As I mentioned earlier, the Iowa Boys High School state track and field championships have been held for 112 years.
Here is a little history on the boys hurdles in Iowa:
The 120 yard high hurdles were run at 42” from 1906 through 1934 and at 39” from 1935 through 1977. The high school high hurdles, as we know them today are run for 110 meters at a height of 39”.
We have had a low hurdle race at the state meet for boys for 112 years as well. 220 yard lows from 1906-1934, 200 yard lows from 1935-1950, 180 yard lows from 1951-1977, 165 meter lows were run in 1978 and we went to 400 meter lows in 1979.
The reason for the history lesson is because our next inductee is one of the best combo hurdlers, EVER, in 112 years of the state meet.
As a junior at Charles City in 1976, Randy Elliott, was pretty darn good; winning both the high hurdles and low hurdles at state and placing in the 440 yard relay at both Drake and State.
But 1977, his senior season, is the one long time track fans remember. At the Drake Relays, Elliott was awarded the first ever Drake Relays High School performer of the meet award after winning gold in the high hurdles and the long jump and placing 2nd in the 100 yard dash.
While much of the regular season was spent running on cinders, Elliott lit up the track at Mason City’s Mohawk Relays running the 120 yard highs in 13.6, the fastest ever by an Iowa prep. In fact, Randy and Urbandale’s Greg Rumple are the only Iowa preps to run under 14 flat in the 120 yard highs, handheld or FAT. Rumple had run 13.9 in 1974.
On a return trip to Drake Stadium, for the state meet, Elliott won the 120 yard highs, the 180 yard lows and was on the 5th place 440 yard relay team, with two of his lifelong best friends, Rick Peters and Rick Hall.
Here is some more information on the hurdles, not for the sake of argument, but to put Elliott’s accomplishments in perspective.
120 yards is 360 feet. 110 meters is approximately 360 feet 11 inches.
Elliott ran the 120 yard highs in a handheld 13.6. Iowa’s All Time Best handheld best for the 110 highs is 13.8. The FAT record for 110 highs 13.91.
Six Iowa preps have run under 14 in the 110 highs, 1 was FAT, 5 were handheld. Elliott is one of only 3 Iowa preps to break 14 in the high hurdles at the state meet.
Randy was also a two-time champ in the 180 yard low hurdles. In 1976, he ran 19.5, and in 1977, he clocked 19.4; a state meet record and the fastest clocking for a hurdle race ran around a curve. He ran 19.1 out of a chute start that year.
Bud Legg, long time Ames Athletic Director, now the track and field historian for the boy’s athletic association and fellow IATC Hall of Famer, told me this about Elliott: “to use the words one of the best ever is high praise, but certainly in my opinion, is accurate when talking about Randy Elliott”.
Randy credits Charles City P.E. teacher Lyle Wendland, who is also here today, for sparking his interest in track and field.
There were many outstanding hurdlers and sprinters in Iowa in the 70’s and Elliott fondly remembers the intense rivalry he had with Waterloo Wests’ outstanding duo, Jimmy Frazier and Kelly Ellis.
After graduating from Charles City, Randy was invited to compete against the top seniors in the country at the Golden West Invitational in Sacramento, California,. He was leading the high hurdle final when he clipped the 8th hurdle, broke stride and hit numbers 9 and 10 before finishing 6th.
Randy went on to run track at the University of Iowa where he was a Hawkeye letter winner and Big 10 medalist in the high hurdles and the 4×1.
Randy is currently the wholesale manager at C&O Tire in Charles City where he lives with his wife Tammy. He has 2 children Justin and Callie and 3 grandchildren.