Tim Danielson, Terry Rogers, and Doyle Steel were state champions and would have been favored in their events if there were a prep national championship meet.
Chula Vista’s Danielson, the second to better four minutes in the mile, was undefeated on the prep level the last two years and he competed nationally and internationally well into the summer.
Following a two-mile victory on June 18 in Sacramento’s Golden West Invitational, Danielson also ran the mile in the National AAU meet in New York, running nonwinning 4:07.4 in the trials on June 25 and 4:03.3 in the finals on June 26.
Danielson’s last significant event was the Police Games in Toronto, Canada, where he ran 4:03.9, in late July.
Steel, who set a national record in the long jump, and Rogers, the national No. 1 runner in the 880, made for a tremendous San Diego Section season.
5/6/66
Tim Danielson ran the two-mile in 9:04.7, fastest ever in the county and No. 6 in the country this season, as Chula Vista wrapped the Metropolitan League dual meet championship, 87-26, over visiting Mar Vista.
Grossmont claimed the Grossmont League dual-meet title with a 90-41 win over El Cajon Valley, whose Armando Valencia posted a 4:12.9 mile.
Danielson will drop the two-mile for the mile and Valencia will leave the mile for the two-mile in league meets.
Granite Hills’ George Brown put the shot 60 feet, 5 ½ inches;
Chula Vista’s Don French ran :14.4 in the 120-yard high hurdles;
Sweetwater’s Bill Yahnke logged a :09.9 100 and :21.5 220 on the notoriously breezy Castle Park straightaway.
EASTERN LEAGUE TRIALS, @BALBOA STADIUM
Otis Martin shaved more than 25 seconds off his two-mile time with a 9:16.1 and Lincoln teammate David Edwards cleared the 120-yard high hurdles in :14.3.
Edwards equaled the league record set by Jimmy Fox in 1964 and Martin smashed his 9:41.3 in the 1965 meet.
The Hornets led with 23 qualifiers, followed by San Diego (18), Hoover (16), Morse (15), Crawford (13), and St. Augustine (8).
Class B field event finals saw Hoover’s Lance Ruff set a record of 50-9 ½ in the shotput, more than 6 feet further than the 44-5 ¾ by Jerry Darr of St. Augustine in 1963.
Mike Johnson of Lincoln pole vaulted 12-6, a foot higher than the 11-6 in 1963, ’64, and ’65 by representatives of three different schools.
Doug Jones of Lincoln high jumped 6-2 ¾, tying Arnie Robinson’s 1964 Class B record.
WESTERN, @CLAIREMONT
Point Loma’s Bob Chavez set a 220 record of :21.7, erasing the :21.8 by Clairemont’s John Procsal in 1963.
The 4:26.3 mile by Barry Richardson of Kearny was better than the 4:27.5 by La Jolla’s Jeff Dragila in 1965.
Frank Heitman of Clairemont ran 1:58.9 in the 880, gutsy and notable because Heitman’s dislocated shoulder was harnessed after an injury sustained playing volleyball.
5/9/66
GROSSMONT, @GROSSMONT COLLEGE
Dan Ungricht of Monte Vista tied the 880 record of 1:56.6 by El Capitan’s Tad Hendrickson in 1964.
That Ungricht was wearing shoes did not fit the category of breaking news.
Footwear was not new to the Spring Valley community, where Ungricht lived, but was seldom the choice of the Monarchs’ runner or his distance-running teammates.
“In cross country we always go barefooted,” said Ungricht. “Your feet feel lighter.”
Ungricht said he usually dumped his shoes for the longer races.
The prospect of going barefoot didn’t appeal in shorter events.
Granite Hills’ Donald Evans, appropriately shod, tied a record he shared with two others when he ran :09.9 in the 100.
METROPOLITAN, @MAR VISTA
The :14.6 in the 120 high hurdles by Chula Vista’s Don French broke the record of :14.7 by El Cajon Valley’s Dave Landis in 1960.
5/15/64
FINALS
METROPOLITAN
Tim Danielson, in a rare attempt at the 440, was first in :50.2 and added a 4:13.3 mile as Chula Vista ran away with the team championship with 63 points to runner-up Sweetwater’s 29.
The evening’s top mark was the U.S.-leading 1:51.8 by Hilltop’s Terry Rogers in the 880.
“No one told me my time at the 660 mark,” Rogers told Bill Weurding of the Evening Tribune, “so I was running mentally, according to the way I felt. I didn’t believe it was that fast. I still can’t believe it.”
GROSSMONT
Granite Hills outscored Helix, 66-58, fired by a triple win from sprinter Donald Evans, who won the 100 in :10, 220 in :23.2, and anchored a 1:30.3 victory in the 880 relay.
Evans’ teammate, George Brown, set a record with a 60-7 1/2 shot put.
Mount Miguel’s Pat Ela doubled with a 13-foot, 7-inch pole vault and a record 23-3 long jump.
Dan Ungricht of Monte Vista ran the 880 in 1:56.5, knocking 1/10 off the record he tied in the trials.
Rick Olander, the leading pole vaulter at 14-7, was byed into the CIF trials because of an injury.
AVOCADO
Vista’s Rick Fox set the pace with a 4:20.8 mile but Oceanside won the team championship with 49 points to the arch-rival Panthers’ 18.
PALOMAR
Mike Turnipseed, a Class B entry for Carlsbad, won the 100 in :09.8 and 220 in :21.7.
EASTERN
Several jumpers of beyond 23 feet would be cut to three for the San Diego Section trials.
Lewis King of Lincoln won at 24 feet, 2 ¾ inches. Henry Woods of San Diego was second at 23-4 ¾ and Morse’s Arnie Robinson, who had a best of 24 feet, was third at 23-3.
Missing was San Diego’s Doyle Steel, who earlier had gone 23-9 ¾ but was sidelined with an ankle injury.
It was revealed that Eastern League coaches had voted prior to the meet to bye Steel into the CIF trials. Robinson, who would win the 1976 Olympics gold medal, was out.
CIF commissioner Don Clarkson dismissed complaints, saying they were “league matters”.
SAN DIEGO SECTION TRIALS
5/22/66
About 450 competitors descended upon Balboa Stadium, where at the end of the day four records had been set, one tied, and the number of survivors for the finals was winnowed down to approximately 265 in 33 varsity, Class B and C events.
Chula Vista’s Tim Danielson continued undefeated and unchallenged, setting a section mile record of 4:08.2, closing in on his best of 4:08 in the 1965 state meet and better than Danielson’s 4:08.7 in the ‘65 San Diego Section trials.
Tall Point Loma junior Bob Chavez, bothered off and on since last season by a muscle pull, barged into the sprint conversation with a record :21.5 on the stadium’s curved 220, topping Byron Olander’s :21.6 in 1964.
Chavez, 10 yards behind on the anchor exchange, also caught and passed Granite Hills’ Donald Evans and brought the Pointers home in a Lincoln-and-San Diego-like 1:28.5 in the 880 relay.
SIBLINGS
Morse’s Harold Greenwood, younger brother of Hoover’s Norris and Lincoln’s Larry, tied the 1964 high jump mark of 6-8 by Hoover’s Eddy Hanks.
Carlsbad’s Mike Turnipseed ran the B 100 in :09.9, knocking down the :10 flat Turnipseed had run a year before.
Lincoln’s Doug Jones high jumped 6 feet, 5 inches, to improve on the B record of 6-2 3/4 by Arnie Robinson in 1964 and Jones the previous week.
Johnny Mack Ellis and Ted Scales of Lincoln were individual double winners.
Ellis ran :09.7 and :21.8 in the 100 and 220. Scales tied with teammate David Edwards in :15.1 in the 120 high hurdles and won a 180 lows heat in :20.1.
Terry Rogers of Hilltop won one 880 heat in 1:52.3 and Tom Eklund of St. Augustine took the other in 1:53.3.
Lincoln led all varsity qualifiers with 17, Oceanside had 11 (to Lincoln’s 10) in the Bees, and Grossmont led the way with 9 (to Lincoln’s 8) in the Cees.
SAN DIEGO SECTION FINALS, @BALBOA STADIUM
5/29/66
Tim Danielson and Terry Rogers were forced to give up the limelight to the glare that was coming from the long jump pit.
Lincoln’s Lewis King drew a roar from the crowd of about 4,000 when he soared 24-5 1/4 early in the competition.
Doyle Steel, an injured nonparticipant in the Eastern League meet two weeks before and then quietly byed into the trials, suddenly became airborne and landed at a national-record 25 feet, 5 ½ inches, 1/4 inch beyond what a jumper from Pacific Grove, California, did in 1964.
Steel, whose jump could have been declared a foul, because he walked back through the pit before exiting, had gone a foot and a half further than his previous best of 23-11 ½.
Lincoln, paced by Johnny Mack Ellis’ 0:9.8 100, :21.4 220, and anchor of the winning 880 relay team that tied the record of 1:27.2, scored 65 points to 15 each by runners-up Chula Vista and Granite Hills.
RECORDS
TWO-MILE RUN
New: 9:10.8, Armando Valencia, El Cajon Valley. Old: 9:17.8, Otis Martin, Lincoln, 1965.
120-YARD HIGH HURDLES
New: :14.2, David Edwards, Lincoln. Old: :14.4, Mike Swaim, Oceanside, 1963; Harold Burt, Morse, 1965.
HIGH JUMP
New: 6-8 ¼, Harold Greenwood, Morse. Old: 6-8, Eddy Hanks, Hoover, 1964.
LONG JUMP
New: 25-5 ¼, Doyle Steel, San Diego. Old: 24-5 1/4, Lewis King, Lincoln, 1966.
220
New: :21.4, Johnny Mack Ellis, Lincoln. Old: :21.5, Bob Chavez, Point Loma, 1966.
MILE
New: 4:06.2, Tim Danielson, Chula Vista. Old: 4:08.2, Danielson, 1966.
880 RELAY
Tie: 1:27.2, Lincoln (Lewis King, Leroy Davis, David Edwards, Johnny Mack Ellis). Lincoln, 1962; San Diego, 1963.
STATE TRIALS, @BERKELEY
6/5/66
Lincoln had eight athletes in eight events and a total of 11 entries.
The Hornets were given a chance to win the team championship, although Los Angeles Dorsey and Pasadena Muir were favored, having come through the larger, more competitive L.A. City and Southern sections.
San Diego Section entries met with success in the Friday afternoon portion of the meet at 22,000-seat Edwards Stadium on the University of California campus.
Terry Rogers, Tim Danielson and Doyle Steele won their preliminary tests, as did Lincoln’s Johnny Mack Ellis, first in one of the 100-yard dashes.
Lincoln pole vaulter Mike Johnson was among qualifiers at 13-3 ½ in the pole vault.
The top three finishers in each of three heats and usually 11 or 12 in field events moved on to the finals. Parenthesis indicate place in respective heats, with San Diego Section qualifiers in italics.
| NAME, SCHOOL | EVENT | TIME | LEADER |
| Ellis, Lincoln | 100 | :09.9 (1) | :09.8, Hill, Stockton Edison; Masters, El Cerrito; Underwood, L.A. Dorsey. |
| Belle, Lincoln | :10.0 (4) | ||
| Chavez, Point Loma | 220 | :20.9w (3) | Underwood, L.A. Dorsey. :20.5. |
| Ellis | :21.2 (2) | ||
| Ricketts, Granite Hills | 440 | :50.5 (9) | :47.5, Collett, Gardena. |
| Quinn, Lincoln | :50.3 (6) | ||
| Rogers, Hilltop | 880 | 1:52.7 (1) | |
| Eklund, St. Augustine | 1:53.6 (3T) | ||
| Danielson, Chula Vista | Mile | 4:18.7 (1) | Mattingly, L.A. Loyola, 4:15.9 |
| Fox, Vista | 4:21.1 (4) | ||
| Edwards, Lincoln | 120HH | :14.2 (2) | Parish, L.A. Dorsey, :13.9. |
| Scales, Lincoln | :14.5 (4) | ||
| King, Lincoln | 180LH | :20.2 (7) | Farmer, La Puente, :18.6. |
| Edwards | :19.0 (4) | ||
| Robinson, Morse | High Jump | 6-4 (12T) | 11 at 6-6. |
| Greenwood, Morse | 6-4 (12T) | ||
| Steel, San Diego | Long Jump | 24-3 ¾ (1) | |
| King | 22-11 ½ (11) | ||
| Brown, Granite Hills | Shot Put | 58-6 ½ (9) | 64-¼, Hubbell, Long Beach Poly |
| Rielly, Oceanside | 49-8 (24) | ||
| Johnson, Lincoln | Pole Vault | 13-3 ½ (1T) | |
| Griffiths, Mar Vista | 13-0 (17T) | ||
| Gold, Grossmont | Discus | 156-8 /1/2 (14) | 183-4 /12, Peters, Piedmont |
| Geer, Monte Vista | Fouled 4 throws | ||
| Point Loma | 880 Relay | 1:29.1 (3) | 1:27.3, Garden Grove Bolsa Grande |
| Lincoln | 1:28.7 (3) | 1:27.5, L.,A. Manual Arts |
6/6/66
FINALS
Tim Danielson, Doyle Steel, and Terry Rogers helped produce a San Diego Section record three gold medals, but Lincoln finished far down the pack with 3 points, two for Johnny Mack Ellis’ fourth place in the 100 and one for Otis Martin’s fifth in the two-mile run.
Rogers began the day holding off a late charge by Karl Henry of Rialto Eisenhower to win the 880 in 1:51.5, same time as the runner-up.
Steel had to rally on his last jump, reaching 25 feet, 3 1/4, to finally beat back the challenge of L.A. Loyola’s Henry Harris, who was leading in the final flight of jumpers at 24 -7 ¼.
Danielson was taking on superstar status. He won the mile by at least 35 yards in a state meet record of 4:07. Second place finisher Wally Mattingly of L.A. Loyola clocked 4:13.4.
San Diego Section scorers in italics.
| NAME | SCHOOL | EVENT | TIME | WINNER |
| Johnny Mack Ellis | Lincoln | 100 | :09.7 (4) | :09.6, Underwood, L.A. Dorsey |
| Ellis | 220 | :22.0 (6) | ||
| Bob Chavez | Point Loma | :22.1 (6) | ||
| Terry Rogers, | Hilltop | 880 | 1:51.5 (1) | |
| Tom Eklund | St. Augustine | 1:57.4 (10) | ||
| Tim Danielson | Chula Vista | Mile | 4:07 (1) | |
| Otis Martin | Lincoln | Two-Mile | 9:10.1 (5) | 9:01.6, Gamez, Berkeley |
| Armando Valencia | El Cajon Valley | Did not finish | ||
| David Edwards | Lincoln | 120HH | :14.7 (8) | :13.9, Parish, L.A. Dorsey |
| Doyle Steel | San Diego | Long Jump | 25-3 ¼ (1) | |
| Lewis King | Lincoln | 23-2 (6) | ||
| George Brown | Granite Hills | Shot Put | 58-7 ¼ (8) | 66-11, Hubbell, Long Beach Poly |
| Mike Johnson | Lincoln | Pole Vault | 13-0 (14T) | 15-3/4, Meyers, Sacramento Foothill |
| Point Loma | 880 Relay | 1:33.4 (7) | 1:26.4, Pasadena Muir | |
| Lincoln | Did not finish. |
6/11/66
Danielson, Rogers, and Steel each competed in the San Diego Invitational, which included former Olympians and an international field.
Danielson continued to rock, finishing fourth in the mile in 3:59.4 and becoming the second high school runner after Jim Ryun in 1964 to break four minutes.
Terry Rogers was last in a six-man 880 field but his 1:50.4 was No. 6 all-time in the U.S.
Doyle Steel jumped 24-5 ½, behind Ralph Boston’s winning 25-3 and Gayle Hopkins 24-11, but Steele impressed track and field expert Dick Bank of Los Angeles.
“He looks like the guy who could take (world record holder) Boston’s place,” said Bank.
“This is the thing that impresses me,” Bank said of Steel, “the conditions weren’t good but he was jumping right with those guys.”
6/18/66
Danielson set a record of 8:55.4 in the two-mile at the Golden West Invitational for athletes from California and the U.S. in Sacramento.
Steele won the long jump at 25-5 and Rogers was the winner in the 880 at 1:51.8.crol
See additional narrative, 1966 Track I, by searching “Recent Posts”.
Bob Chavez set a record in the 220 yard dash for Point Loma and went on to the state. I know he got a lot of recruiting letters but he was not a great student, I’m not sure he even went to Junior College to continue running. He definitely had talent but it may just be a case of real life taking over and high school track was the end of his career.
Alan:
If memory serves me correctly, Bob Chavez was bounced from school by principal Don Giddings for lack of attendance in his senior year. Coach Fred Ludwig did not want to say much, fearful of Giddings’ wrath. Chavez told me he was going to school, married with a kid, and had a night job. “I just couldn’t get up,” he said of arising for school. That’s what I remember, Alan. Thanks again for writing,
I had totally forgotten about the San Diego Invitational meet. I understand Ralph Boston is doing well in Atlanta, however, unfortunately Gayle Hopkins passed away in 2016.
That jump quieted Lewis King and the Hive in the San Diego Section meet…Awesome. I was in Berkeley, where you took on the pressure and prevailed. Thanks for writing.
Doyle, I remember high jumping against you at several events in junior high school. You would always win and I would be second many times, but I always loved the competition.
I was there the night Doyle made his jump. What a great moment. If I’m correct he was a terrific basketball player as well. I ran into him years later when he passed me his business card and we had a wonderful talk about high school sports in the 60’s.
What a memorable set of names and track times in San Diego.
Back when you still were driving that El Camino.
Eddy Hanks, High Jumper at Hoover High School, was a senior when he was on the Track and Field team in April 1964. (Not 1959 or 1960 as stated.) I was a sophomore at the time, and remember his jumping very well. There is a great photo of him in the 1964 Hoover Annual, doing his textbook Western Roll Style jump.
Hi, I was there in ’64 at the super-charged dual meet with Lincoln, the best dual met I’ve seen. Eddy went 6-9 3/4 in the high jump. Pierre Frazier also had a great day for Hoover. Lincoln won the relay and the meet, 54-50. Please refer me to where I mentioned 1959 or 1960. I haven’t written anything about track and field for those years.
Rick, my post on your site in September re James Kelly was in response to a question posed on your site earlier by one of your readers. I too remember Lincoln track and field. Particularly, Vernus Ragsdale. In a meet against San Diego High watching him make the turn in the 220, I swore his feet weren’t touching the track. I think later he was on the Grambling relay team (440?) that set a world’s record. Cord
I think Grambling might have set a collegiate record. I believe Vernus passed about 15 years ago. I’d last seen him 30 or 40 years before that at the Long Bar in Tijuana. Rags was one of my favorite athletes. I remember last seeing you in an Aztecs-UC Santa Barbara basketball game and seem to remember you ran a bank at the 101 freeway and Sepulveda Pass in Sherman Oaks and retired and was playing golf in Coronado. If you’re in the area maybe we could have lunch. My email address is beefski@yahoo.com
I jumped against him [Doyle Steel] in 1964 as a sophomore. I probably jumped 5’10”, he went about a foot higher, even though he was shorter. I was 6’ tall and he couldn’t have been more than 5’10”. Also played him in basketball. He could dunk at his height and I couldn’t at 3 inches taller. Quite a gifted athlete.