1976 United States Olympic trials (track and field)

1976 United States Olympic
track and field trials
1976 United States Olympic; track and field trials
	Hayward Field years later
Dates	June 19–27, 1976
Host city	Eugene, Oregon, U.S.
Venue	Hayward Field
Level	Senior
Type	Outdoor
	← 1975 USA Championships; 1972 trials 1977 USA Championships; 1980 trials →

The 1976 United States Olympic trials for track and field were held June 19–27 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.^[1]^[2] These were the last organized by the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU); the Amateur Sports Act of 1978 was passed two years later which formed the new national governing body for the sport of track and field, The Athletics Congress. The 1970s was a transitional period where amateur athletes were seeking ways to be paid for their athletic efforts. Many athletes had sacrificed their eligibility to run professionally, others made the attempt and were in transition to regain their amateur status.

The trials for the men's marathon was held in Eugene a month earlier on May 22.^[3]^[4]^[5] The longest race for women at the 1976 Olympics was the 1500 meters,^[2]^[6] but eventual Olympic marathoners Joan Benoit, Julie Brown, and Francie Larrieu all participated.^{[citation needed]}

For the first time, the men's 50 km race walk was not part of the Olympics, but returned in 1980.

High school athletes Houston McTear, Dwayne Evans, Chandra Cheeseborough, Sheila Ingram, Rhonda Brady, Paula Girven, and Kathy McMillan were successful in these trials.

Men's results

Key: ≠ Athlete without "A" standard, not selected.

Men track events

Event	Gold		Silver		Bronze
100 meters Wind +1.8	Harvey Glance	10.11	Houston McTear	10.16	Steve Riddick	10.18
200 meters Wind +1.7	Millard Hampton	20.10	Dwayne Evans	20.22	Mark Lutz	20.42
400 meters	Maxie Parks	45.58	Fred Newhouse	45.76	Herm Frazier	45.84
800 meters	Rick Wohlhuter	1:44.78	James Robinson	1:45.86	Mark Enyeart	1:46.28
1500 meters	Rick Wohlhuter	3:36.47	Matt Centrowitz	3:36.70	Mike Durkin	3:36.72
5000 meters	Dick Buerkle	13:26.60	Duncan MacDonald	13:29.46	Paul Geis	13.38.46
10,000 meters	Frank Shorter	27:55.45	Craig Virgin	27:59.43	Garry Bjorklund	28:03.74
110 m hurdles Wind +2.2	Charles Foster	13.44w (13.2h)	Willie Davenport	13.52w	James Owens	13.57w
400 m hurdles	Edwin Moses	48.30 NR	Quentin Wheeler	48.65	Mike Shine	49.33
3000 m s'chase	Doug Brown	8.27.39	Henry Marsh	8.27.42	Mike Roche	8.32.70
20K racewalk	Todd Scully	1:25:29	Ron Laird	1:25:44	Larry Walker	1:25:57
Marathon	Frank Shorter	2:11:51	Bill Rodgers	2:11:59	Don Kardong	2:13:54

Source:^[7]

Men field events

Event	Gold		Silver		Bronze
High jump	Bill Jankunis	2.28 m (7 ft 5+3⁄4 in)	Dwight Stones	2.25 m (7 ft 4+1⁄2 in)	James Barrineau	2.25 m (7 ft 4+1⁄2 in)
Pole vault	Dave Roberts	5.70 m (18 ft 8+1⁄4 in) WR	Earl Bell	5.50 m (18 ft 1⁄2 in)	Terry Porter	5.50 m (18 ft 1⁄2 in)
Long jump	Arnie Robinson	8.37 m (27 ft 5+1⁄2 in)w +3.5	Larry Myricks	8.26 m (27 ft 1 in)w +3.8	Randy Williams	8.18 m (26 ft 10 in)w +2.7
Triple jump	James Butts	17.29 m (56 ft 8+1⁄2 in)w +2.9	Tommy Haynes	17.02 m (55 ft 10 in)w +2.8	Rayfield Dupree	17.01 m (55 ft 9+1⁄2 in)w +2.8
Shot put	Al Feuerbach	21.12 m (69 ft 3+1⁄4 in)	George Woods	21.10 m (69 ft 2+1⁄2 in)	Pete Shmock	20.96 m (68 ft 9 in)
Discus throw	Mac Wilkins	68.32 m (224 ft 1 in)	John Powell	67.34 m (220 ft 11 in)	Jay Silvester	64.74 m (212 ft 4 in)
Hammer throw	Larry Hart	67.84 m (222 ft 6 in)	Ted Bregar	67.48 m (221 ft 4 in)	Alvin Jackson	66.60 m (218 ft 6 in)
Javelin throw	Sam Colson	84.18 m (276 ft 2 in)	Richard George	82.22 m (269 ft 9 in)	Anthony Hall	81.58 m (267 ft 7 in)
Decathlon	Caitlyn Jenner^[a]	8538 WR	Fred Dixon	8294	Fred Samara	8004

Source:^[7]

Women's results

Women track events

Event	Gold		Silver		Bronze
100 meters Wind +1.95	Brenda Morehead	11.08	Chandra Cheeseborough	11.13	Evelyn Ashford	11.22
200 meters Wind +2.3	Brenda Morehead	22.49w	Chandra Cheeseborough	22.64w	Debra Armstrong	22.74w
400 meters	Sheila Ingram	52.69	Debra Sapenter	52.73	Rosalyn Bryant	52.76
800 meters	Madeline Jackson	1:59.81 NR	Cyndy Poor	2:00.55	Kathy Weston	2:00.73
1500 meters	Cyndy Poor	4:07.32 NR	Jan Merrill	4:07.35	Francie Larrieu	4:08.08
100 m hurdles Wind +2.3	Rhonda Brady	13.25w	Deby LaPlante	13.27	Pat Donnelly	13.36

Source:^[7]

Women field events

Event	Gold		Silver		Bronze
High jump	Paula Girven	1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)	Joni Huntley	1.84 m (6 ft 1⁄4 in)	Pam Spencer	1.81 m (5 ft 11+1⁄4 in)
Long jump	Kathy McMillan	6.78 m (22 ft 2+3⁄4 in)w	Sherron Walker	6.61 m (21 ft 8 in)w	Martha Watson	6.55 m (21 ft 5+3⁄4 in)w
Shot put	Maren Seidler	16.25 m (53 ft 3+3⁄4 in)	Kathy Devine	15.54 m (50 ft 11+3⁄4 in)	Mary Jacobsen	14.71 m (48 ft 3 in)
Discus throw	Lynne Winbigler	50.65 m (166 ft 2 in)	Jan Svendsen	50.27 m (164 ft 11 in)	Monette Driscoll	48.93 m (160 ft 6 in)
Javelin throw	Kate Schmidt	65.04 m (213 ft 4 in)	Sherry Calvert	58.40 m (191 ft 7 in)	Karin Smith	57.22 m (187 ft 8 in)
Pentathlon	Jane Frederick	4622	Gale Fitzgerald	4417	Marilyn King	4374

Source:^[7]

Notes

^ Known as Bruce Jenner until her gender transition in 2015.^[8]

References

^ Newnham, Blaine (June 19, 1976). "They're off". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). p. 1A. Archived from the original on August 31, 2021. Retrieved April 19, 2018.
^ ^a ^b "Trials schedule". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). June 19, 1976. p. 3B. Archived from the original on August 31, 2021. Retrieved April 19, 2018.
^ "Shorter expects tight marathon". The Bulletin. (Bend, Oregon). Associated Press. May 21, 1976. p. 14. Archived from the original on August 31, 2021. Retrieved April 19, 2018.
^ "Marathon course". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). May 21, 1976. p. 1B. Archived from the original on August 31, 2021. Retrieved April 19, 2018.
^ Conrad, John (May 23, 1976). "A nice run in the park for Shorter". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). p. 1B. Archived from the original on August 31, 2021. Retrieved April 19, 2018.
^ Kayfes, Dave (June 27, 1976). "The final today is what matters". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). p. 4B. Archived from the original on August 31, 2021. Retrieved April 19, 2018.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "They survived the Trials to make it to Montreal". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). June 28, 1976. p. 5B. Archived from the original on August 31, 2021. Retrieved April 19, 2018.
^ Bissinger, Buzz (June 1, 2015). "Introducing Caitlyn Jenner". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on June 13, 2015. Retrieved June 1, 2015.

[a-9] Known as Bruce Jenner until her gender transition in 2015.^[8]

[thyoff-1] Newnham, Blaine (June 19, 1976). "They're off". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). p. 1A. Archived from the original on August 31, 2021. Retrieved April 19, 2018.

[trisched-2] "Trials schedule". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). June 19, 1976. p. 3B. Archived from the original on August 31, 2021. Retrieved April 19, 2018.

[sextmar-3] "Shorter expects tight marathon". The Bulletin. (Bend, Oregon). Associated Press. May 21, 1976. p. 14. Archived from the original on August 31, 2021. Retrieved April 19, 2018.

[marcse-4] "Marathon course". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). May 21, 1976. p. 1B. Archived from the original on August 31, 2021. Retrieved April 19, 2018.

[anripfs-5] Conrad, John (May 23, 1976). "A nice run in the park for Shorter". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). p. 1B. Archived from the original on August 31, 2021. Retrieved April 19, 2018.

[tftdism-6] Kayfes, Dave (June 27, 1976). "The final today is what matters". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). p. 4B. Archived from the original on August 31, 2021. Retrieved April 19, 2018.

[tsvvd-7] "They survived the Trials to make it to Montreal". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). June 28, 1976. p. 5B. Archived from the original on August 31, 2021. Retrieved April 19, 2018.

[8] Bissinger, Buzz (June 1, 2015). "Introducing Caitlyn Jenner". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on June 13, 2015. Retrieved June 1, 2015.

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v t e USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
List of winners (men • women)
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v t e 1976 USA Olympic track and field team
Qualification	1976 United States Olympic trials (track and field)
Men's track and road athletes	Garry Bjorklund Benny Brown (r) Doug Brown Dick Buerkle Matt Centrowitz Willie Davenport Mike Durkin Mark Enyeart Dwayne Evans Charles Foster Herman Frazier Paul Geis Harvey Glance Millard Hampton Johnny "Lam" Jones Don Kardong Ron Laird Mark Lutz Duncan MacDonald Henry Marsh Ed Mendoza Edwin Moses Fred Newhouse James Owens Maxie Parks Steve Riddick James Robinson Mike Roche Bill Rodgers Todd Scully Mike Shine Frank Shorter Craig Virgin Larry Walker Quentin Wheeler Rick Wohlhuter
Men's field athletes	James Barrineau Earl Bell James Butts Sam Colson Fred Dixon Rayfield Dupree Al Feuerbach Richard George Anthony Hall Larry Hart Tommy Haynes Bill Jankunis Bruce Jenner Larry Myricks Terry Porter John Powell Dave Roberts Arnie Robinson Fred Samara Pete Shmock Jay Silvester Dwight Stones Mac Wilkins Randy Williams George Woods
Women's track athletes	Debra Armstrong Evelyn Ashford Rhonda Brady Rosalyn Bryant Chandra Cheeseborough Pat Donnelly Sheila Ingram Madeline Manning Jackson Pam Jiles (r) Wendy Knudson Francie Larrieu Jan Merrill Brenda Morehead Deby LaPlante Cyndy Poor Debra Sapenter Martha Watson (r) Kathy Weston
Women's field athletes	Sherry Calvert Gale Fitzgerald Jane Frederick Paula Girven Joni Huntley Marilyn King Kathy McMillan Kate Schmidt Maren Seidler Karin Smith Pam Spencer Sherron Walker Martha Watson Lynne Winbigler
Coaches	LeRoy Walker (men's head coach) Sam Bell (men's assistant coach) Lee Calhoun (men's assistant coach) Jimmy Carnes (men's assistant coach) Stan Huntsman (men's assistant coach) Berny Wagner (men's assistant coach) Alex Ferenczy (women's head coach) C. Harmon Brown (women's assistant coach) Jack Griffin (women's assistant coach) Brooks Johnson (women's assistant coach)