US 7 footers HJ Trivia

[dukehjsteve]

OK, here's a toughie:

Sure, we all know who the first US ( and World) 7 footer was, and also probably know who the next US 7 footer was... he was pretty good !. A few HJ aficionados might also know who # 3 US and # 4 US were. But can anyone name # 5 and # 6 on the US " I jumped 7 feet" list ? Just for the record, then, simply name all 6 in chronological order ! I defy anyone to get this right. NO CHEATING !

[KDFINE]

Dumas, Thomas, Faust, Avant, Gardner!

[KDFINE]

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

[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.

[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?

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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 !!

[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]

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.

[dukehjsteve]

First high schooler might have been Bill McClellon.

[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]

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" .

[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.