2/15/26 by Jim Crowhurst
Some records seem like they will never be broken.
Montgomery’s Mel Gray had some that you wonder when someone will take them down.
Nearly 60 years ago, back in 1967, Gray had bests of 25-7¼ long jump, 20.7 220 yards National Record, equal to 20.82 for 200 meters and 9.4 100 yards, equal to about 10.54 100 meters.
I’ll skip the yard races, since we now have gone metric and just focus on long jump were his best 25-7¼ wind aided and 24-11 legal happened before some who might be reading this were born and are now grandparents.
Three years later at the 1970 State Meet trials the Santa Rosa High mile relay team of (Carl Sagon 49.6y, Wayne Praeder 50.5y, Ken Borbe 49.7y, Joe DeDora 47.8y) ran 3:17.6. Equal to 3:16.70 1600m Relay. That record is over 50 years old.
Also over 50 years old is the Two Mile Relay that Petaluma set back in 1974 at 7:52.7 by Jim Judd, Dan Aldridge, Phil Bond and Jon Sisler.
They averaged 1:57.53 for each 800 meters or a 3200R in 7:50.10.
Our last 50 plus record is for the two lapper.
Petaluma’s Dan Aldridge ran the 880 in 1:49.7 at the 1975 NCS 3A finals, = to 1:49.31 800 meters.
45 years ago, one week apart, two records happened that have not been surpassed.
Santa Rosa’s Dennis DeSoto unleashed a shot put mark of 63-10½ at the NBL finals.
Then a week later at the NCS 3A Petaluma’s Rob McCorkel reached a triple jump mark of 48-7½.
The last time a vertical record was set was back in 1995.
Piner’s Pat Leonard cleared 7-0¼ in the high jump and then 2 weeks later Petaluma’s Rene Loraine did the same in the pole vault at 15-9.
On the track that year it was all Rancho Cotate’s Corey Nelson who set metric marks in the 400 46.89 and the 200 21.24.
Another mark from the last millennium that still stands is the 110 high hurdles.
Elsie Allen’s Chucky Ryan ran 14.13 +0.5 in 1998.
The only other still standing mark over 20 years will happen on April 22 of this year when Lower Lake’s Mike Perez 800 time of 4:09.91 will hit that age.
Here are some records that lasted over 20 years but have since been beaten.
Converted marks still the best, 59 years later
100
9.4 Mel Gray, Montgomery 5/6/67 NBL I trials windy 5 mph = to 10.54 100 meters
200
20.7* Mel Gray, Montgomery 6/3/67 STATE finals = to 20.82 200 meters, National Record
Lasted 50 years
Mile
4:28.0 Larry Chapman, Santa Rosa 1914, State best
4:26.1 Dale Stevenson, Hogan 1964 NBL Finals
48 years
100m
10.69 James Burrell, Piner 4/9/77 San Jose Relays, wind legal
10.62 +4.8 Khairee Baker, American Canyon 5/17/25 NCS Redwood
47, 43, 42 years
440 Relay
42.6 Montgomery 4/22/67 SR Relays
42.6 Vallejo 1970 NBL finals
42.6 Cardinal Newman 5/20/71 MOC = to 42.59 400m Relay
400 meter Relay
42.41 Maria Carrillo 5/25/13 MOC Dontae Garcia, Darian Galindo, Alex Netherda, Herbie Polk
40 years
High Jump
6-1* Arthur Henley, Ukiah 1898
6-5 Vernon Higbee, Vallejo 1938
38 years
Discus
181-6¼ Chris Day, Montgomery 4/29/81 at RC
181-10 Bryson Trask, Middletown 5/24/19 State trials
37 years
Shot Put
52-8 2/5* Ralph Rose, Healdsburg 1903
54-4½ Ben Steele, Santa Rosa 1940
Shot put competition, Summer Olympics 1908 in London. Source: Illustration in the “Fourth Olympiad 1908 London Official Report” published by the British Olympic Association in 1909
35 years
880
1:59.2 Elmer Boyden, Vallejo 1921, State Meet Record, National Champion
1:53.8 Jerry Siebert, Willits 6/2/56 State finals, was 2nd fastest time in California history
33 years
220
22.6* Bill Hagans, Ukiah 1901
21.7 Delbert Butler, Santa Rosa 1934
31 years
2 mile
9:14.0 Armand Moreno, Piner 1978 = to 9:11.03 3200 meters, Record?
3200 meters
9:09.48 Sterling Lockert, Petaluma 5/30/09 MOC
26 years
Long Jump
23-10 Frank Freeman, Sonoma Valley 5/27/39 State
24-0½ Mel Gray, Montgomery 1965 NBL finals
25 years
High Jump
6-5 Vernon Higbee, Vallejo 1938
6-5½ Clem Houg, Healdsburg 1963
24 years
440 yds
47.3 Joe DeDora, Santa Rosa 6/5/71 State finals = to 47.27 400 meters, 400 Record Updated
400 meters
46.89 Corey Nelson, Rancho Cotate 5/27/95 MOC finals
24 years
300IH
38.02 Chris Barnsdale, Montgomery 5/18/96 NCS Redwood
37.79 Russell Gordon, Fort Bragg 5/26/21 State Invitational
23 years
Mile
4:15.0 Dave Royal, Petaluma 6/9/79 Brooks MOC = to 4:13.76 1600 meters
1600 meters
4:13.67 Jordan Kinley, Maria Carrillo 6/1/02 State
21 years
Long Jump
22-3½* Arthur Henley, Ukiah 1900
22-4 Elmer Boyden, Vallejo 1921, National Champion
21 years
400 meters
47.3 Sherman Miller, Napa 8/18/50 Vasteras, Sweden, =FAT 47.54 400 meters, National 400m Record, lasted until 1960
440 yds
47.3 Joe DeDora, Santa Rosa 6/5/71 State finals = to 47.27 400 meters, 400 Record Updated
20 years
880 yds
2:06.2* Finnie, Ukiah 1897
2:06.0 Roy Williamson, Analy 1917
School Records that just can’t be broken