University of Southern California - El Rodeo Yearbook (Los Angeles, CA)

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Joe Graffio leads the way to the tape in the Century Track and Field is almost synonymous with the name Trojans from the Uni- versity of Southern California. Troy has taken more NCAA track and field titles than all the other winners added together, and at this writing things don t look like they will be any different during the 1954 season. To any other school the loss of a Big Three like Jack Davis, Parry O Brien and Sim Iness would have spelled death: but not at Troy. Jack Larsen, Manager This marks Jack ' s third year as a man- ager of Trojan track teams, this year in the capacity of senior manager. He has quite a job arranging trips as the spikesters travel throughout the nation. Jack is an Accounting major. Best 1953 Varsity Times and Distances 100: Graffio 9.6 (n): Sorgen 9.8 (n): Childs 9.9 (n). 220: Lea 21.1: Sorgen 21.3 (n): Wilger 21.4 (n): Graffio 21.6 (n) (n): Griffin 48.7 (n) Davis 21.1 (n) 440: Lea 47.0: Sorgen 47.6 880: Sweet 1:57.9 (n). MILE: Root 4:18.3. 2 MILE: Adams 9:37.0 (n): Bungay 9:56.3 (n). 120 HIGHS: Davis 13.8 (13.6 w): Wright 14.2 (n). 220 LOWS: Davis 22.8; Clarke 23.6 (n); Wright 23.8 (n) HIGH JUMP: Shelton 6-9 7 8; Ronquilio 6-6; Leach 6-5. POLE VAULT: Hecht 13-4. BROAD JUMP: Sorgen 24-1 1 4. SHOT PUT: O ' Brien 59-2 1 4; Torgan 49-2. DISCUS: Iness 190- 7 8; O ' Brien 177-2 3 4; Torgan 146-6. JAVELIN: Genther 216-9 3 4. RELAYS: 440: 41.1 880: 1:25.6 MILE: 3:11.7 Hendrix 49.1 (n). 267

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sc. sc. sc sc. sc sc. sc. 1953 Track Scores .101 University of Arizona 30 . 73 1 3 San Diego State 19 us Naval Training Center... 69 . 92 1 6 Occidental 43 . 79 3 4 Stanford 51 . 83 2 3 LAAC 52 . 78 California 53 75 UCLA 56 2 3 5 6 SC First West Coast Relays SC First California Relays SC First PCC Championships SC First NCAA Championships Jess Mortcnsen, Head Track Coach Having led Troy to three consecutive NCAA cham- pionships in as many years of coaching the track team, Mort has established himself as one of the great track coaches of all times. As an undergraduate. Jess was one of the world ' s best all-around athletes, having at one time held the world record for the decathlon. 1954 Trojan Track Team Front Row: Asst. Coach Gray Berg, Walt Levack. J. B. Hutchins. Dick Hecht, Mike Thurman, Ernie Amador, Chuck Prophet. Joe Graffiio, Ron Ley. Pat Coyle, Jon Arnett, Dave Bungay, Will Wright, Director of Athletics Willi.s O. Hunter. Second Row: Head Coach Jess Mortensen, Twig Chambers, Mike Larrabee, Ron Childs, Ed Sommers. John Morgan, Bill Taylor, Lou Bortolin, Corky Phillips, Ron Evans. Marty Montgomery. Chuck Beeman, Dick Weber. Third Row: George Root, Fernando Ledesma. Howard Smith. Sherwin Sosnovsky, Rod Wilger, Howard Bugbee, Hank Kctels, Al Barry, Fred Edwards, Leon Clarke, Dick Adams. | Row: Manage bn Fullenhowe khn Doe, Dou ijala. Ernie S n. Leon Patterson, Des Koch, Hillard Torgan, Senior Manager Jack MKn. Bugbee, » n 266

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Co-capt. Will Wright Will has had the unfortunate circum- stance of competing on the same team with Jack Davis, a fact causing Will not to receive the recognition due him. He is a much better than average high hurdler, his best time being 14.2. SC ' s Jack-of-All-Trades, Verle Sorgen, Goes 23-6 Last year marked the fifth year in as many tries that the Trojans copped the NCAA Championships. Men from Troy accounted for 6 of the first place titles. These were: Sim Iness in the discus; Parry O ' Brien, shotput; Dick Genther. javelin; Jack Davis, high and low hurdles; and Jim Lee, 440. The highlight was Iness ' world record twirl of 190 ft. J in. Co-capt. Jim Lea Jim Lea rates as one of the best 440 men ever to run for Troy. His 47 flat quarter in the NCAA championships last year was the fastest recorded by a college student in ' 53. Jim should have another great year in ' 54. Slim Jim Lea Shows Why He Was the Best College 440 Man in ' 53 Seldom in the history of many schools does a world champion appear, but to Troy it ' s old stuff in track. Last year both Sim Iness and Parry O ' Brien broke the e-xisting world records in their specialties. Sim set his record at the NCAA finals in Lincoln, Neb., with a distance of a little over 190 ft. Parry broke Jim Fuchs ' world mark twice last year, with his best put slightly over 59 ft. 2 in. 268