But his highest and best place no doubt is in the hearts of Cornellians, undergraduates and alumni, as the Cornell coach now oldest in point of service, and highest in affectionate regard. Louis C. "Lou" Montgomery, Coach Before becoming an assistant track coach at Cornell in 1948, Montgomery, a native of Cincinnati, Ohio, who served on a submarine in World War I was an eminently successful high school coach for 23 years in Buffalo, N.Y. In 1951, his second season as head coach of the Big Red, Cornell won the outdoor IC4A championship and was runner-up to  Charles Decker Reidpath, Athlete sept 20 1889 -oct 21-1975 Charles Reidpath, war hero, civic builder and Olympic Champion, was born in Buffalo, NY 1889. His cousin Isabelle Reidpath Martin was the wife of Darwin Martin, who commissioned one of Frank LLoyd Wright's finest works, the Darwin Martin House. At Lafayette high school 1904-08 Reidpath was an outstanding track competitor, in spite of an unorthodox "flat footed" running style. It was while at Syracuse University 1908-1912 that Charles Reidpath became a collegiate track star, winning the 220 and 440 yard dashes in the 1912 intercollegiate games. At one point he held the college record for the quarter mile. On graduating from Syracuse in 1912 with a degree in civil engineering, Charles Reidpath was pressured by relatives to quit sports and take a position with the family business in Buffalo. Instead, he made the U.S. Olympic track team, and headed to Stockholm, Sweden for one of the finest Olympics ever held. Reidpath won the 400 meters in an Olympic record shattering time of 48.2 seconds. This record lasted until 1924, when it was broken by Eric Liddle, whose story was made famous by the movie "Chariots of Fire". Running the anchor leg of the 4x400 meter relay, Reidpath helped the U.S. team set a world record of 3:16.6. The 400 meter contest was thrilling and controversial. In one of the few serious official miscalculations in the 1912 games, the semifinals were held without lanes for individual runners. The result was a confrontation between German champion Hanns Braun and American runner Donnell Young. Braun allegedly cut Young off, a hard bumping incident resulted, and officials hit Young with a disqualification. As a result, the finals were dominated by Buffalo's Charles Reidpath and the German, Hanns Braun. Reidpath had won the first semi-final heat in record setting time. In the finals (run in lanes, officials slamming the proverbial barn door after the horses, or at least Donnell Young, had gone) Braunn took the lead at about 200 meters. However, Charles Reidpath caught him on the home stretch, and won the Gold medal for the U.S. by a narrow margin. The 4x400 meter relay was not as closely contested. Reidpath told the Buffalo Courier-Express that his teammates "were so far out in front that by the time it came for me to take over, the race was just about over too". In fact, Reidpath was chosen to run the all important final leg and helped the American team to set a World record of 3:16.6, a record that lasted for 12 years. After the games, Charles Reidpath donated both of his gold medals to Syracuse University. Away form sports, Charles Reidpath worked for the Berdencer construction company from 1912 through 1937, when he was named director of buildings for Buffalo, NY. For 15 years he worked in the city department of public works, and in 1956 helped build the Federal Reserve Bank as superintendent of construction for architects. Reidpath also had an outstanding military career. As a Lt. Colonel he served in England, France and Belgium in the Transportation corps during World War II winning battle stars for the Northern France and Rheinland campaigns. In Belgium he was made Officer of the Crown for his services at the vital port of Antwerp in 1944 and 1945. Charles Reidpath was made a Brig. General when he retired from the New York National Guard in 1948. Charles Reidpath passed away on October 21, 1975 in Kenmore Mercy Hospital following a brief illness. He was 86 years old. He was survived by his wife, the former Sally Pratt, two children, five grand-children and five great-grand children. Relatives remember him as kindly, nature loving "uncle Charlie" who helped his young relatives discover things like Racoon nests and Birds eggs along the old Bridal path near his home on West Delevan Avenue in the City. He is buried in section one of Buffalo's Forest Lawn cemetery, along with members of the Pratt family. A simple marker mentions only his war service. Reidpath's accomplishments in the 1912 Olympics were understandably somewhat overshadowed by the even greater feats of Jim Thorpe, winner of the decathlon and heptathlon, but his place in track and field history is secure. In the early 21st century, two of Reidpath's nephews, Dick and Ted Sullivan, were still active in Buffalo area track and field, even though they were both in their 70's.  Alma Wilford Richards, Athlete (February 20, 1890 – April 3, 1963) was a high jumper and was  famous for being the first resident of Utah to win a gold medal at the Olympic Games, in 1912, in the running high jump event.Jumping ,Born in Parowan, Utah, Alma Richards was an eighth grade farm boy who decided to stop school and explore the world. But shortly after his departure he met a Native American named Thomas Trueblood who convinced Richards to return to school. At Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, BYU coach Eugene L. Roberts saw Richards playing basketball, and instructed him to jump over a six-foot-high bar. He did so easily. The coach then proceeded to raise money to get Richards to the 1912 Trials in the High Jump. Richards proceeded to defeat American champion George Horine in the final and win the gold medal at the Stockholm Olympics in 1912. Richards graduated from Brigham Young in 1913, and from Cornell University in 1917, where he was also a member of the Quill and Dagger society. The Olympics did wonders for his self-confidence, and whereas he was once just a marginal student, his aptitude and attitude now were boundless. He thrived at Cornell, in the classroom and on the track. He was the national AAU high jump champion in 1913 and later, as he expanded his repertoire, he became a decathlete as well. By the time of the national AAU championships of 1915, held in conjunction with the World's Fair in San Francisco, he became the national decathlon champion, finishing some 500 points ahead of a man by the name of Avery Brundage, who would later head the International Olympic Committee. He was far and away the United States' best decathlete entering the 1916 Olympic Games, not to mention its best high jumper. Winning two gold medals was a distinct possibility. But those Games were never held, replaced instead by World War I. Later years, After graduating with honors from Cornell, Alma attended graduate school at Stanford, before enrolling in law school at the University of Southern California. He got his law degree and, as high jumpers do, he passed the bar. But he chose not to practice law. Instead he went into teaching. He became a science teacher in Los Angeles at Venice High School, where he remained for 32 years until he retired. Richards has been buried, according to his wishes, in the Parowan Cemetery Irvin "Bo" Roberson, Athlete (July 23, 1935 – April 19, 2001) was an American track and field athlete and football player. At Cornell University he excelled in basketball, football and track and field. At the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, Italy he won the silver medal in the long jump, a centimeter short of the 8.12 m gold medal jump by Ralph Boston. After the Olympics, Roberson had a seven year Pro Football career as a wide receiver in the American Football League In 1958, Cornell’s "Bo" Roberson was ranked only 25th in the world as a long jumper with a mark of 24-10½ (7.58) when competing for the Cornell/Penn team against Oxford/Cambridge. Roberson showed dramatic improvement in 1959 when he won the Pan-American Games with a wind-aided 26-2 (7.97) and had a legitimate mark of 26-0 (7.92). In 1960 he qualified for the Olympic team by pushing the defending champion, Greg Bell, back into fourth place, and at the Rome Games he came within one centimeter of matching Ralph Boston’s winning jump. Had Roberson jumped one centimeter further, he would have won the Olympic title by virtue of having a superior second longest jump. In 1961, Roberson signed a pro football contract with the San Diego Chargers. He played defensive back in the AFL for six years, first with the Chargers, then four years with the Oakland Raiders, and finished up with a few games with the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins. He later became a track coach at Cal/Irvine. Class of 1999 John Paul Jones, Athlete  (October 15, 1890 – January 5, 1970) was an American track athlete who set several world records in the mile, including the first mile record to be ratified by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) in 1913. He was born in Washington, D.C. and died in Tucson, Arizona. Emergence as champion runner Jones entered Cornell University in 1909, taking mechanical engineering. He showed little initial promise in track, not making the team until his last year and not impressing until his last race. An extremely popular and handsome man, Jones worked long hours on his studies, played baseball and tennis in the summer and ran as a pastime. As a senior, he was selected for membership in the Quill and Dagger society. But he worked and trained hard as a runner and had the most successful coach of the era, Jack Moakley. Initially a cross country runner, he won the freshman intercollegiate championships easily and in the fall of his second year won the IC4A cross country championship. On May 27, 1911, Jones ran in the IC4A championships at Soldiers' Field in Allston, Massachusetts in front of 12,000 spectators. Entered in the mile, Boyle of Penn State led at the quarter in 59 2/5 followed by his teammate Wilton Paull. Jones hung back in fifth place. Hanavan of Michigan State led at the half-mile mark with a 2:08 1/5, with Paull in second and Jones in third. Paull grabbed the lead at 1,000 yards, but Hanavan regained it for a lap. Then, Jones lengthened his stride and passed Paull and Hanavan, winning by 10 yards. His time: 4:15 2/5, a new amateur world record, finally surpassing Thomas Conneff's 4:15 3/5 set 16 years earlier. However the time was inferior to the professional record of 4:12 3/4 set by Walter George in 1886. Jones was not done for the day. He additionally ran and won the 880 yards to give Cornell the IC4A championship. He spent the summer playing baseball and tennis, won the IC4A cross country championship again in the fall, then tied for first in the mile with a 4:20 3/5 at the 1912 IC4A. He won the 880 in a collegiate record time of 1:53 4/5. The 1912 Olympics He had no desire to compete in the Olympics, but was talked into it and made the ship shortly before it departed for Stockholm. The 1912 Olympic 1500 metre competition featured the greatest field of mile/1500 m runners ever assembled to that point. Besides Jones, the 1908 Olympic champion Mel Sheppard was entered, as was the speedy Arnold Jackson of Britain, and the promising miler Norman Taber from Providence, Rhode Island. Additionally, American Abel Kiviat, who held the world record in the 1500 m, was in the field. Jones was not as prepared as he could have been as he couldn't train on the ship across the Atlantic, so Kiviat, who had set his 1500 m record of 3:55 4/5 only on 26 May of that year, barely missing Jones' mile record in the process, was favoured. In the end, Jackson prevailed in the final, held 10 July, with Kiviat and Taber so close an official camera needed to be consulted to determine who won silver. Jones finished fourth. He also participated in the 800 metres event but he was eliminated in the first round. At the same Olympics he competed in the baseball event which was held as demonstration sport. Jones, out of the medals, won his third IC4A cross country championship that fall, then ran an indoor mile in 4:19 4/5 early in 1913 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Jones' second mile record On 31 May, Jones ran again in the IC4A championships in Cambridge, and was up against Olympic 1,500 m silver medalist Taber in the mile. Taber led at the first three quarters, in 61.6, 2:09.3 and 3:16.1. But Jones launched into his drive as the bell for the final lap sounded and Taber couldn't respond. He crossed the finish line in 4:14 2/5, a new world amateur record, and the first mile record to be recognized by the new governing body of track and field, the IAAF, known then as the International Amateur Athletics Federation. Jones subsequently lost his next race, the 880, and this proved to be his final race. He graduated from college and retired from the sport.  Myer Prinstein, Athlete (born Mejer Prinsztejn, December 22, 1878 – March 10, 1925) was an American athlete and member of the Irish American Athletic Club who held the world record for the long jump and won gold medals in three Olympic Games.At the 1904 St. Louis Olympiad, Prinstein captured gold medals in the Long Jump, setting an Olympic record of 24'1" (7.34 meters) and the Triple Jump with a mark of 47'1" (14.35 meters). Prinstein was born in 1878 in Szczuczyn, Poland. His parents, Jacob and Julia Prinstein (born Jankiel Prinsztejn and Judes Rubinsztejn[1]), were Polish-Russian Jews who migrated to New York city in 1883 and quickly thereafter moved to Syracuse, New York where Myer was raised. They had five daughters and four sons, and Jacob was a grocer and baker. Myer was the third of the nine children. He was captain of the Syracuse University track team, and ultimately graduated with a law degree. At the unofficial Athens Olympics in 1906, Prinstein again took gold medal honors in the Long Jump with a leap of 23'71/2" (7.20 meters). Prinstein’s lone silver medal was a subject of controversy at the 1900 Games. At the completion of the Long Jump trials on Saturday, he was leading the competition. The finals were scheduled for the following day. As a Methodist Syracuse University student, Prinstein was instructed, along with many other American student athletes, not to compete on Sunday, the Christian sabbath. While he followed instructions, a few other American athletes did compete on that Sunday, including his Long Jump arch rival, University of Pennsylvania’ s Alvin Kraenzlein. Prinstein set a long jump world record of 7.235 m (23' 8⅞") in New York on Jun 11, 1898. The record was broken, first by William Newburn of Ireland on Jun 18, 1898 and later by Alvin Kraenzlein on May 26, 1899. On Apr 28, 1900 Prinstein set a new record of 7.50 m (24’ 7¼”) in Philadelphia. Four months later, on Aug 29, 1900 the record was broken by Peter O'Connor of Ireland. In Prinstein’s absence and with six unchallenged leaps, Kraenzlein managed to top the Syracuse undergraduate’s event-leading mark to win the gold medal. Prinstein also won many National U.S. track titles, his first in 1898. In 1900, he set the World Long Jump record at 7.50 meters.  Raymond Barbuti, Athlete Raymond Barbuti of Syracuse, New York ...To place 1st for the U.S.A. and win the ONLY Olympic Gold Medal in a single track and field event at the IX Olympiad EVENT: 400 Meter Race -- TIME: 47.8 Seconds"RAYMOND BARBUTI, the stocky, black-haired, heavy-legged runner from Syracuse, an all around athlete and star football player, saved the United States team from the humiliation of a shutout on the track by a stirring triumph in the 400-metre final. ..."As he (Barbuti) pounded down the track toward the tape, he knew someone was coming up on the outside and coming fast. It was (James) "Ball" of Canada and we were full of running. Barbuti was plunging along in sheer determination and desperation. Agony was written on his twisted countenance, but he could see the tape ahead and, as he said later, he would 'make it or bust.' In a last effort to stave off defeat he threw himself over the finish line just as Ball seemed to draw even with him. Barbuti pitched the cinder path on his face, completely used up. "The finish was so close that even the nearby spectators couldn't tell who had won. A hush, and then came the decision. Barbuti by inches! And thus the United States, except for the relays, won its single track event at Amsterdam."  Richard Thomas "Dick" Buerkle, Athlete (born September 3, 1947) is an Olympic athlete and held the world record for the indoor 1 mile. He was born in Rochester, New York. Buerkle graduated from Aquinas Institute high school in 1966 and went on to Villanova University to graduate in 1970 with a degree in Spanish studies. At Villanova University he learned under the tutelage of head coach, Jumbo Elliott and assistant coach, Jim Tuppeny. He started on the Villanova team as a walk-on without an athletic scholarship. He didn't receive a track scholarship until his senior year when he broke 9 minutes for the 2 mile race.Buerkle qualified for the 1976 and 1980 Olympic games. The 1976 Montreal Games turned out to be a disappointment for Buerkle who competed in the Olympic 5000 metre competition and finished 9th in the fastest 5000 metre heat in history at that point. Although he qualified for the 1980 Olympics he did not get the opportunity to run due to President Jimmy Carter boycotting the Games. The 1980 Olympics took place in Moscow and tension existed between the United States and the Soviet Union. He ran the mile in under 4 minutes 6 recorded times in his career with a personal best on Friday January 13, 1978 when he broke the world indoor mile record with a time of 03:54.93. This record put him on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine and Track and Field News magazine. Charles H. Moore, Athlete Cornell '51 Men's Track & Field He won a gold medal in the 400-meter hurdles at the 1952 Summer Olympic Games in Helsinki, Finland. Racing on a rain-soaked track, he set an Olympic record of 50.8 seconds, missing the world-best mark by a mere two-tenths of a second. He also won a silver medal as the third leg on the 4x400 relay team. He later established a world record of 51.6 in the 440-yard hurdles at the British Empire Games in London. Moore set Cornell records in the outdoor 440-yard dash (47.0) and the 400-meter intermediate hurdles (51.1). In 1949, he won the 440-yard dash at the NCAA championships, and in 1951, he helped a five-man Big Red team place second at the NCAAs. He won indoor Heptagonal titles in the 600-yard run and outdoor titles in the 440-yard dash in 1950 and '51. He won the AAU 400-meter hurdles in 1949 and set the American record (50.7) in this event at the Olympic tryouts in 1952. He never lost a race in the 400-meter and 440-yard hurdles during his outstanding track career. He finished second in the balloting for the Sullivan Award in 1952. Class of 1998 (Inaugural Class) John W. Allen, Athlete, Born: January 15, 1926 in Buffalo, New York, Died: September 16, 2006 in San Bernardino, California, Affiliations: Kansington High School John Allen competed for various clubs as a walker – Gardentown AC, Niagara AAU, St. Francis Xavier AC, and Buffalo AC. He won 10 AAU walk titles – 15K in 1962, 40K in 1962, 50K in 1961, and in the 25K he was champion from 1954-60. Personal Best: 50K Walk – 4-41:08 (1960). 1960 Summer 34 Roma Athletics Men's 50 kilometres Walk United States USA 24 1960 Summer 34 Roma Athletics United States Final Standings 24 5-03:15.2 Francis J. "Frank" Berst Sr., Athlete, NYAC men's US Champion in 1941 and 1941 at 56 pound weight throw Francis J. Berst Sr., a Cheektowaga resident who was a talented educator and athlete, died 8/17/2004 in Brothers of Mercy Nursing Home, Clarence, after a brief illness. He was 92. Mr. Berst, known as "Frank" to his friends, was born in Buffalo and attended St. Michael's School. He graduated from Bennett High School and Manhattan College. For several years, he taught mathematics in area high schools and also worked as a guidance counselor. Later, he held the position of director of admissions and coordinator of continuing education at Erie Community College. While at ECC, he established a local chapter of the National Honor Society for Junior Colleges. He retired from the college in 1982. Mr. Berst earned his master's degree in education from Canisius College and also did some postgraduate work at Harvard University. He was a past president of Phi Delta Kappa. A talented athlete, Mr. Berst stood out in high school and college as a football player and also starred on track and field teams. Representing the New York Athletic Club, he held the world record in the 56-pound weight throw for seven years. His love of sports led him to take coaching jobs over the years. He was a member of the New York Athletic Club Hall of Fame, the Manhattan College Alumni Athletic Hall of Fame, and the U.S. Track and Field Hall of Fame. His personal motto, by which many knew him, was "Optima Futura Est" - "The Best Is Yet to Be." Mr. Berst was a charter member of St. Aloysius Gonzaga Catholic Church in Cheektowaga. He was active in Catholic Charities, president of the St. Vincent de Paul Society and served on St. Aloysius's school advisory board. Survivors include his wife of 51 years, Frances E.; two sons, Francis J. Jr. of West Seneca and John R. of Evansville, Ind.; and two grandchildren. A memorial Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at noon Thursday in St. Aloysius Gonzaga Church, 157 Cleveland Drive, Cheektowaga. He donated his body to the UB Medical School.  Robert J. Ivory, Coach, St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute in Kenmore NY. 11-2-2008_buffalo_news_bob_ivory 68.32 KbThe oldest clich� in sports tells us that records are made to be broken, and in track and field and distance running, this is generally true. Not so for the accomplishments of Bob Ivory and his St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute Marauders, who left a legacy of winning streaks, victorious meet results, and individual accomplishments untouched for over 30 years. Bob, a St. Joe's graduate, was teaching math at North Tonawanda High School when his alma mater tapped him to coach cross-country and track in 1965. His first squad was undefeated (9-0), and set a demanding pace for its successors to match. From 1969-75, St. Joe's captured five more regular season titles and six consecutive All-Catholic meet championships (among seven overall). The run was punctuated by a 34 dual-meet winning streak, and by individual performances such as a Delaware Park Lake course record run by senior Alex Trammell in 1971 (12.00 for 2.5 miles), a record not challenged by the thousands of runners who have (and still do) run the course. Ivory's cross-country teams constantly sought challenges at invitationals all over the East. Bob's runners brought home 20 invitational trophies to Kenmore Avenue; six by the 1971 squad (including the prestigious Eastern States Championship), perhaps the finest ever assembled in Western New York. At the Christian Brothers Academy Invitational in Van Cortland Park in the Bronx, that team set a record for fastest team time (12.52 per man) that still stands. His track and field resume is even more impressive; it features eight league titles and nine straight All-Catholic Championships. From 1966-72, the Marauders set a Western New York record with 56 consecutive meet victories. Bishop Turner ended the run with a one-point win in May 1972, and claimed Coach Ivory's maroon baseball cap for its trophy case. That loss is the only blemish on Ivory's track and field record from mid-1966 to his retirement in 1975. Bob's track teams also achieved success in top-rank invitationals, with the highlight being the Marauder's performance at the Penn Relays in 1972. The key members of the legendary 1971 cross-country team became the first Buffalo entry in the 78-year history of the event to win both the distance medley and the two-mile relay, missing national records in the two events by six tenths of a second and 11 seconds, respectively. Ivory left St. Joe's in 1975, but he still had one trick up his sleeve, coaching former Villanova star Dick Buerkle to a world indoor mile record in 1978. However, his legacy relates to St. Joe's, and it is for his unsurpassed efforts at that school that Bob enjoys a victory lap into the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame.  Trenton James Jackson, Athlete (February 28, 1943 – March 25, 2007) was an American football wide receiver in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles and the Washington Redskins. He played college football at the University of Illinois. Jackson was born in Cordele, Georgia to James and Evelyn Jackson and is the eldest of seven children. The family later moved to Rochester, New York, where he attended Benjamin Franklin High School, where he set the National High School Record in the 100 yard dash (9.4).Upon moving to Rochester, New York, “TJ” became a permanent fixture at Baden Street Settlement House. Trent attended Benjamin Franklin High School, where he set the National High School Record in the 100 yard dash (9.4). After being taught, coached, and mentored by Coach Mauro Panaggio, TJ pursued his dream at the University of Illinois. TJ became a Collegiate All-American, as well as Big Ten, Rose Bowl, and National Champion, lettering on the track, football, basketball, and baseball teams. In 1964, he won the Big Ten 100 yard Dash in 9.5, the 220 yard dash in 21.3, and anchored the championship 440 yard relay, the NCAA 4x110 yard relay championship, set the National Collegiate Record in the 100 meter dash (10.1), won the AAU 100 meter championship, the US Olympic Trials 100 meter dash, represented the United States at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan and became a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. In 1965 he finished 3rd at the NCAA 60 yard dash. Then, he led Illinois to the 4x440 yard relay championship at the outdoor Big 10 championship. TJ held the 100 meter record at Illinois for 40 years. College career Jackson then attended and played college football at University of Illinois, where he was voted an All-American. While there, he was a Big Ten and Rose Bowl champion, and lettered in track, football, basketball, and baseball. In 1964, he won the Big Ten 100 yard Dash in 9.5, the 220 yard dash in 21.3, and anchored the championship 440 yard relay. He also won the NCAA 4x110 yard relay championship, set the National Collegiate Record in the 100 meter dash (10.1), won the AAU 100 meter championship and then participated in the US Olympic Trials 100 meter dash. After, he represented the United States at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan and became a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. In 1965, he finished third at the NCAA 60 yard dash. Then, he led Illinois to the 4x440 yard relay championship at the outdoor Big Ten championship. Jackson's record for the 100 meters held at Illinois for 40 years.Herbert J. Mols, Contributor Cornel l'36 basketball manager 1972 Mr. Mols, the Western Regional Director of the games, was stricken at the event's press center on the campus of the State University of New York at Buffalo. Mr. Mols was in the center of a dispute at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich. The United States team apparently had won the gold medal game in basketball, but officials added 3 seconds to the clock, and the Soviet team won, 51-50, with a basket at the buzzer. Mr. Mols wrote a report in which he said that Avery Brundage, president of the International Olympic Committee, ''didn't carry the ball for us on a legitimate protest.'' Mr. Mols was born in Buffalo in 1915. He played football at Cornell and served in the Navy in the Pacific during World War II. At the Park School near Buffalo, he was athletic director, coached football, basketball, baseball and track, and taught biology, chemistry and physics until his retirement in 1973. He was active in the Amateur Athletic Union. Cynthia Wyatt Reinhoudt, Athlete Following the 1952 Olympic Games, at which it was obvious that many Soviet males and females were using weight training as part of their preparation, several women in North America began experimenting with weights. Two of the first were field event specialists Jackie MacDonald of Canada and Cynthia Wyatt (Reinhoudt) of New York, both of whom used weights prior to the Melbourne Games in 1956. For Wyatt, the weights made up for her lack of height and size. She was repeatedly featured in Strength & Health and other lifting magazines and her success helped to promote the growth of weight training by American field event specialists during the 1960’s. 4 kilo shotput indoor champ 1961 Cynthia Wyatt 39-11 and 1963 47-1.25 1962 All-American Women's T & F at Shot Put. Cindy Wyatt was born in Buffalo on March 31, 1944, and became an outstanding athlete in the 1960s and was one of the first women in the United States to receive an athletic scholarship. She received the offer from the University of Hawaii and became a member of one of the best track and field teams in the college ranks in 1961. Cindy went on to become one of the finest shot putters and discus throwers in the country as she set several records in those events. In the early portion of the 1960s, she was selected for several international track teams which journeyed all over Europe and competed in such places as Russia, East Germany, West Germany, Poland, England and Brazil. It was in 1963 that she won the silver medal at the Pan American games in Sao Paulo, Brazil. After graduating from Hawaii, she furthered her education at Ohio State University with a masters degree in counseling psychology in 1969. She still kept her winning ways for the United States track team and once again was on the United States international squad. Carl J. Roesch, Sr., Contribibutor, is a native of Buffalo, NY attended Technical High School and graduated from East High School before attending Holy Cross College.Roesch was widely known as a track and field official and a long time contributor to the sport of Athletics.He served as Assistant Manager for the 1968 US Olympic Track and Field Team and as Manager for US Teams competing in Europe in 1956, 1961, and 1966.Roesch also served as Manager for the USA vs.Russia Outdoor meet in 1970 and Indoor meet in 1974.He was a member of the US Olympic Track and Field Committee for 18 years, a member of the National AAU Track and Field Committee for 15 years (was Secretary for 4 years).He served as President of the Niagara Association of the AAU from 1962 to 1964 and as Niagara Association Track and Field Chairman for 15 years.He became a life member of the AAU in 1964.Roesch was inducted into the National Federation of State High School Association Hall of Fame in 1984.In addition to his work as an official and promoter of the sport, Roesch also served as Track and Field and Cross Country Coach at Canisius College, where he founded both teams, from 1948 until 1973.He was inducted into the Canisius College Hall of Fame in 1982.Roesch was also an accomplished middle distance runner.He set the National AAU Junior 600 meter Record in 1935 (1:24.4) which still stands today since the event is no longer contested.Roesch won many local and regional AAU championships in the middle distance events.Roesch died at his home in Buffalo, NY, on May 4, 1987. 2009 CARL J. ROESCH MEMORIAL BOYS’ TRACK CLASSIC Clarence Sr. High School |
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