Generals’ Report
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n a cool spring afternoon in 1939, Robert Nicholson (right), a senior from Wheaton, Ill., stood at the head of the broadjump runway on Wilson Field. The W&L trackman took a deep breath and began his approach. His sharpened spikes cut into the grey cinder runway. As he approached the take-off board he accelerated, hit the board perfectly and sailed into the soft Lexington air. Stretching for every inch, Nicholson landed in the smooth sand and bounded out of the pit knowing that he had produced the jump of his life. The meet officials measured the mark and announced the result—22 feet, 8¾ inches—a new W&L record.
Tracking Down the Past In 2009, two new W&L track and field boards listing the all-time records for W&L men and women were installed in Doremus Hall outside the Fitness Center. Notable marks included Mike Neer’s 6' 8" high jump in 1969, Angus
McBryde’s 3:53.7 for the 1,500 meters in 1983 and Josephine Schaeffer’s 17:31 5,000 meters in 1993. Stacy Doornbos ’09 dominated her sport with a remarkable 13 records, ranging from the 100-meter dash to the triple jump. But the one mark that caught my eye was the venerable long-jump record: W.S. Sandifer 22' 9", in 1927. Intrigued by this enduring achievement, I decided to learn more about Sandifer. What I found surprised me. Starting with the 1927 Calyx, which had four pages devoted to the track team, I could find no mention of Sandifer. The Ring-tum Phi had detailed accounts of the 1927 track and field season, but nothing on him. Perplexed, I called the Office of Alumni Affairs and discovered that Sandifer graduated from the Law School in 1931. Knowing this, I returned to the library and was delighted to learn that Sandifer was indeed an outstanding athlete. In 1929, he long jumped 22' 8¼" and in 1930 ran 100 yards in 9.8 seconds, both W&L records. However, I found no evidence that he jumped 22' 9". Nonetheless, Sandifer’s 22' 8¼" long jump from 1929 lasted 10 years, until it was broken in 1939 by Robert Nicholson, who leaped 22' 8¾", a mark that still stands. Another intriguing performance was the 400-meter hurdles time of 53.3 seconds by senior William Schuhle Jr. in
David Howison (left), former dean of students, and Melvin Neely Young ’43, son of Coach Cy Young ’17, at the unveiling of a plaque highlighting track and field records. Coach Young held the record in the 100- and 200-yard dashes. 16
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