1968 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships

The 1968 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships men's competition took place between June 19–21 at Hughes Stadium on the campus of Sacramento City College in Sacramento, California. The women's division held their championships separately almost two months later, combined with the Girls Track and Field Championships at Aurora Public School Stadium in Aurora, Colorado. The 20K race walk took place in Long Beach, California on June 29.

The anticipation of the 1968 Summer Olympics affected the choice of Aurora due to the high altitude. The late August date because the entire track and field calendar shifted later due to the late October dates for the Olympics. Being an Olympic year, all races were run in meters.

It was at this meet, on the evening of June 20, 1968, when three men, Jim Hines, Ronnie Ray Smith and Charlie Greene, bettered the (hand timed) world record in the 100 metres (and several others were very close), is famous amongst track and field historians as the "Night of Speed." Hand timing was the official timing system for track and field worldwide for another 9 years. During that time, the record was equalled a further 11 times by six additional individuals but was never beaten.

Results

Men track events

100 meters Charles Greene 10.0w Jim Hines 10.0w Lennox MillerRoger BambuckRonnie Ray Smith 10.1w 200 meters Tommie Smith 20.3 CR John Carlos 20.4 Ronnie Ray Smith 20.6400 meters Lee Evans 45.0 CR Vince Matthews 45.0 CR Wayne Collett 45.4800 meters Wade Bell 1:45.5 CR Mark Winzenried 1:46.5 Byron Dyce John Perry 1:46.51:46.6 1500 meters John Mason 3:43.1 Roscoe Divine 3:43.4 Brian Kivlan 3:44.05000 meters Bob Day 13:50.4 CR Bob Finlay Larry Wieczorek 13:53.413:56.0 Van Nelson 13:56.810,000 meters Tracy Smith 28:47.0 CR Bill Clark 28:56.6 Van Nelson 28:57.6 110 meters hurdles Earl McCullouch 13.64 Tommy Lee White 13.68 Mike Butler 13.80400 meters hurdles Ron Whitney 49.6 CR Gary Knoke Russ Rogers 49.850.3 Andy Bell 50.33000 meters steeplechase George Young 8:30.6 NR Bob Price 8:35.4 Conrad Nightingale 8:38.43000 m racewalk Don DeNoon 12:37.9 Ron Laird 12:40.6 Larry Young 12:49.420 kilometres race walk Ron Laird 1:33:00.0 Larry Young 1:33:05.2 Don DeNoon 1:33:24.4

Men field events

High jumpEd Hanks Otis Burrell Lew Hoyt Pole vaultDick Railsback Jonathan Vaughn Casey Carrigan Long jumpBob Beamon CRRalph Boston Charles Mays Triple jumpArt Walker CRDave Smith Charles Craig Shot putRandy Matson CRDave Maggard George Woods Discus throwJay Silvester Al Oerter Tim Vollmer Hammer throwEd Burke George Frenn Hal Connolly Javelin throwFrank Covelli Gary Stenlund Mark Murro Pentathlon Joe Hilbe 3456 pts All-around decathlon Bill Walsh 7609 pts DecathlonBill Toomey 8037John Warkentin 7370Dick Emberger 7263

Women track events 100 meters Margaret Bailes 11.1 Wyomia Tyus 11.3 Chi ChengMildrette Netter 11.311.4200 meters Wyomia Tyus 23.5 Margaret Bailes 23.7 Mildrette Netter 24.1400 meters Jarvis Scott 52.9 Louise Drinkwater 54.6 Gail Fitzgerald 54.6800 meters Doris Brown 2:05.1 Madeline Manning 2:07.6 Francie Kraker 2:07.81500 meters Jane Hill 4:46.5 Maureen Dickson 4:47.3 Judy Oliver 4:49.380 meters hurdles Mamie Rallins 10.6 Chi ChengPatty Van Wolvelaere 10.711.0 Judy Dyer 11.2

Women field events High jump Theresa Thresher Eleanor Montgomery Sharon Callahan Long jump Willye White Martha Watson Chi ChengBarbara Brown Shot put Maren Seidler Lynn Graham Carmelita Capilla Discus throw Olga Connolly Carol Moseke Nancy Norberg Javelin throw Barbara Friedrich RaNae Bair Louise Gerrish Pentathlon Chi ChengPatricia Daniels-Winslow 48234481 Barbara Emerson 4327 Jan Glotzer 4319

Men's 100 m results Semi-finals Semi-final 1 (Wind +0.8 mps) Rank Name Nationality Time Notes1 Jim Hines 9.9 (10.03) WR 2 Ronnie Ray Smith 9.9 (10.14) WR3 Mel Pender 10.0 =existing WR 4 Larry Questad 10.0 =existing WR 6 Kirk Clayton 10.0 =existing WR 6 Ernie Provost 10.0 =existing WR Semi-final 2 (Wind +0.9 mps) Rank Name Nationality Time Notes1 Charlie Greene 9.9 (10.10) WR2 Lennox Miller 10.0 =existing WR3 Roger Bambuck 10.0 =existing WR

Heats Heat 1 (Wind +2.8 mps) Rank Name Nationality Time Notes1 Jim Hines 9.8w 2 Ronnie Ray Smith 10.0w Heat 2 (Wind +2.8 mps) Rank Name Nationality Time Notes1 Mel Pender 10.0w Heat 3 (Wind +2.7 mps) Rank Name Nationality Time Notes1 Lennox Miller 10.0w 2 Bill Gaines 10.0w Heat 4 (Wind +2.0 mps) Rank Name Nationality Time Notes1 Charlie Greene 10.0 =WR2 Roger Bambuck 10.0 =WR

See also United States Olympic Trials (track and field)

References

Results from T&FN results