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Don Hurzeler talking about Dwayne Bias of Muir:  He and I decided to warm up for the Fresno Relays by jogging through the Fresno zoo.  We stopped at the monkey cage.  He got all over the monkeys case...jumping up and down and laughing at the monkey.  The monkey was not amused, messed in his hand, and tossed it at Dwayne.  Hit him in the face.  I have never laughed so hard in my life.

6/66 to 3/68 Vietnam    1966

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Don Hurzeler - Palos Verdes High School

Now famous as a CEO of Zurich America         Buy Don's Book: "Designated for Success."

One more quick story from Don...I got down in the blocks for my last race in college...looked over...and there was Manuel Murrell (Tied the US Nat'l HS record in 180 LH - 18.1).  It was the 4x110 relay in the NCAA Division 2 finals in Ashland, Ohio in 1969.  I will have to look up to see if we beat him.  We placed sixth...and they gave out six medals and six NCAA All American team places.  Snuck in the back door on that one.

BELOW - Don Hurzeler (arrow) placing 4th in the California State Meet 1965.

BELOW - Lennox Miller (Olympic silver and bronze in the 100 meters) whipping my butt while I was at Pierce JC.  Not only does he look cool and I look like I am falling apart (because I was falling apart)...but the truth is I had a nice lead on him at the hand off.  I never heard him coming.  They used this picture on a program they did at a memorial service for him when he passed away last year.  He was one hell of a sprinter and a good guy. (Don Hurzeler on the right.)

John Flemion of Aviation  HS in 1965 and years later with Don's son

.

Bill Persons.  

Bill was the City champ in the highs and lows.  Tied for first in the state meet for the highs.  I beat him in the lows at state when I got fourth...he may have gotten fifth.  He was the single most talented athlete I had ever met...with no work ethic.  When he showed up he could beat almost everyone on raw talent.  He just rarely showed up.

I remember a dual meet at night.  Bill had a screwed up knee and was on crutches.  I had broken my elbow and my arm was in a sling.  We went to the line in the highs vs Ventura JC.  He put down his crutches.  I took off my sling.  The competitors looked at us like we were nuts.  We came in one/two.  

Later that night, the meet was already won.  Bill and I agreed to cheat the 330 intermediates just for the fun of it.  The turn was so dark at night that you couldn't see it at all.  He and I just ran by the hurdles...didn't even bother to fake going over them.  We won by a mile.  Set all kind of records that we told the coach not to report...and would not let him give us the school record.  It was so dark that the other contestants didn't even report us.  They were doing their best to see the hurdles and get over them.  Not a problem for Bill and I.

I had a lot of fun at Pierce.  In the summer meets I ran on a 440 relay team with Steve Cametti (not sure of the spelling).  We never lost.  I also ran for a bar that fixed us up with track tops that had built in parachutes.  We would pull them when we hit the finish line and pretend that they were needed to slow us down.  The crowd...both of them...loved it.  Our JC coach saw this foolishness and that was the end of that stunt.

 

Don and Coach O'Rourke

 

Dear Friends,

 

It is my sad duty to report that Coach O'Rourke passed away yesterday following a massive heart attack.  I spoke with his daughter today.  Their current plans are to have some kind of memorial service...probably in June...probably in the South Bay.  I will pass the information along as soon as I know more.

 

I spoke to Coach O'Rourke a couple of weeks ago.  He was doing ok...not great.  Not really up for visitors, but hoping to play golf with me next time I came out to visit.  I was at my folks house in PVE when I called him.  My 88 year old dad heard me talking to him and asked for the phone.  Pop told Coach O'Rourke how much he has meant to our whole family and how proud he was to know him.  Kind of stopped Coach in his tracks.  I'm thankful my dad had that chance and took the moment to tell him how important he has been to my life.  That was the last time I spoke with Coach.   

 

Coach was proud of his family and his track guys...every one of us.  He was a force. Those of us who ran for him never worked harder...not in all the years since then.  Love him or not...he got more out of us than we knew we had in us.  He got us to do our best. 

 

I've written a piece for the Daily Breeze and will badger them to run it.  If they do, I will send you a copy. 

 

Don Hurzeler

180 yard Low Hurdles        

 180 Yard Low Hurdles Height & Spacing:

30” high low hurdles, 20 yards from the starting line to the first hurdle, each hurdle

is spaced 20 yards apart, and 20 yards from the last hurdle to the finish line.  

Total of eight hurdles (per lane).

The Race:

The 180 yard low hurdles were a common high school track and field event before the
mid 1970’s.  High schools later replaced this event with the 330 yard & 300 meter
hurdles.  Unfortunately, the year I began competing in the hurdles in high school was
the year California converted over to the 330 yard hurdles . . . it wasn’t until I started
competed as a Masters athlete that I finally was able to compete in the 180 yard low
hurdle . . . I now consider this event as one of most favorite events.

 My suggestion to compete well in the 180 yard low hurdle race is to start fast, go all out,
concentrate on speed and do not stutter-step.

California State High School – 180 yard Low Hurdles Champions:

The following California State High School – 180 yard Low Hurdles
results are via an email that I received on Dec. 27, 2006 from   www.trackinfo.org:

Here are the California State results in the 180 LH, 1947-1974

Some notables:

- Earl McCullouch, Bob Mathias, Robert Bonds,  Dixon Farmer, 
    Willie White and Monte Upshaw.

From 1915 thru 1946 distance was 220yd (30" hurdles) on a straightaway.
From 1946-1974 distance was 180yd, usually on a straightaway. Between 1975 and 1979
distance was 330YD, the 300mt since that time. Hurdle height was raised to 36" in 1984.
 

1947

1    Hugh McElhenny    Washington LA    19.3

2    Wilbur Taylor     Coalinga   C     

3    Ronnie Dixon      Redondo    S     

4    Maurice Jackson   Jefferson  LA    

5    Walt Briant                 Modesto    SJ    

1948  

1    Bob Mathias    Tulare     C     19.6

2    Jim Bryant El Monte   S

3    Bob Boaz   Fullerton  S

4    Jim Blevins  Fresno     C

5    Les Sammann  Oxnard     S

1949

1    Jack Davis Glendale Hoover   S     19.5   

19.3 in trials

2    Tommy Legler      Roosevelt  C     19.7e

3    Mel Wolf   Hamilton   LA    19.9e

4    John Henry Pittsburg  NC    20.0e

5    Jim Blevins  Fresno     C     20.1e

1950

1    Steve Turner      Glendale   S  #  19.0

2    Dave Sommers      Narbonne   LA    Time?

3    Leo Hamilton      Manual Arts LA    19.4

4    Jack Casonhua     Alhambra   S     19.6

5    Willard Wright    Selma      C  

1951  

1    Dick Clarke   Glendale   S     19.5

2    Bob Daigney  Narbonne   LA 

3    Don Gillespie     Manual Arts LA 

4    Ron Loy    Alhambra   S  

5    Ancel Robinson    Selma      C  

1952

1    Ancel Robinson    Selma      C     19.4

2    Jim Luttrell      Sequoia    CC    19.4

3    Larry Newquist    LB Wilson  S     19.6

4    Jerry Watson      Santa Maria S     19.6

5    Lew Bortolin      San Mateo  CC    19.6

1953

1    Don Armstrong     Manual Arts LA    19.3   

18.9 ## in trials

2    Monte Upshaw      Piedmont   NC    19.4

3    Fred Miller   Bell LA    19.4

4    Everett Jackson   Manual Arts LA    19.7

5    Larry Robbins     Santa Rosa NC    19.9

1954 

1    Monte Upshaw      Piedmont   NC    19.0

2    Rafer Johnson     Kingsburg   C     19.0

3    Dave Hollingsworth  Taft C     19.4

4    Herman Thompson   San Diego  SD    19.5

5    Paul Lowe  Centennial S     19.6

1955

1    Paul Lowe  Centennial S     19.2

2    Willie White      Jefferson  LA    19.3

3    Leonard Kary      San Diego  SD    19.4

4    Walt Goodman      Pierce     N     19.4

5    Clark Thomas      Manual Arts LA    19.7

6    Bert Washington   Polytechnic LA 

1956

1    Willie White      Jefferson  LA    19.0   

18.9 # in trials

2    Dale Messer   Lemoore    C     19.0

3    Jack Holman   California S     19.4

4    Sam Perry   Technical  O     19.5

5    Charles Piggee    Pasadena   S     19.7

1957

1    Jesse Bradford    Shafter    C     19.0

2    Junior Howard     San BernardinoS     19.1   

18.9 # in trials

3    Rusty Weeks     Alhambra   S     19.3

4    Cebron Russ      Berkeley   NC    19.3

5    Bob Williams      Dorsey     LA    19.5

1958

1    David Douglass    E Bakersfield C     19.0

2    Dixon Farmer      Miramonte  NC    19.0

3    Bill Hultz Lincoln    SD    19.1

4    Bennie Sankey     Centennial S  

5    George Williams   Muir S  

1959

1    Dixon Farmer      Miramonte  NC    19.2

2    Gilbert McCulley  Fremont    LA    19.4

3    Dee Andrews     LB Poly    S     19.4

4    Edward Orr Manual Arts  LA    19.4

5    McArthur Lyons    Berkeley   NC    19.6

1960

1    Robert Bonds      Riverside  S  #  18.8

2    Sid Nikolas    Vallejo    NC    18.8

3    Ben Whitfield     Castlemont O     19.0

4    Jerry Neathery    California S     19.1

5    Bill Mackey    E Bakersfield C     19.1

1961

1    Bill Mackey   E Bakersfield C     19.1

2    James Tucker      Centennial S     19.4

3    Abe Johnson    McClymonds O     19.6

4    Terry Hendrix     Downey     S  

5    Charlie Leathers  Hanford    C  

1962

1    Ed Moody   McClymonds O  ## 18.3

2    Tom Hester San Bernardino S     18.4

3    Clavie Brown      Monrovia   S     18.5

4    Alvin Mann Edison     C     19.0

5    Bob Hartfield     Richmond   NC    19.0

6    Elmer Logans      San Diego  SD    19.0

1963

1    Alvin Mann Edison     C     18.9

2    Jasper Davis      Oakland Tech O     19.2

3    Earl McCullouch   LB Poly S     19.2

4    Ed Orr     Jefferson  LA    19.3

5    Paul Foster   Centennial S     19.3

1964 w+3.0

1    Earl McCullouch   LB Poly S     18.4

2    Charles Smith     Castlemont O     18.5

3    Steve Caminiti    Crespi     S     18.7

4    Curtis Clark      Grant      SJ    18.9

5    Ernie Smith     Lemoore    C     19.0

6    Greg Heet  Lowell     SF    19.2

1965   w+6.0

1    Manuel Murrell    LB Poly S     18.2

2    Curtis Clark      Grant      SJ    18.4

3    Jim Lockhard      Arroyo     S     18.6

4    Don Hurzeler      Palos Verdes S     18.7

5    Bill Persons      San Fernando LA    18.8

6    Jerry Proctor     Muir S     19.0  

1966  curve

1    George Farmer     La Puente  S     18.7

2    Bruce Gridley     Northview  S     18.8

3    Leon Sanders      Grant      SJ    18.8

4    Rich Willis    Fowler     C     18.9

6    Mike Toler Buchser    CC    19.0

1967  curve

1    Jerry Proctor     Muir S     18.7

2    Mike Jeter Gardena    LA    18.8

3    Gene Delk  Hill CC    18.9

4    Ed Johnson Grant      SJ    19.1

5    Bill Woods Roosevelt  C     19.1

1968

1    Roy Hamley Lowell     S     18.8

2    Jerry Wilson      Roosevelt  C     19.0

3-T  Rich Edwards      Compton    S     19.1

3-T  Larry Crayton     Oceanside  SD    19.1

5    Kerry Hampton     Polytechnic SF    19.2

6    Louis Amps Edison     C     Time?

1969

1    Jerry Wilson      Roosevelt  C  #  18.3

2    Larance Jones     Lemoore    C     18.4

3    Mark Low   Pomona     S     18.5

4    Kirk Davis Berkeley   NC    18.8

5    Rod McNeil Baldwin Park   S     18.8

6    Steve Holden      Gardena    LA    19.0

1970   w+5.5

1    Milt Turner   Castlemont O     18.6

2    McKinley Mosley   Bakersfield C     19.1

3    Jim Davis  Santa Ana  S     19.1

4    Rick Gilson   Bolsa Grande S     19.1

5    Alfonzo Hall      Morningside S     19.2

1971   w+2     adjusted by photo

1    Charles Jackson   Lompoc     S     18.5

2    McKinley Mosley   Bakersfield C     18.5

3    John Alexander    Hoover     C     18.6

4    Manny Myers  Piedmont   NC    18.7

5    Willie Hamilton   Richmond   NC    18.7

6    Todd Gordinier    Glendora   S     18.7

1972

1    Dan Jones  Palos Verdes  S     18.7

2    Michael Nealy     Edison     C     18.9

3    James Royal  LB Poly S     18.9

4    Jose Rivas Tulare     C     18.9

5    Duke Ferguson     Merced     C     19.1

1973

1    Randall Jeffrey   Los Angeles LA    18.7

2    Fred Shaw  Muir S     18.7

3    Rick Walker   Apple Valley S     18.8

4    Billy Parmer      Lemoore    C     18.9

5    Jack Mosby Los Angeles  LA    19.1

1974

1    Fred Shaw  Muir S     18.9

2    Rich Graybehl     Las Lomas  NC    18.9

3    Jim Austin Muir S     19.3

4    Mike Kirtman      Wilson     SF    19.3

5    John Foye  Locke      LA    19.4

6    Trennis Jackson   San Bernardino S     19.4

 Story 1- Ken Stone:

Masters athlete Ken Stone reports when he was in high school “. . . and had a best time
around a turn of 19.9.”

http://members.aol.com/track2ceo/dossier.html

 Story 2 - William A. "Bill" Foucher:

MastersTrack.com reports that Masters athlete William A. "Bill" Foucher “"New England
high school 180-yard low hurdles champion 1966 - 19.0 (Nashua HS).”

 Story 3 - Earl McCullouch:
Long Beach Press Telgram reports “Poly's Earl McCullouch sets national scholastic
records in two hurdles events at the CIF championships, Cerritos College, May, 1964.

The talented runner and football star, McCullouch set a record of 13.7 in the 120-yard
low hurdles and then a mark of 18.1 in the 180-yard high hurdles. A week later, he won
state titles in both events . . . would go on to USC, where he would help USC win
multiple titles. He won the high hurdles and was part of the winning 4x100 relay teams as
USC won the 1967 and 1968 NCAA titles, with McCullouch running a leg of the '67
team that set a world record of 38.6  . . .  He was also a wide receiver on USC's 1967
national title football team. He was favored to win the high hurdles in the 1968 Olympics,
but chose to play football instead. He was a first-round pick of the Detroit Lions and was
the NFL's rookie of the year in 1968.”

http://www.presstelegram.com/greatestmoments/ci_3445555

 Story 4 - Monte Upshaw:

Dye Stat reports that “Monte Upshaw (Piedmont) blasted the famed record in the LJ of
Jesse Owens (East Tech, Cleveland, Oh) from 21 years ago of 24-11.25 with a 25-04.25
effort. Bowden, who would later be the first American under 4:00 in the mile in 1957 as a
student at UC Berkeley, took the 880 at 1:52.9, a full second under the 1:53.9 national
best by Lang Stanley (Jefferson, LA – another legend) from 1950. Bowden had a pending
1:52.3 from the NCS action. James Jackson (Alameda) blazed a 9.6 100 to tie a record set
by three that dated from as far back as 1928. Leamon King (Delano) and Jackson tied the
220 record of 21.2 that dated from as far back as 1933). Monte Upshaw, the father of
current Olympic level LJ star, Grace Upshaw, took the LJ, and the 180 low hurdles at
19.0, and was second in the High Hurdles at 14.5 behind one Rafer Johnson (Kingsburg),
with Rafer an Olympic Decathlon Champ and one of track history’s all-time greats!”
http://www.dyestatcal.com/news/tr2004/6-June/1St7550Yr.htm

 Story 5 -  Gale Sayers:
Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame Foundation “ . . . Omaha Central Class of
1961.  Gale Sayers participated in football and track and field at Omaha Central High
School, a Class A school (largest of four classes in Nebraska at the time).  Sayers was a
standout in both sports. . .

He made an equally compelling record in his high school participation in track and field. 
His primary events were the broad (long) jump, high hurdles, low hurdles, and the 880-
yard relay.  During his senior season, Sayers won every hurdle race he entered, setting
personal bests of :19.7 in the 180-yard low hurdles and :14.7 in the 110-yard high hurdles
. . .  Sayers was named the Pro Bowl's Player of the Game in 1967, 1968 and 1970, and
was named to the 75th Anniversary All Time NFL Team. He was also named to the
Chicago Sports Hall of Fame in 1980, the Blacks Sports Hall of Fame in 1975 and the
NFL All-Time Millennium Team. In 1977, he was the youngest player ever inducted into
the NFL Hall of Fame . . . “

http://www.nebhalloffame.org/1994/sayers.htm

Story 6 – Jim Miller:
The Denver Post reports “Jim Miller, a strong hurdler from Colorado Springs Palmer, set
the stage with a record-breaking run of 14.5 seconds in the 120-yard high hurdles. Miller
also tied the record of 19.3 in the 180-yard low hurdles.”
http://www.denverpost.com/catchingupwith/ci_3850366

  Story 7 – Paul Warfield:                   

   National Federation of State High School Associations reports “As a junior, Warfield set
a Warren (Ohio) Harding High School football scoring record of 92 points as he rushed
for a team-high 810 yards and was voted honorable mention all-Ohio. The following
year, he scored 93 points to eclipse his mark and led the team with 1,158 rushing yards
and three interceptions. As a three interceptions. As a sophomore, Warfield was the state
champion in the long jump, and two years later, he set Harding High School records in
the 100-yard dash (9.7), 180-yard low hurdles (18.9, state record time and was state
champion), and the long jump (23-9). Each of those marks ranked in the top 10
nationally. Warfield played in the NFL for 13 years and was a member of two Super
Bowl Championship teams with the Miami Dolphins.”

http://www.nfhs.org/web/2004/01/athletes_nw.aspx

Story 8 - Steve Caminiti:

Dye Stat reports “. . . One of the stars that his program had was Steve Caminiti, who was
recently a coach at Reseda HS. Caminiti was a 13.7 (HH= Nat’l Record)and 18.1 (180
lows in those days = Nat’l Record) hurdler in 1964. Steve’s hurdle races with later pro
football player Earl McCullouch (LB Poly) were legendary (including a big state meet
showdown in the LA Coliseum in 1964) . . . “
http://www.dyestatcal.com/news/tr2004/5-May/20Leeds.htm

California State Meet Results 1914 to Present

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