Carlos’ Triple Leads “Speed City” Spartans

San Jose State had such depth in its sprint corps in 1969 that coach Bud Winter coined the nickname “Speed City” for the group that included three Olympic medalists from the 1968 Mexico City Games: Lee Evans (400), Ronnie Ray Smith (4×100) and today’s subject, John Carlos (200).

It was on this day 51 years ago that Carlos, a recent transfer from East Texas State, completed the first sprint triple at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, winning the 100, 200 (220) and being a member of the 4×100 (4×110) relay team.

The 1969 NCAA meet, held in Knoxville, Tennessee, was the first held on a Tartan all-weather surface. The Spartans were familiar with the surface, as it was also installed on its home track.

On the previous day, Carlos led three SJSU athletes in the 100-yard final, winning in 9.2 seconds over defending champ Lennox Miller of Southern California. The aforementioned Ronnie Ray Smith finished third, while teammate Kirk Clayton, who was neck-and-neck for 4th place at the time, was disqualified for a lane violation. Carlos, Clayton and Ronnie Ray Smith later joined forces to post the fastest qualifier in the 440-yard relay, setting an American record of 38.8.

The final day of the meet saw lots of rain, which gave those in lane 1 extra obstacles with numerous puddles. It just so happens that SJSU somehow drew lane 1 in the 440-yard relay, but wasn’t bothered by it, winning in 39.1 with Carlos as the anchor. Then, after Evans finished second in the 440 (Stay tuned for a future moment for this race, which deserves its own article), Carlos equaled the meet record in the 220 at 20.2, matching the meet record fellow Spartan Tommy Smith established in 1967.

Tommie Smith and John Carlos became well-known for their “Black Power” salute to protest racial injustice during the medal ceremony at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics following a gold-bronze 200-meter finish. In 2005, San Jose State unveiled a large statue honoring the moment in the center of its campus.