Bears, Wolf Pack, Indians, and Trojans

[DoubleRBar]

Happy birthday today (Thursday) to an Olympic champion who was born on a Thursday 112 years ago this day in June.

This Olympic champion was born in the same city where this individual won that Olympic gold medal.

Don't worry about the hurdles when trying to think of an Olympic event for our birthday person.

The Olympic gold medal won by our birthday athlete came with a world record.

Some of you may have been to Monrovia (it's fairly close to two important track & field venues).

Our birthday champion has a definite connection with Monrovia.

About 32 years ago, our birthday person died just two weeks before turning 80 years old.

You might already know that this athlete competed in only one Olympic Games.

Please try and name our birthday individual on this first Thursday of June.

Remember, no research is allowed.

Good luck.

[cigar95]

Timing suggests Los Angeles 1932, and Monrovia is in LA County.

The hint suggests perhaps (s)he ran on a relay that consisted of runners from Cal, NC State, Stanford and USC.

Monrovia is (somewhat) close to Mt SAC, Arcadia and Azusa Pacific. But my guess is that one of your two is the Coliseum.

Also, welcome back DoubeR! I was a bit worried about you, particularly when Szewinska's birthday passed with no puzzle.

[DoubleRBar]

You have a lot of correct clues, cigar95. Yes, Monrovia is in Los Angeles County. Yes, our birthday athlete ran on a relay team and you have all the correct colleges except North Carolina State. I can tell you that this champion ran the third leg in the L.A. Coliseum. Not sure if that helps.

Thank you, cigar95. I spent several days in the Eugene area (saw the Pre Classic) and didn't have the time to do any quizzes.

[cigar95]

I was going to add Nevada but I didn't know how old the school is. (Until fairly recently they were "Nevada-Reno", but many schools had quite different names when one goes back 50 years or more.) Can't think of another Wolfpack offhand.

Aside - one of the best trivia questions I've gotten in my years in the sport is to name the major-division colleges whose nickname does not end in "s" and does not include a color. (So Alabama and Tulane, for instance, are out.)

[DoubleRBar]

I will tell you that our birthday athlete was not a part of the Wolf Pack. For that leg of the relay (Wolf Pack), you would have to go to Louisiana. The most "famous" leg (anchor) was the Trojan.

[cigar95]

I will tell you that our birthday athlete was not a part of the Wolf Pack. For that leg of the relay (Wolf Pack), you would have to go to Louisiana. The most "famous" leg (anchor) was the Trojan.

I rarely know the clues from the older games, but I think most of us here would know Frank Wykoff ran anchor and went to USC. So for me to remember that much is no big deal.

Now the birthday boy, I'll have to wait for our experts to show up.

[DoubleRBar]

Yes, Frank Wykoff (USC) anchored the winning relay.

[dj]

If Stanford corresponds to the third leg I'll say Hey Dyer from Stanford. Otherwise it was Bob Kiesel from Cal, but I'm guessing he's the first leg. I'm at a loss on the Wolfpacker.

[mcgato]

Aside - one of the best trivia questions I've gotten in my years in the sport is to name the major-division colleges whose nickname does not end in "s" and does not include a color. (So Alabama and Tulane, for instance, are out.)

Similar question was asked and answered in this thread. Starts at post number 14.
https://forum.trackandfieldnews.com/...-name-question

[DoubleRBar]

Hec Dyer was born in Los Angeles 112 years ago yesterday (Thursday). Very good, dj.

Hec Dyer did go to Stanford and he did run the third leg on the U.S. four by 100 relay in Los Angeles at the 1932 Olympics.

Bob Kiesel (Cal) ran the first leg and Frank Wykoff was the anchor. The second leg was run by the athlete from the Wolf Pack.

The American team set a world record of 40.0 and they didn't even use their top three sprinters. At the 1932 U.S. Olympic Trials at Stanford University, the first three finishers in the men's 100 were Ralph Metcalfe (Marquette), Eddie Tolan (from Detroit), and George Simpson (from Columbus, Ohio). Eddie Tolan would go on to win the Olympic 100 in Los Angeles.

Frank Wykoff (USC) finished fourth in those Olympic Trials and the man who finished in fifth place was the mystery athlete who ran the second leg on the winning relay in Los Angeles.

Hec Dyer had a grandfather named William N. Monroe and to make a long story much shorter, William Monroe founded the city of Monrovia in Los Angeles County (not too far from Mt. SAC and Azusa Pacific).

Hec Dyer died in 1990 at the age of 79.

Thank you dj, cigar95, and mcgato.

[noone]

Subsidiary challenge: name another athletics OG medalist named Hec or Hector.

[bambam1729]

Subsidiary challenge: name another athletics OG medalist named Hec or Hector.

Hector Hogan (AUS)

[Trickstat]

I feel there might have been a Hector from a Spanish speaking country. Perhaps someone like a Cuban relay runner?

[cigar95]

. . . . . . . whereas Monrovia the capital of Liberia was named after James Monroe, 5th president of the United States.

Is the athlete from the Wolfpack now a secondary quiz? Looking it up, I had no idea this school existed. It does still exist under the same name, I see.

[DoubleRBar]

Yes, I believe the athlete running the second leg in Los Angeles (1932) is now in question. This sprinter received the baton from Bob Kiesel (Cal), ran his leg, and gave the baton to Hec Dyer (Stanford and the answer to our birthday quiz). Of course Dyer gave the baton to Frank Wykoff (USC).