1939 NCAA track and field championships explained

1939 NCAA Track and Field Championships
Host City:Los Angeles, California
Events:14
Dates:June 1939
Stadium:Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Previous:1938
Next:1940

The 1939 NCAA Track and Field Championships was the 18th NCAA track and field championship. The event was held at the University of Southern California's Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in June 1939. The University of Southern California won its fifth consecutive team title.[1]

The individual high scorers at the meet were William Watson of Michigan, who scored in three events, and double hurdles champion Fred Wolcott of Rice. Both finished with 20 points.

Additionally, the NCAA hosted the first ever separate cross country national championships during the 1938–39 season. The 1938 NCAA Men's Cross Country Championships were held in November 1938 in East Lansing, Michigan; Indiana won the team event and Greg Rice, from Notre Dame, won the individual event.

Team scoring

Rank Team Points
Southern California 86
31
24
22
20
18
16

Track events

100-yard dash
1. Mozel Ellerbe, Tuskegee - 9.8 seconds[2]
2. Clyde Jeffrey, Stanford
3. Willis, USC
4. Jordan, USC
5. Ledford, Washington State

120-yard high hurdles
1. Fred Wolcott, Rice - 14.2 seconds
2. Smith, Wisconsin
3. Corpening, North Carolina
4. Wright, Oklahoma A&M<br>5. Kinzle, Duke
6. Gatewood, Texas

220-yard dash
1. Clyde Jeffrey, Stanford - 21.1 seconds
2. Ledford, Washington State
3. Pettichord, Washington State
4. Jordan, USC
5. Ohl, Pitt

220-yard low hurdles
1. Fred Wolcott, Rice - 23 seconds
2. Earl Vickery, USC
3. Cochran, Indiana
4. Marshall, Butler
5. Hawkins, Stanford

440-yard dash
1. Erwin Miller, USC - 47.5 seconds
2. Watts, California
3. Simmons, Nebraska
4. Upton, USC
5. Breidenbach, Michigan

880-yard run
1. John Woodruff, Pitt - 1:51.3
2. Giddings, NYU
3. Dale, Washington State
4. Moore, Stanford
5. Storli, Oregon

One-mile run
1. Louis Zamperini, USC - 4:13.6
2. Walter Mehl, Wisconsin
3. John Munski, Missouri
4. Holderman, Purdue
5. Girard, Stanford

Two-mile run
1.Gregory Rice, Notre Dame - 9:02.6 (NCAA record)
2. Ralph Schwarzkopf, Michigan
3. Efaw, Oklahoma A&M<br>4. Dodds, Ashland
5. Garner, Washington State

Field events

Broad jump
1. Judson Atchison, Texas - 24feet
2. Billy Brown, LSU - 24feet
3. Turner, UCLA - 24feet
4. William Watson, Michigan - 24feet
5. Manuel, California - 24 feet

High jump
1. Johnny Wilson, USC - 6feet
2. Mallery, USC
2. Diefenthaler, Illinois
4. Burke, Marquette
4. Arrington, Michigan State
4. Lincoln, Stanford
4. Du Fresne, Oregon State

Pole vault
1. Ganslen, Columbia - 14feet
2. Day, USC
2. Padway, Wisconsin
2. Varoff, Oregon

Discus throw
1. Pete Zagar, Stanford - 164feet
2. William Watson, Michigan - 161feet
3. Harris, Indiana
4. White, Tulane
5. Faymonville, Notre Dame

Javelin
1. Bob Peoples, USC - 220feet
2. Boyd Brown, Oregon
3. DeGroot, USC
4. Vukmanic, Penn
5. Graham, Texas

Shot put
1. Elmer Hackney, Kansas State - 55feet (NCAA and American record)
2. William Watson, Michigan - 54feet
3. Lilburn Williams, Xavier New Orleans - 53feet
4. Andersen, Stanford
5. Wohl, Stanford

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: Here Are Complete Summaries on N.C.A.A. Championships. Los Angeles Times. 1939-06-18.
  2. Officials initially ruled that Jeffrey had won the race. Following review of the tapes, it was determined that Ellerbe's torso was the first to cross the line, and he was awarded first place.