Ray Conger
Raymond Milton Conger (November 12, 1904 – October 23, 1994) was an American middle-distance runner. He held the world record for the 1,000 yards and the American record for the 1,500 metres.[1] In the U.S. national championships, Conger was a three-time winner in both the 1,000 yd and the mile run.[1] At the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam, he won his qualifying heat for the 1,500 m but did not finish in the final.[1]
In 1929, Conger became the first and only athlete to defeat Paavo Nurmi in the mile, beating the "Flying Finn" to the win in the indoor Wanamaker Mile of the Millrose Games.[2][3][4] Although Conger was modest about his win, he would be known as "the man who beat Nurmi" for decades.[5] Conger also scored wins over Otto Peltzer and Edvin Wide, and went on to be undefeated in the mile for two seasons.[1] He retired from running in 1932.[1]
Conger ran track for Iowa State University in college, later obtained a master's degree in physiology, and then did further graduate work at Columbia University. From 1931 to 1936 he taught zoology at Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota, where he also coached track.[1] He then joined the faculty at the Pennsylvania State University and was a long-time professor of professor of physical education preceding his retirement in 1970. In 1963, he was inducted into the Iowa Sports Hall of Fame.[1] He was born and raised in Riceville, Iowa.
See also
- List of Pennsylvania State University Olympians
- Riceville, Iowa
References
- ^ a b c d e f g McGrane, Bert (June 24, 2005). "Ray Conger, Riceville, 1963". Des Moines Register. Retrieved September 28, 2012.
- ^ "Conger Beats Paavo Nurmi In Mile Run". The Day. February 11, 1929. p. 8. Retrieved September 28, 2012.
- ^ "Ray Conger Named Coach; Noted Track Star to Direct the Teams at Penn State". The New York Times. December 24, 1942. Retrieved September 28, 2012.
- ^ Raevuori, Antero (1997). Paavo Nurmi, juoksijoiden kuningas (in Finnish) (2nd ed.). WSOY. p. 421. ISBN 978-9510218501.
- ^ "Nurmi Conqueror Prof At Penn State". Pittsburgh Press. February 13, 1966. p. 7. Retrieved September 28, 2012.
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New York Athletic Club
- 1876M: Harold Lambe (CAN) * Cornelius Vought
- 1877M: Richard Morgan
- 1878M: Thomas Smith
NAAAA
- 1879M: Henry Pellatt (CAN) * William Duffy
- 1880–83M: Harry Fredericks
- 1884M: Percy Madeira
- 1885M: George Gilbert
- 1886–87M: Edward Carter
- 1888MNote 1: Thomas Conneff
Amateur Athletic Union
- 1888MNote 1: G.M. Gibbs (CAN) * Thomas Conneff
- 1889–90M: Albert George
- 1891M: Thomas Conneff
- 1892M: George Orton (CAN) * Ernest Hjertberg
- 1893-5M: George Orton (CAN) * A.J. Walsh
- 1896M: George Orton (CAN) * Mortimer Remington
- 1897–98M: John Cregan
- 1899M: Alex Grant
- 1900M: George Orton (CAN) *Alex Grant
- 1901–03M: Alex Grant
- 1904M: David Munson
- 1905M: Jim Lightbody
- 1906M: Albert Rodgers
- 1907M: James Sullivan
- 1908M: Herbert Trube
- 1909M: Joe Ballard
- 1910M: Joe Monument
- 1911–12M: Abel Kiviat
- 1913M: Norman Taber
- 1914M: Abel Kiviat
- 1915M: Joie Ray
- 1916M: Ivan Meyers
- 1917–23M OT: Joie Ray
- 1924–25M: Ray Buker
- 1926M: Lloyd Hahn
- 1927M-28OT: Ray Conger
- 1929M: Leo Lermond
- 1930M: Ray Conger
- 1931M: Leo Lermond
- 1932OT: Norwood Hallowell
- 1933: Glenn Cunningham
- 1934: Bill Bonthron
- 1935–38: Glenn Cunningham
- 1939: Blaine Rideout
- 1940: Walter Mehl
- 1941: Leslie MacMitchell
- 1942–43: Gil Dodds
- 1944: William Hulse
- 1945: Roland Sink
- 1946: Lennart Strand (SWE) * Leslie MacMitchell
- 1947: Gerry Karver
- 1948: Gil Dodds
- 1949–50: John Twomey
- 1951: Len Truex
- 1952–53M: Wes Santee
- 1954M: Fred Dwyer
- 1955M: Wes Santee
- 1956: Jerome Walters
- 1957M: Merv Lincoln (AUS) * Bob Seaman
- 1958M: Herb Elliott (AUS) * Ed Moran
- 1959: Dyrol Burleson
- 1960: Jim Grelle
- 1961M: Dyrol Burleson
- 1962M: Jim Beatty
- 1963M: Dyrol Burleson
- 1964: Tom O'Hara
- 1965–67M: Jim Ryun
- 1968: John Mason
- 1969M: Marty Liquori
- 1970M: Howell Michael
- 1971M: Marty Liquori
- 1972: Jerome Howe
- 1973M: Leonard Hilton
- 1974: Rod Dixon (NZL) * Tom Byers
- 1975: Leonard Hilton
- 1976: Eamonn Coghlan (IRL) *Michael Manke
- 1977–79: Steve Scott
The Athletics Congress
- 1980: Steve Lacy
- 1981: Sydney Maree (SAF) * Steve Scott
- 1982–83: Steve Scott
- 1984–85: Jim Spivey
- 1986: Steve Scott
- 1987: Jim Spivey
- 1988: Mark Deady
- 1989: Terrance Herrington
- 1990: Joe Falcon
- 1991: Terrance Herrington
- 1992OT: Jim Spivey
USA Track & Field
- 1993: Bill Burke
- 1994: Terrance Herrington
- 1995–96OT: Paul McMullen
- 1997: Seneca Lassiter
- 1998: Jamey Harris
- 1999: Steve Holman
- 2000OT: Gabe Jennings
- 2001: Andy Downin
- 2002: Seneca Lassiter
- 2003: Jason Lunn
- 2004–05: Alan Webb
- 2006: Bernard Lagat
- 2007: Alan Webb
- 2008: Bernard Lagat
- 2009–10: Lopez Lomong
- 2011: Matthew Centrowitz
- 2012: Leonel Manzano
- 2013: Matthew Centrowitz
- 2014: Leonel Manzano
- 2015–16: Matthew Centrowitz
- 2017: Robby Andrews
- 2018: Matthew Centrowitz
- 2019: Craig Engels
- 20212020 OT: Cole Hocker
- 2022: Cooper Teare
- 2023: Yared Nuguse
- Note 1: In 1888 both the NAAAA and the AAU held championships
- M: Denotes that the race was run over a mile rather than 1500 m
- OT: The 1920, 1928, 1932, 1992, 1996 & 2000 championships incorporated the Olympic Trials, otherwise held as a discrete event.
- 2020 OT: The 2020 Olympic Trials were delayed and held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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