| Another Confusing Cody Column |
Old School Invite
Run, jump and throw like it's 1900 all over again ...
Boys track and field is the IHSA sport with the oldest state tournament.
This year will be the 116th edition of the meet, the oldest one in the country. The
event was not run in 1917 and 1918 due to the Great War (World War I).
When Peoria High won the inaugural state meet in 1893, its athletes had to
compete in events similar to those in which today's athletes partake in. However,
there were some other events included in the mix that are not in a typical meet
today.
Like almost any concept, new ideas are laid out and then tinkered with to make it
better. The organization of a high school track and field event in the 1890s was
done in this matter. There were many events, and eventually after time some were
dropped. According to the essay “The Early Origins of High School Track and
Field” by Robert Pruter, a “Cook County meet” was organized in 1889. Three
years from now, the sport will celebrate its quasquicentennial.
As unique as the last word in the previous paragraph was, were these particular
defunct events.
Most of the events are field events. They were dropped either due to lack of
interest, safety concerns or complications in measuring.
The IHSA still recognizes the champions in these defunct events, even though it
did not acquire the actual meet until shortly after its founding in the early 1900s.
The earliest meets were conducted by the University of Illinois. Many events were
dropped when the IHSA took over the meet. Some events are still conducted in the
Olympics, as well as in other states' high schools.
If an old-time track and field meet were to make a comeback today, here's what the
events schedule would also include ...
(You may want to play Scott Joplin's “The Entertainer”, or YouTube's “1911 theme”
as you read through the field events. Also imagine these people moving very fast,
like the silent movies.)
Field Events
In addition to the discus, high jump, pole vault, shot put and triple jump, there were
several other field events in the early going.
Hammer Throw – Not like the workshop tool, the “hammer” in this case is a heavy
ball attached to a rope. The winner of the hammer throw is the one who throws the
ball the farthest. The event began in the second year of the Illinois high school
track and field meet (1894) and was discontinued in 1916. The event was briefly
brought back for the 1919 and 1920 meets.
The state record for the hammer throw was an effort of 166 feet, 9.25 inches by R.
Barry of Beardstown in 1910. The lone area state champion was Frank Levings of
Rockford High, who threw 115 feet in 1896.
Javelin Throw – Succeeded the hammer throw beginning in 1919, the same year
the latter event resurfaced. The javelin, a spear which is a couple of feet taller
than most humans, was small enough to be carried several feet in the air
compared to the hammer. Javelins had a pointed end sharp enough to stick into
the ground.
The javelin throw was discontinued after the 1939 state meet, the one that the
state record distance was thrown in. Mendota's Donald Whitmore threw 194 feet,
three inches for the final title. Two years earlier, NCIC foe William Eckhardt of
Rochelle threw a state-championship distance of 177 feet, six inches. Whitmore
and Eckhardt are the only area state javelin throw champions.
Standing Broad Jump – Unlike today's long jump and triple jump, the runner jumps
from a standing position instead of a trek down a runway. The athlete squats and
leaps forward, and must land without falling down.
This event was conducted from 1893 until 1905. No area athletes won a state title
in the standing broad jump, but N.B. Harris of Yorkville was a runner-up in 1894, as
well as a man named Henning for Rochelle in 1901. Dave Daugherty of Biggsville
holds the record leap of 10 feet, 5.25 inches in 1899 to help his school win the
state title that year.
High Kick – Unlike a pom squad, the track and field “high kick” was made possible
by a leap after a sprint. The athlete, in mid-air, would lift his leg as high as
possible. The run gave the athlete a greater jumping distance, and this a greater
kick height.
Not really a popular event, it was conducted from 1893 to 1896. Levings was
second in the event in 1895 and 1896. W.K. Skinner of Yorkville finished third in
the event in 1894, the same year George Morrison of Urbana established the state
record of nine feet, three-quarter inch.
Baseball Throw – When this event was conducted, high school baseball teams
were just being organized in the downstate schools. The object was very simple:
throw a baseball as far as possible.
The event only lasted three years, from 1893 until 1895. Joseph Hunter of
Rockford High placed second in this event in the final edition. Howard Ruggles of
Chicago Hyde Park owns the state record for the longest baseball throw with a toss
of 353 feet, eight and one-half inches – roughly a throw a high school outfielder
would make to home plate.
Football Kick – Even more unpopular was the football kick. In the only year the kick
was conducted, 1893, the size of the football was larger than what it is today –
taller, heavier and looking like a compressed basketball.
Frank Bogardus of Springfield High had the winning kick of 126 feet, which is equal
to 42 yards on a football field.
Standing High Jump and Batted Baseball – These events took place at the
inaugural 1889 Cook County Meet. The object of the standing high jump is simply
jumping up as high as possible, with the distance from ground to the foot's highest
point. The batted baseball was a throw-and-hit process that tested one's eye-hand
coordination.
Tug-of-war and the potato sack race were also held in the 1889 meet.
Track Events
Although most track events were the same then as they are now, a distance
change occurred starting with the 1980 season. Prior to that year, running events
were measured in yards. As America was considering a switch to the metric system
in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the IHSA changed its track distances to meters
to reflect that of the Olympic practices.
The final stretching effort in a dead-heat race will have to come later than usual,
except for the 100-yard dash and the high hurdles.
100-yard dash – or 91.44 meters: Fastest area state title time is held by UT's
Merlyn Hood (9.7 seconds) in 1969. This event was run in the 1889 Cook County
meet.
220-yard dash – or 201.17 meters: Fastest area state title time is held by
Rockford High's Bob Packard (21.0) in 1935.
440-yard dash – or 402.34 meters: Fastest area state title time is held by
Kaneland's Mark Claypool (47.18) in 1977, which is also the state record for that
event. This event was also run in the 1889 Cook County meet. A relay version
started in 1974, but there were no area state champions before the metric
conversion.
880-yard dash – or 804.67 meters: Fastest area state title time is held by
Kaneland's Ron Ackerman (1:53.23) in 1975. A relay version started in 1911, with
the fastest area state title time turned in by UT (1:27.5) in 1971.
1-mile run – or 1,609 meters: Fastest area state title time is held by Belvidere's
Ron Wartgow (4:07.80) in 1976. This event was also run in the 1889 Cook County
meet. The relay version was run on a regular basis starting in 1952, with the
fastest area state title time turned in by Kaneland (3:24.63) in 1975. From 1902 to
1907, the relay distance was two-third of a mile (1,072 meters). The two-third relay
and mile relay were run in alternating years until 1910.
2-mile run – or 3,218 meters: Fastest area state title time is held by Stillman
Valley's Craig Young (9:21.15) in 1975. Unlike the previous distance and dash
events, which began competition in 1893, this event began in 1967. A relay
version started in 1976, but there were no area state champions before the metric
conversion.
120-yard high hurdles – or 109.73 meters: Fastest area state title time is held by
St. Bede's Chet Nosalik (14.15) in 1978. This event began in 1913, and was run in
the 1889 Cook County meet.
The low hurdles had four variations prior to 1979: 220 yards from 1897 to 1935,
200 yards from 1936 to 1950, 180 yards from 1951 to 1973, and 330 yards from
1974 to 1979. We'll use 200 yards for invite purposes. The fastest area state title
time in the 220-yard version was held by F.E. Lord of North Dixon (26.4) in 1905.
The fastest area state title time in the 200-yard version was held by Sterling's
DuWayne Dietz (28.2) in 1948. There were no area state champions in the 180-
yard version. Brent Barth of St. Bede is the lone area state champion in the 330-
yard version (38.0 in 1976).
Walk and Bike, too!
Also included in the earliest track and field meets were bicycle races and walking
races.
Bicycle races were held from 1893 until 1901, and there were three versions of the
race. Bicycles during the turn of the century, contrary to popular belief, were not
the ones with the large front wheel and small rear wheel.
The one-mile bicycle race was held from 1893 until 1901. In 1896, Webb Stevens
of Rockford High was the state champion in the event with a time of 2:53. The state
record is held by West Aurora's David Annis (2:38.6) in 1901.
The 440-yard bicycle race was held from 1896 until 1901. Stevens took second
place in the event in 1896, and a man named Smith from LaSalle-Peru took third in
1901. The 880-yard race was held just once, in 1900 when Ed Keller of Decatur
won in 1:11.
Finally, the question begs ... how does one walk competitively? Be it walking fast,
or just trying to keep a good pace, the walking races were held from 1895 to 1900.
The last four years featured a distance of 880 yards. George Pulford of Savanna
was the state champion in 1897 with a time of 3:32.
The first two years featured a distance of one mile. David Webber of Urbana won
the 1895 race in 8:22, then Willard Doud of Chicago Manual won the following year
in 7:50. Think about those times as you reminisce about blowing off the mile-run in
P.E. class.
Keep in mind, of course, that per IHSA by-laws an individual can only participate in
a maximum of four events.
Cody Cutter is the Publisher of Northern Illinois Sports Beat, and writes columns
about Illinois high school sports. He can be reached at Northernillinoissportsbeat
(at) yahoo (dot) com. --- Talk about what's written on our Message Boards!
This year will be the 116th edition of the meet, the oldest one in the country. The
event was not run in 1917 and 1918 due to the Great War (World War I).
When Peoria High won the inaugural state meet in 1893, its athletes had to
compete in events similar to those in which today's athletes partake in. However,
there were some other events included in the mix that are not in a typical meet
today.
Like almost any concept, new ideas are laid out and then tinkered with to make it
better. The organization of a high school track and field event in the 1890s was
done in this matter. There were many events, and eventually after time some were
dropped. According to the essay “The Early Origins of High School Track and
Field” by Robert Pruter, a “Cook County meet” was organized in 1889. Three
years from now, the sport will celebrate its quasquicentennial.
As unique as the last word in the previous paragraph was, were these particular
defunct events.
Most of the events are field events. They were dropped either due to lack of
interest, safety concerns or complications in measuring.
The IHSA still recognizes the champions in these defunct events, even though it
did not acquire the actual meet until shortly after its founding in the early 1900s.
The earliest meets were conducted by the University of Illinois. Many events were
dropped when the IHSA took over the meet. Some events are still conducted in the
Olympics, as well as in other states' high schools.
If an old-time track and field meet were to make a comeback today, here's what the
events schedule would also include ...
(You may want to play Scott Joplin's “The Entertainer”, or YouTube's “1911 theme”
as you read through the field events. Also imagine these people moving very fast,
like the silent movies.)
Field Events
In addition to the discus, high jump, pole vault, shot put and triple jump, there were
several other field events in the early going.
Hammer Throw – Not like the workshop tool, the “hammer” in this case is a heavy
ball attached to a rope. The winner of the hammer throw is the one who throws the
ball the farthest. The event began in the second year of the Illinois high school
track and field meet (1894) and was discontinued in 1916. The event was briefly
brought back for the 1919 and 1920 meets.
The state record for the hammer throw was an effort of 166 feet, 9.25 inches by R.
Barry of Beardstown in 1910. The lone area state champion was Frank Levings of
Rockford High, who threw 115 feet in 1896.
Javelin Throw – Succeeded the hammer throw beginning in 1919, the same year
the latter event resurfaced. The javelin, a spear which is a couple of feet taller
than most humans, was small enough to be carried several feet in the air
compared to the hammer. Javelins had a pointed end sharp enough to stick into
the ground.
The javelin throw was discontinued after the 1939 state meet, the one that the
state record distance was thrown in. Mendota's Donald Whitmore threw 194 feet,
three inches for the final title. Two years earlier, NCIC foe William Eckhardt of
Rochelle threw a state-championship distance of 177 feet, six inches. Whitmore
and Eckhardt are the only area state javelin throw champions.
Standing Broad Jump – Unlike today's long jump and triple jump, the runner jumps
from a standing position instead of a trek down a runway. The athlete squats and
leaps forward, and must land without falling down.
This event was conducted from 1893 until 1905. No area athletes won a state title
in the standing broad jump, but N.B. Harris of Yorkville was a runner-up in 1894, as
well as a man named Henning for Rochelle in 1901. Dave Daugherty of Biggsville
holds the record leap of 10 feet, 5.25 inches in 1899 to help his school win the
state title that year.
High Kick – Unlike a pom squad, the track and field “high kick” was made possible
by a leap after a sprint. The athlete, in mid-air, would lift his leg as high as
possible. The run gave the athlete a greater jumping distance, and this a greater
kick height.
Not really a popular event, it was conducted from 1893 to 1896. Levings was
second in the event in 1895 and 1896. W.K. Skinner of Yorkville finished third in
the event in 1894, the same year George Morrison of Urbana established the state
record of nine feet, three-quarter inch.
Baseball Throw – When this event was conducted, high school baseball teams
were just being organized in the downstate schools. The object was very simple:
throw a baseball as far as possible.
The event only lasted three years, from 1893 until 1895. Joseph Hunter of
Rockford High placed second in this event in the final edition. Howard Ruggles of
Chicago Hyde Park owns the state record for the longest baseball throw with a toss
of 353 feet, eight and one-half inches – roughly a throw a high school outfielder
would make to home plate.
Football Kick – Even more unpopular was the football kick. In the only year the kick
was conducted, 1893, the size of the football was larger than what it is today –
taller, heavier and looking like a compressed basketball.
Frank Bogardus of Springfield High had the winning kick of 126 feet, which is equal
to 42 yards on a football field.
Standing High Jump and Batted Baseball – These events took place at the
inaugural 1889 Cook County Meet. The object of the standing high jump is simply
jumping up as high as possible, with the distance from ground to the foot's highest
point. The batted baseball was a throw-and-hit process that tested one's eye-hand
coordination.
Tug-of-war and the potato sack race were also held in the 1889 meet.
Track Events
Although most track events were the same then as they are now, a distance
change occurred starting with the 1980 season. Prior to that year, running events
were measured in yards. As America was considering a switch to the metric system
in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the IHSA changed its track distances to meters
to reflect that of the Olympic practices.
The final stretching effort in a dead-heat race will have to come later than usual,
except for the 100-yard dash and the high hurdles.
100-yard dash – or 91.44 meters: Fastest area state title time is held by UT's
Merlyn Hood (9.7 seconds) in 1969. This event was run in the 1889 Cook County
meet.
220-yard dash – or 201.17 meters: Fastest area state title time is held by
Rockford High's Bob Packard (21.0) in 1935.
440-yard dash – or 402.34 meters: Fastest area state title time is held by
Kaneland's Mark Claypool (47.18) in 1977, which is also the state record for that
event. This event was also run in the 1889 Cook County meet. A relay version
started in 1974, but there were no area state champions before the metric
conversion.
880-yard dash – or 804.67 meters: Fastest area state title time is held by
Kaneland's Ron Ackerman (1:53.23) in 1975. A relay version started in 1911, with
the fastest area state title time turned in by UT (1:27.5) in 1971.
1-mile run – or 1,609 meters: Fastest area state title time is held by Belvidere's
Ron Wartgow (4:07.80) in 1976. This event was also run in the 1889 Cook County
meet. The relay version was run on a regular basis starting in 1952, with the
fastest area state title time turned in by Kaneland (3:24.63) in 1975. From 1902 to
1907, the relay distance was two-third of a mile (1,072 meters). The two-third relay
and mile relay were run in alternating years until 1910.
2-mile run – or 3,218 meters: Fastest area state title time is held by Stillman
Valley's Craig Young (9:21.15) in 1975. Unlike the previous distance and dash
events, which began competition in 1893, this event began in 1967. A relay
version started in 1976, but there were no area state champions before the metric
conversion.
120-yard high hurdles – or 109.73 meters: Fastest area state title time is held by
St. Bede's Chet Nosalik (14.15) in 1978. This event began in 1913, and was run in
the 1889 Cook County meet.
The low hurdles had four variations prior to 1979: 220 yards from 1897 to 1935,
200 yards from 1936 to 1950, 180 yards from 1951 to 1973, and 330 yards from
1974 to 1979. We'll use 200 yards for invite purposes. The fastest area state title
time in the 220-yard version was held by F.E. Lord of North Dixon (26.4) in 1905.
The fastest area state title time in the 200-yard version was held by Sterling's
DuWayne Dietz (28.2) in 1948. There were no area state champions in the 180-
yard version. Brent Barth of St. Bede is the lone area state champion in the 330-
yard version (38.0 in 1976).
Walk and Bike, too!
Also included in the earliest track and field meets were bicycle races and walking
races.
Bicycle races were held from 1893 until 1901, and there were three versions of the
race. Bicycles during the turn of the century, contrary to popular belief, were not
the ones with the large front wheel and small rear wheel.
The one-mile bicycle race was held from 1893 until 1901. In 1896, Webb Stevens
of Rockford High was the state champion in the event with a time of 2:53. The state
record is held by West Aurora's David Annis (2:38.6) in 1901.
The 440-yard bicycle race was held from 1896 until 1901. Stevens took second
place in the event in 1896, and a man named Smith from LaSalle-Peru took third in
1901. The 880-yard race was held just once, in 1900 when Ed Keller of Decatur
won in 1:11.
Finally, the question begs ... how does one walk competitively? Be it walking fast,
or just trying to keep a good pace, the walking races were held from 1895 to 1900.
The last four years featured a distance of 880 yards. George Pulford of Savanna
was the state champion in 1897 with a time of 3:32.
The first two years featured a distance of one mile. David Webber of Urbana won
the 1895 race in 8:22, then Willard Doud of Chicago Manual won the following year
in 7:50. Think about those times as you reminisce about blowing off the mile-run in
P.E. class.
Keep in mind, of course, that per IHSA by-laws an individual can only participate in
a maximum of four events.
Cody Cutter is the Publisher of Northern Illinois Sports Beat, and writes columns
about Illinois high school sports. He can be reached at Northernillinoissportsbeat
(at) yahoo (dot) com. --- Talk about what's written on our Message Boards!
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