1923 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships

The 1923 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships women's competition were the first national track and field championships for women in the United States.[1][2][3][4][5][6] The tournament was held on 29 September 1923 at Weequahic Park[7][8] in Newark, New Jersey.

1923 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
DatesSeptember 29
Host cityNewark, Essex County,
New Jersey, United States
VenueWeequahic Park
first (women)
1924

Background

After the initial Women's World Games in 1922 in Paris and the three Women's Olympiads (1921 Women's Olympiad, 1922 Women's Olympiad and 1923 Women's World Games) in Monaco, interest in women's sports grew internationally. In 1922, the Women's Amateur Athletic Association (WAAA) was founded in the United Kingdom. The WAAA organised the first official British women's championships in track and field (WAAA Championships) on 18 August 1923 at the Oxo Sports Ground in Downham outside London.

In the United States, the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) was founded in 1888, and held its first national championship for women in the sport of swimming in 1916.[4] In 1922, try-outs for the 1922 Women's World Games were held on 13 May at Oaksmere School in Mamaroneck, New York.[9] Some historians consider this event to be the first "national" women's track meet.[9]

In 1923, the AAU sponsored the first official American women's championships in track and field.[5][6][1][7][2][3]

Events

The meet was held on 29 September 1922 at Weequahic Park in Newark, New Jersey.[1][2][8][5][4][6][10] Female athletes for the 1922 games also trained at Weequahic Park.[10]

The athletes competed in 11 events: running 50 yards, 100 yards, relay race 4x110 yards, hurdling 60 yards, high jump, long jump, discus throw, shot put, javelin, baseball throw (softball throw) and basketball throw.[8][3][7][4][1] The tournament was a huge promotion for women's sports.

Results

Event Gold Silver Bronze
50 yds Marion McCartie
City Bank Club
6,06sec Frances Ruppert
Meadowbrook Club
Mabel Steel
Camp Alamo
100 yds Frances Ruppert
Meadowbrook Club
12,0 sec Marion McCartie
City Bank Club
Madeline Adams
Meadowbrook Club
Relay 4x110 yds Meadowbrook Club
Philadelphia
52,4 sec City Bank Club
New York
Board of Recreation
Paterson, NJ
Hurdling 60 yds Hazel Kirk
Prudential Insurance
9,6 sec Esther Behring
Prudential Insurance
Rose Garlock
Newark Normal School
High jump Catherine Wright
Bridgeport A.C.
4 ft 7½ in Helen Dinnehey
Shanahan CC
4 ft 6 ¼ in Ida Robinson
Philadelphia Turngemeinde
4 ft 5 ¼ in
Long jump Helen Dinnehey
Shanahan CC
15 ft 4 in Alice Adams
Prudential Insurance
15 ft ½ in Florence Bitner
Meadowbrook Club
14 ft
Discus Babe Wolbert
UNAT
71 ft 9½ in Roberta Ranck
Philadelphia Turngemeinde
70 ft 10 in Carrie Gerold
Bridgeport A.C.
65 ft 10½ in
Shot put
8 lb
Bertha Christophel
GATC
30 ft 10½ in Roberta Ranck
Philadelphia Turngemeinde
29 ft 10 5/8 in Gladys Booth
Prudential Insurance
28 ft 3 in
Javelin Roberta Ranck
Philadelphia Turngemeinde
59 ft 7¾ in Jeanette Casper
Bridgeport A.C.
59 ft 1½ in Gladys Booth
Prudential Insurance
58 ft 8 in
Softball throw Elinor Churchill
Robinson F.S.
234 ft 5¾ in Mildred Crotty
Bridgeport A.C
222 ft 9½ in Grace Castor
Philadelphia Turngemeinde
204 ft 4 in
Basketball throw Esther Behring
Prudential Insurance
87 ft 6 in Elinor Churchill
Robinson F.S.
86 ft 8 in Grace Castor
Philadelphia Turngemeinde
80 ft 7 in

Elinor Churchill's baseball throw of 234 feet, 5 ¾ inches also was a new world record,[2] improving her record set the previous year by more than 10 feet.[6][5]

References

  1. Tricard, Louise Mead (1996). American Women's Track and Field: A History, 1895 Through 1980. 1. McFarland. pp. 88–89. ISBN 978-0-7864-0219-9. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  2. "Woman Sets Record For Baseball". Courier Journal. Louisville KY. September 30, 1923. p. 62. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  3. "USA Outdoor Track & Field Champions". USA Track & Field. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  4. Woolum, Janet (1998). "Outstanding Women Athletes: Who They Are and How They Influenced Sports In America". Greenwood. p. 26. ISBN 978-1-57356-120-4. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  5. "Elinor Churchill". Exeter Historical Society. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  6. "Elinor Churchill". Seacoastonline.com. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  7. "United States Championships (women)". GBR Athletics.com. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  8. "USA National Championship, Newark 1923". Brinkster.net. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  9. "Camille Sabie". NJSports.com. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  10. "Glimpse of History: Woman athletes make history". NJ.com. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
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