1948 NCAA Track and Field Championships
The 1948 NCAA Track and Field Championships were held in Minneapolis, Minnesota in June 1948. The University of Minnesota won the team title. Two NCAA meet records were broken, and one American record was tied, at the event. Fortune Gordien was the high point scorer for Minnesota as he won the discus thrown and finished second in the shot put, accounting for 18 of Minnesota’s points.
Clyde “Smackover” Scott tied the world record in the 110-meter high hurdles with a time of 13.7 seconds.
Mel Patton was the only athlete to win two events at the meet. Patton won both the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes.
Charlie Fonville of the University of Michigan won the shot put competition with a distance of 54 feet, defending his 1947 NCAA title.Team scoring
1. Minnesota – 46
2. University of Southern California – 41½
3. Texas – 40
4. Illinois – 34¼
5. California – 19¼Track events
100-meter dash
1. Mel Patton, Univ. South. Calif.
2. Don Anderson, California
3. Charles Parker, Texas
110-meter high hurdles
1. Clyde Scott, Arkansas
2. W.F. Porter, Northwestern
3. Craig Dixon, UCLA
200-meter dash
1. Mel Patton, Univ. South. Calif.
2. Charles Parker, Texas
3. Paul Bienz, Tulane
400-meter dash
1. Norman Rucks, South Carolina
2. Arthur Harnden, Texas A&M
3. John Hammack, U.S. Military Academy
400-meter hurdles
1. George Walker, Illinois
2. Jeffrey Kirk, Penn
3. Ron Frazier, Univ. South. Calif.
800-meter run
1. Mal Whitfield, Ohio State
2. Jack Dianetti, Michigan State
3. Bob Chambers, Univ. South. Calif.
1,500-meter run
1. Don Gehrman, Wisconsin
2. Herbert Barten, Michigan
3. Roland Sink, Univ. South. Calif.
3,000-meter steeplechase
1. Browning Ross, Villanova
2. W.O. Overton, Alabama Polytechnic Inst.
3. James Kittell, Notre Dame
5,000-meter run
1. Jerry Thompson, Texas
2. Horace A. Shenfelter, Penn State
3. Quentin Briesford, Ohio WesleyanField events
Broad jump
1. Willie Steele, San Diego State – 24 feet, 11½ inches
2. James Holland, Northwestern - 24 feet, 6½ inches
3. Lorenzo Wright, Wayne – 24 feet, 5¼ inches
High jump
1. Dwight Eddleman, Illinois – 6 feet, 7 inches
1. Irving Mondschein, NYU – 6 feet, 7 inches
3. Charles Hangar, California – 6 feet, 6 inches
3. Vern McGrew, Rice – 6 feet, 6 inches
3. Lou Irons, Illinois – 6 feet, 6 inches
3. Tom Scofield, Kansas – 6 feet, 6 inches
Pole vault
1. Warren Bateman, Colorado – 14 feet
1. George Rasmussen, Oregon – 14 feet
3. Harry Cooper, Minnesota – 13 feet, 10 inches
Discus throw
1. Fortune Gordien, Minnesota – 164 feet, 6½ inches
2. Victor Frank, Yale – 164 feet, 3⅔ inches
3. George Kadera, Texas A&M – 155 feet, 1½ inches
Javelin
1. Frank Held, Stanford – 209 feet, 8 inches
2. Francis Friedenbach – 204 feet, 5½ inches
3. Frank Guess, Texas – 199 feet
Shot put
1. Charlie Fonville, Michigan – 54 feet, 7 inches
2. Fortune Gordien, Minnesota – 52 feet, 7⅜ inches
3. Rollin Prather, Kansas State – 52 feet, 3⅞ inch
Hammer throw
1. Samuel H. Felton, Jr. – 170 feet, 9¼ inches
2. George Marsanskis, Maine – 170 feet, 5 inches
3. Jim Burnham, Dartmouth – 168 feet
Hop, step and jump
1. Lloyd Lamois, Minnesota – 45 feet, 10 inches
2. John Gough, Oklahoma – 45 feet, 7½ inches
3. John Robertson, Texas – 44 feet, 9½ inches
