2023 Inductee
Gerald “Diz” Vincent started his high school career in Council Bluffs before moving to Ottumwa as a sophomore. Diz was not only Iowa’s first High School individual boys state Cross Country Champion, he was also our first 2X champion: winning the 1.75 mile race in 1922 in 10:12 and 100 years ago, in 1923, running the 2.1 mile course in 11:26. We are awaiting confirmation of a Davis Eidahl sighting at this state meet as well
He was also the National HS XC runner-up in the fall of ‘23, running a 3.5 mile course, in Philadelphia, in 17:57.
On the track, in his senior season at Ottumwa, he anchored the 2 Mile Relay to a gold medal and the Mile Medley to bronze, with a 2 flat carry, at the 1924 Drake Relays. He also anchored a Bulldog quartet to the bronze medal in the 2 Mile Relay at the Kansas Relays.
During his outstanding career as a Bulldog, Diz was a state meet medalist in the Mile, 880 and High Jump. He was also a fine High Hurdler.
At the 1923 Stagg Interscholastic National meet in Chicago, he won the Mile, and in 1924, ran 2 flat to win the 880. He was also an outstanding basketball player.
I worked hard to find more information on Diz’s life after Ottumwa, but it’s pretty scarce. He went to the U of Iowa, majoring in Engineering, but it doesn’t appear that he ran track. He got married in Lincoln, Nebraska in 1927, was still in Ottumwa in ’29 and worked for an oil company in Oklahoma City from at least 1931-1935.