William Marsh

[DoubleRBar]

Happy 72nd birthday today (Saturday) to an Olympic champion in a field event. Our champion athlete graduated from Cuero High School where this person was a very good football player.

Howard Hughes and our birthday person went to the same college.

While a student in college, this Olympic champion won the conference title in the long jump and threw the javelin over 200 feet.

Our birthday athlete was the Kansas and Drake Relays champion in the same event in which this person won the Olympic gold medal.

This athlete set a world record before winning the Olympic gold medal. Our birthday athlete's middle name is "Morgan".

A member of "A.D.A.", this person is also a very good golfer.

Can you name our birthday athlete for today? This person was 23 years old when winning the Olympic gold medal. Good luck.

[dukehjsteve]

F. Morgan Taylor is jumping out of my head....guessing 400 H ? ( now I'll go look it up)

[Tuariki]

F. Morgan Taylor is jumping out of my head....guessing 400 H ? ( now I'll go look it up)

That must be wrong because 400H is not a field event. Also Taylor won his gold in the 1920s or thereabouts so he is just a little bit older than 72.

I am wondering if the person is a female given the neutral gender way the scenario is written, although 200 feet is a hell of a long javelin through for a female in the 1960s.

[Tuariki]

I have decided it must be male given the javelin distance. And most likely 1964 or 1968 or 1972.
Hansen, Long, Oerter, Beamon, Fosbury, Seagren, Matson, Oerter (again), Williams

Can't be Williams (only 19), Can't be Oerter (won twice), Can't be Fosbury, Seagren, Beamon or Matson (I know them from ITA days - too young). That leaves Long and Hansen. I guess it must be pole vaulter Hansen as I find it difficult to believe, despite his name, that Long was a long jumper at the Drake Relays.

[rhymans]

I think it must be Fred Hansen

[DoubleRBar]

Very good Tuariki and rhymans. It was Fred Hansen who turned 72 yesterday (Saturday). Hansen won the gold medal in the pole vault in Tokyo about a year after he graduated from William Marsh Rice University in Texas. I always wondered how Hansen would have done in the decathlon. He wasn't a bad hurdler, however I'm not sure about the shot put and discus.

[dukehjsteve]

F. Morgan Taylor is jumping out of my head....guessing 400 H ? ( now I'll go look it up)

That must be wrong because 400H is not a field event. Also Taylor won his gold in the 1920s or thereabouts so he is just a little bit older than 72.

OOPS ! I got carried away with the " Morgan" and forgot to re-read the narrative. I'm smarter than that.

[DoubleRBar]

Morgan Taylor and Fred Hansen share the same middle name of "Morgan". Both men won Olympic gold medals in their first Olympic Games. Both Taylor and Hansen have the same first name "Frederick" or "Fred". Taylor (400 hurdles) was born about 37 years ahead of Hansen. By the way, both athletes have six letters in their last name. Fred Hansen won his gold medal on the 17th of the month while Morgan Taylor was born on the 17th of the month. Morgan Taylor can't match Edwin Moses in the Olympic 400 hurdles, but he did ok with one gold and two bronze medals in that event.