{"id":336,"date":"2015-09-17T01:30:36","date_gmt":"2015-09-17T06:30:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fredsportsextra.com\/?p=336"},"modified":"2016-05-21T19:18:08","modified_gmt":"2016-05-22T00:18:08","slug":"look-back-ous-national-freshmen-record-440-relay","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fredsportsextra.com\/?p=336","title":{"rendered":"Look Back: OU’s National Freshmen Record 440 Relay"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Wayne Long-High School sprinter and All-American 1968, 60 yard dash \u2013 University of Oklahoma-Photo\u00a0 Credit: OU<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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This\u00a02009\u00a0photo of three of the 1966 OU Freshmen 440 yard relay team that tied the National Freshmen record of 40.7 (twice).\u00a0They beat the varsity (1966 Big 8 champions-OU) one week after they had won the Big 8 meet, and\u00a0their time was one-tenth of a second faster than the (OU varsity)\u00a0Big 8 championship time. Left to RIght: Coach Martin, Wayne Long, Glen Long, Mike Gregory. Missing is Rip Van Winkle. The Long\u2019s are from OKC, Van Winkle and Mike Gregory from Midwest City. All lived within five miles of each other in high school.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Travel back in time to 1965. Track field at Murray State College in Tishomingo OK; a fine spring Saturday afternoon. A high school track meet hosted by the junior college, bringing the finest track speedsters in the state together for a run off. In fact, a trio of three of the fastest high school dash men in the country, including twins from one inner-city high school in Oklahoma City, Glenn and Wayne Long, and the fastest white kid in Oklahoma High School history, a two-time State Champion at the distance of 100 yards, a kid named Rip Van Winkle. In all, the three had dominated the track scene from their sophomore days and all three had multiple State Titles before their senior year.<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

At a time when the World\u2019s Record for the 100 yard dash was held by the great Bob Hayes at 9.0 seconds (and also the future holder of the 100 meter record at 10.0), the trio would pushing the limits of the 100, with all three timed at various meets in their high school careers at 9.5, non-wind aided.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

The three would line up for the most significant race in Oklahoma high school track<\/strong><\/em> history.\u00a0 As their schools didn\u2019t compete\u00a0in the same state division, this race\u00a0against each other was rare.\u00a0All three were state champions and high school\u00a0All-Americans as juniors.<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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As a footnote, the Long brothers were black, Van Winkle, as already mentioned, white. At the time it was believed that \u201cwhite\u201d men couldn\u2019t be fast, or at least, not as fast as a black man.\u00a0 Fact was that all three, in the time of racial inequality, of blatant racism across the county, with the\u00a0 historically significant events of Dr. Martin Luther King to follow, the three lived within five miles of each other and were friends in every respect<\/strong><\/em><\/span>. (They would all attend the Univ. of Oklahoma after high school to win Big 8 individual championships, both as team mates on relay teams and as individuals in dash events.)<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

As each runner set himself in the blocks of the 100 yard dash, the thousand or so true track fans were to witness high school greatness. At the gun the Long twins and Van Winkle didn\u2019t give an inch and after 100\u00a0of the\u00a0fastest ever\u00a0yards, all three were clocked (non-wind aided) in running the fastest 100 yard dash in Oklahoma history, with Glen Long breaking the tape for the win. With that, all three ran a 9.4 100, when the State record had been previously set at 9.5 by all three. A .4 off the world record and a .2 off a future and still high school record set in 1971 by Pharnell Raines in Florida (at 9.2).<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Rip Van Winkle was the most decorated Oklahoma trackster of his time is alive and kicking.\u00a0Of the \u00a0Long twins Wayne has passed but Glenn is, like Rip, alive also. The day belonged to the trio in the greatest 100 yard dash in state history. The greatest day in Oklahoma track and field\u00a0for my money. And yes, I was there.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The Records and Titles:
\nRip Van Winkle:<\/span><\/strong><\/em>
\n220 yard \u2013 State Champion 2A: 1963, 1964, 1965
\n100 Yard \u2013 State Champion 2A: 1963, 1964, 1965
\n100 x 4 Relay \u2013 State Champion 2A: 1965
\nMember of the State Track & Field Championship Team (Midwest City \u2013 1965 Class 2A Highest class in the State)<\/div>\n
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Glen Long:<\/strong><\/em><\/span>
\n220 yard \u2013 State Champion A: 1964, 1965
\n100 yard \u2013 State Champion A: 1964, 1965<\/div>\n
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Glen and Wayne Long:<\/strong><\/em><\/span>
\n200 x 4 Relay \u2013 State Champion A: 1964, 1965
\n100 x 4 Relay \u2013 State Champion A: 1964, 1965
\n400 x 4 Relay \u2013 State Champion A: 1964, 1965
\nMembers of the State Track & Field Championship Team (Douglas High School-Okla.City \u2013 1963, 1964. 1965 Class A)NCAA All-Americans 60 yard dash, Univ. of Oklahoma:<\/div>\n
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1967 Glen Long; 1968 Wayne Long<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/div>\n
NCAA Freshman National Champions, 1966:\u00a0 440 relay, Tied the National record twice in the season; Beat the varsity Big 8 champs, Oklahoma Sooners in\u00a0 a race off.\u00a0 Glen Long, Wayne Long, Bobby Gregory (American Indian) and Rip Van Winkle<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/div>\n
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\u00a0 Wayne Long-High School sprinter and All-American 1968, 60 yard dash \u2013 University of Oklahoma-Photo\u00a0…<\/p>\n

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