Smith, Frederick lead 2007 inductees to National Track & Field Hall of Fame
Posted Tuesday, 20 November, 2007
INDIANAPOLIS - Track & field legends Calvin Smith and Jane Frederick headline a group of five inductees for the National Track & Field Hall of Fame Class of 2007. The inductees, announced Tuesday by USA Track & Field, also include Veteran athletes Glenn Morris and George Woods, as well as former UCLA coaching great Elvin C. "Ducky" Drake.
The Class of 2007 will be inducted Saturday evening, December 1, at the Jesse Owens Awards and Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, held in conjunction with USATF's 2007 Annual Meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii.
"Induction into the National Track & Field Hall of Fame is the ultimate honor for our athletes and coaches, and these five special individuals richly deserve this recognition of their remarkable careers," said USATF President Bill Roe. "We look forward to honoring them in Honolulu as they take their well-earned place among the all-time greats of American track and field."
One of America's finest sprinters, Calvin Smith was a two-time World Outdoor Championships 200m gold medalist, the 1988 Olympic Games 100m bronze medalist and a former world record holder at 100 meters.
One of the greatest all-around female athletes in U.S. history, Jane Frederick held the U.S. heptathlon record five timesand won the U.S. heptathlon national title a record nine times.
In one of the most unique careers in track and field., Glenn Morris competed in the men's decathlon only three times, but he made them count. He broke the world record twice and won the 1936 Olympic gold medal.
The U.S. has produced many of the finest men's shot putters in the world, and George Woods certainly has earned his place in that. A three-time Olympian, Woods won the silver medal twice and set six indoor world bests during his career.
Affiliated with UCLA for more than 60 years as a student-athlete, track coach and trainer, Elvin C. "Ducky" Drake coached Hall of Famer and Olympic decathlon gold medalist Rafer Johnson, along with four other Olympic medalists. In 1956 led the Bruins to their first NCAA team track title.
About the National Track & Field Hall of Fame
There are four categories in which individuals may be voted into the Hall of Fame. Those categories are: Modern athletes, retired less than 25 years; Veteran athletes, retired more than 25 years or more; Coaches; and Contributors. Each category has its own selection committee that chooses the finalists from the list of nominations. Members of the selection committees examine the nominations and evaluate their merit based on objective criteria. Elections for Modern and Veteran athletes are held each year.
Beginning in 2005, elections for Coaches are held in odd numbered years, with Contributors elections in even numbered years. Hall of Fame inductees, members of the National Track & Field Hall of Fame Board and Committees and members of the media comprise the electorate for the National Track & Field Hall of Fame
Class of 2007 biographies
Biographies for the "Class of 2007" for the National Track & Field Hall of Fame follow:
MODERN ATHLETES
JANE FREDERICK: Considered one of the top U.S. women's combined-events athletes in history, Frederick won the U.S. heptathlon national title a record nine times. A two-time Olympian in the pentathlon and heptathlon, Frederick's best finish was seventh at the 1976 Games in Montreal. She competed in two World Outdoor Championships as a member of Team USA, winning the bronze medal in 1987. Frederick set the U.S. heptathlon record on five occasions and was the U.S. pentathlon record holder five times. Frederick's heptathon personal best of 6,803 points places her as the world all-time #14 best performer. Frederick was ranked top ten among world combined eventers by Track & Field News 11 times (#1 in 1985). In addition to her prowess in the heptathlon, Frederick won the U.S. outdoor 100m hurdles titles in 1975 and 1976, and the U.S. indoor hurdles crown in 1977.
CALVIN SMITH: Known for his smooth, efficient running style and his quiet demeanor, Smith was one of the finest 100m and 200m competitors in history. On July 3, 1983, he set the 100m world record of 9.93 seconds, bettering the previous record set by Jim Hines that stood for almost 15 years. Later that summer, at the inaugural World Outdoor Championships in Helsinki, Smith won gold medals in the 200 meters and the 4x100m relay, in addition to the silver medal in the 100 meters. At the 1987 World Outdoors in Rome, Smith successfully defended his world 200m title. At the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, he won the gold medal in the 4x100m relay, teaming up with Sam Graddy, Ron Brown and Carl Lewis in setting the then world record of 37.83 seconds. Also in Olympic competition, Smith won the 100m bronze medal at the 1988 Games in Seoul, Korea. The 1982 USA Outdoor 200m champ, Smith was world-ranked 10 times at 100m, and world-ranked seven times at 200 meters (#1 in 1983) by Track & Field News.
VETERAN ATHLETES
GLENN MORRIS: Although Glenn Morris only competed in three decathlon competitions in his life, he certainly made the most of his opportunities. Following his graduation from Colorado A&M, where his greatest success came in the 400m hurdles, Morris began training in earnest for the decathlon and set the American record when he won the decathlon at the 1936 Kansas Relays with 7,576 points. He won the 1936 Olympic Trials with a world record total of 7,875 points, though the performance was never submitted for ratification. Morris easily won the gold medal at the 1936 Olympics with his world record total of 7,900 points (7,254 on today's scoring tables), which gave him a winning margin of 299 points over silver medalist Bob Clark of the U.S. The 1936 AAU Sullivan Award winner, Morris later played football for the Detroit Lions of the NFL and starred in the 1938 feature film, Tarzan's Revenge. He died of congestive heart failure on January 31, 1974.
GEORGE WOODS: Known for his competitive nature and ability to throw well on the biggest stages, George Woods was an accomplished and consistent performer throughout his career. A three-time Olympian, Woods won the silver medal in the men's shot put in 1968 and again in 1972, after winning the Olympic Trials both years. Woods, who won the USA indoor shot put title four times, set six world indoor records, with five of them coming in 1974. While at Southern Illinois University, Woods was the 1966 NCAA indoor shot put champion. More than 30 years after achieving his personal best throw of 22.02 meters/72 feet 3 inches, Woods is still the #6 indoor performer in history. He was ranked top ten on six occasions by Track & Field News, and #1 in 1972.
COACH
ELVIN C. "DUCKY" DRAKE: The head coach at UCLA from 1947-1964 (Asst. Coach 1929-1944), Drake led the Bruins to the 1956 NCAA outdoor team title. Over his career, seven of his athletes won nine NCAA individual titles and 12 national AAU crowns. Named the NCAA Track & Field Coach of the Year in 1956, Drake was the coach of National Track & Field Hall of Famer Rafer Johnson, who won the gold medal in the decathlon at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome. Johnson barely edged out Bruin teammate and fellow Drake protégé C.K Yang, who captured the silver medal in one of the most dramatic duels in Olympic history. Other Olympians coached by Drake include gold medalist Cy Young (1952), bronze medalists Craig Dixon ('48) and George Roubanis ('56), as well as George Stanich ('48), George Brown ('52), and Nagalingam Ethirveerasingham ('56). In 1973, the UCLA track stadium was named in his honor, and in 1984, he was inducted into the UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame as a charter member.
For more information on the National Track & Field Hall of Fame, visit: www.usatf.org.
Contact:
Tom Surber
Media Information Manager
USA Track & Field
317-713-4690
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