US 7 footers HJ Trivia

[dukehjsteve]

It was a LONG time ago, but it seems that there was a quantum increase in the # of HJ'ers getting up to the 7'0"-7'2" level in the 1961-1964 period, all this well before the Flop caused an even bigger qwuantum improvement.

The simple reason for the early 6o's improvement was:

All-Weather/Rubberized( anything but cinders) Takeoffs ! They did not exist before about 1962, and then were almost universla within 5 years. Anyone disagree ?

Similar improvements of even greater magnitude occurred in the lj and 3j, particularly the latter, and when tartan realy took over, that's when the 3j took off ! All today's 57-59+ 3j'ers would be jumping 55-56 on cinders.

[EastBayprepoftheweek67]

Here's the situation:

TF&N was keeping track of who was what over 7 ft in 1963.

Hoyt got his picture and a mention in the Mar. '63 issue of TF&N for being # 7 USA over 7 ft in Feb. '63.

Stuber got a mention in the Jul. '63 TF&N "US Report" for being # 10 USA over 7 ft in June.

In its May '63 issue, TF&N had headlined an article, "Two Jayseers Jump Seven." The article by Fred Baer noted merely that, "John Rambo of Long Beach City College and Otis Burrell of Los Angeles Valley both high jumped an e ven[sic] seven feet as Southern Californians let loose with a host of good marks in the Southern California JC championships at Mt. San Antonio College on May 18."

So the question now is: Which one, Rambo or Burrell, was # 8 and which one was # 9?

(I don't know the answer, and unless TF&N mentioned the positioning in later bio details on the two, or someone here was at the meet and recalls, or someone can ask Rambo and / or Burrell …)

[dukehjsteve]

First high schooler might have been Bill McClellon.

I had always thought he jumped 7 at 168 St. but I never found any record of it. I thought it was at one of the all-comers meets on Thursday night.

I just checked this one out:

Bill McClellon was indeed the # 1 HS'er over 7 feet, and he did it in the biggest arena of all, the AAU champs in San Diego in 1965. He finished 3rd in 7'0". Otis Burrell was 1st at the same height, and Ed Caruthers was 2nd at 7'0" too. All 3 made it on the first try, but Burrell was clean all the way up, Caruthers had 1 miss at 6'10", and McClellon had missed twice at both 6'10" and at 6'11" . All 3 missed thrice at 7'1" .

McClellon was only a junior. The next year as a senior he jumped a whopping 6'7.5". He jumped 6'10" at Southern in 1968.

[wineturtle]

First high schooler might have been Bill McClellon.

I had always thought he jumped 7 at 168 St. but I never found any record of it. I thought it was at one of the all-comers meets on Thursday night.

[dukehjsteve]

Richard Ross we haven't mentioned so far. 1964 or 65. Phil Shinnick was a fairly early 7ft jumper also but not until '65 .

I do not believe Shinnick ever jumped 7 feet. For sure he did not in 1965 ; I just looked it up.

Phil was a vehement poster here about 4 years ago when he was still agitating for formal WR approval of his 27'4" .

[Per Andersen]

Richard Ross we haven't mentioned so far. 1964 or 65. Phil Shinnick was a fairly early 7ft jumper also but not until '65 .

[dukehjsteve]

First high schooler might have been Bill McClellon.

[dukehjsteve]

It would taking poring through old T&FN's for 1962-64 to work out the chronologies you ask about, but for sure Frank Costello was not in there... he was only a soph in 1965 when he won the NCAA , and first jumped 7 feet the next year. He sure drubbed me enough times on the ACC circuit in 1965... glad frosh couldn't compete, as the same thing would have happened in 1964.

[jhc68]

Steve, do we know the real sequencing past #6 ? I'm guessing at your first six:

Dumas, Thomas, Faust, Avant, Gardner, Johnson... then Stuber, Hoyt, Rambo, Burrell, Caruthers (maybe in that order).... after that, who knows? Dobroth, Castello (the only one of these guys I never saw jump) or did Fehlen sneak in with a 7 foot jump before some of these guys? Then they come fast and furious - way too many for me to sort out or recall: Hanks, Heet, Max Lowe, Bob Channell (?), Hatfield (or was it Hartfield?), did Gene Zubrinsky have a 7 footer? And what was the other guy's name from San Jose St.? Or even Ralph Boston? By 1968 even decathletes were clearing 7 feet (Rick Sloan?)

And who was the first high schooler? I'm thinking someone before Rey Brown but I'm not sure who it was...

[dukehjsteve]

[quote="KDFINE"]To Dukehjsteve, no I did not use any sources to answer. When I posted the second time realizing that you wanted 6 and not 5, I was stumped. I sat at the keyboard thinking about listing either Carruthers or Burrell, being positive that either would be the wrong answer (never even had Stuber or Hoyt enter my mind), and Gene Johnson flashed before me. Avant with his dive, Garner without his shoe, and Johnson with his style, were all different from the conventional straddles of Dumas, Thomas and Faust.[/q


I certainly did not mean to imply anything off-base. You're a real expert at this no doubt !!

[KDFINE]

To Dukehjsteve, no I did not use any sources to answer. When I posted the second time realizing that you wanted 6 and not 5, I was stumped. I sat at the keyboard thinking about listing either Carruthers or Burrell, being positive that either would be the wrong answer (never even had Stuber or Hoyt enter my mind), and Gene Johnson flashed before me. Avant with his dive, Garner without his shoe, and Johnson with his style, were all different from the conventional straddles of Dumas, Thomas and Faust.

[mrbowie]

I think Stuber came before Hoyt.

I loved to watch both jump.

Stuber was so smooth. He was my favorite jumper to watch.

Hoyt was all power, a guy with massive thighs and tremendous strength.

Stuber was a few years older than Lew.

[Per Andersen]

7, 8, 9, 10 ???
I've got no firm idea, really, but possibly... Stuber (did he have a 7 footer?), Burrell, Rambo... Caruthers? Who am I overlooking?

Stuber did 7ft, maybe in '63, but before or after Lew Hoyt?. Those guys did it before Rambo/Caruthers I think.

[jhc68]

7, 8, 9, 10 ???
I've got no firm idea, really, but possibly... Stuber (did he have a 7 footer?), Burrell, Rambo... Caruthers? Who am I overlooking?

[dukehjsteve]

Oh, you want 6, not 5. Now you've got me. Gene Johnson.

KD you are 100 % correct. Assuming you knew all that w/o "help", I am truly impressed ! Good work.