"The Class A and State Record is 14 Flat Set by Tom Dakin of Whitefish Bay in 1962." Anybody who attended the State Track Meet from 1965 to 1979 heard PA announcer Bill Cross blast out those memorable words in that unique, booming voice. Bill had been the Bays head track coach from 1958 to … Continue reading So Just How Good Was Tom Dakin’s 14.0 In The 120 High Hurdles In 1962?
Here are the Bay school records for relay events as they stood in 1967. So who are these ?? ? guys from 1942 and is it believable that they ran the 440 Relay in 44.2? After all, the great Bay sprinting teams of 1969 to 1971 ran 44.2, 44.1 and 44.1 when winning the event … Continue reading What’s Up With That 44.2 440 Relay In 1942?
Shorewood and West Allis Central did some monopolizing, but not enough, apparently. The Bay, led by double-event champions Bob Brown, Fritz Forrer and Jim Mitchell, won six events and somehow found a way to win the Suburban Relays by 20 points. They did this despite missing sprinters Joe Kiehm, Jim Bremer and John Smith due … Continue reading 1946: Mothers Day
In 1948 LeRoy Collins of Green Bay East became the first WIAA athlete to run the 440 in under 50 seconds at the State Meet, turning in a 49.5 at Camp Randall. The number of sub-50's run in the years directly after at any Wisconsin high school meet were few and far between. And no … Continue reading The Bay 440 School Record Progression
At the State Track Meet nobody cares what you've done during the season or during your career. The only thing that matters is what you do on the day of the State Meet. Heading into his senior season in 1975, Tom Callahan had put together a solid career in the Pole Vault. In his first … Continue reading Tom Callahan: The Great Ones Do It On The Day
I don't want to live in a world where polka dot shorts aren't in style.
The Bay had Fritz Forrer and they didn't.
Brian Bergemann, class of 1962, is one of the great pole vaulters in state history. This is a difficult write-up. Since Brian was so over-the-top dominant, there simply isn't all that much that can be added to the record. As a sophomore in 1960, Brian was an understudy to senior Bob Pepper, one of the … Continue reading Brian Bergemann: A Reliable Boy
Howie Zien, class of 1967, was one of the great Bay athletes, a true Mount Rushmore type. He won an astounding 10 letters -- three football, three basketball and four track and field. His senior year was as good as it gets: team captain on Suburban Conference champion football, basketball and track teams. Howie’s well-deserved … Continue reading Howie Zien: The 10 Letter Man
The 1947 Suburban Outdoor was "one of the tightest point scrambles in conference cinder history". At Hart Park in Wauwatosa, the Bay finished third in the meet's final event - the 880 Relay - and those six points (the relay counted double in that era) were enough to move the Bay past Wauwatosa to win … Continue reading 1947: Attempted Larceny
John Seefeld is the younger of the Bays great throwing Seefelds. Phil Seefeld won the State Discus title in 1961 and then John won it in 1964. Here are John's results in Suburban, Sectional and State meets in 1963 and 1964, with distance if known: Discus 1963 Suburban Relays: 1st 151-0 1963 Sectional: 1st 160-4 … Continue reading John Seefeld: Hurling The Platter
Here's an article from 1950 listing the officials for the meets to be held at Bay. Some observations: 1) Many of these guys were still at it decades later. 2) Bill Graham graduated from the Bay in 1935 and his 25.1 in the 220 Yard Low Hurdles that year at Camp Randall set the overall … Continue reading 1950: Bay Track Officials
Phil Valley's 14.4 obliterated the overall 120 High Hurdles State record (14.7). Defending State champion Bob Albrecht of the Bay finished second. In the subsequent 18 State meets where the event was run over 36" hurdles, only four guys in all classes ran faster, with one of them being Jim Mitchell of the Bay in … Continue reading 1942
Bob McCahill, class of 1938, was one of the great Bay athletes of the early years. Bob was at minimum a nine-time letterman, earning three each in football, basketball and track. He was All-Suburban in football as a senior and in the fourth Glory Cup game scored the winning PAT on a line plunge, 7-6 … Continue reading Bob McCahill: Heaving The Iron Pellet
Indoor practices were a challenge in the days prior to the construction of the Memorial Gym. They had the hallways and dungeon. And it's not like the Memorial Gym was all that big a help, either.
